This was an amazing year. I don't know if we will see this again as far as the competitiveness. |
This was their Stanley Cup. |
This won't be easy. They're applying the same standards in the Ontario Hockey League and they had 52 minutes in minors in one game. I think we're in for lots of the same. There won't be change without some price being paid. |
This year, he has made big scoring plays for us, which, in the past wasn't particularly an asset of his. In the past, his strength has been in his contact and his emotion and that's still present but he has added a touch and he has made some big plays for goals for us. |
Those are the kinds of mental errors that have been happening too often in the last month and a half. |
Those tasks are never easy, especially for guys who have had a long history of great service. And those decisions are not necessarily the right ones all the time. |
Those two power-play goals certainly changed the game. |
Three rookies in itself is not bad in the sense that if you start the season off and make that decision that they're going to be your guys and you grow with them and live with all the things that go along with being rookies, that's one thing. This year, we didn't plan on that. We planned on possibly one, not three. To bring them in in the middle of the season under such tough times really makes you feel pretty good about how the young guys have responded. |
Time is our enemy here. This small amount of time that we have here this week is the start of putting this team together. These guys have to find a way to come together and it starts here. |
To leave him out too long is not fair to him, it's not fair to the rest of the guys, so I'm happy that he's playing. |
To see the little kids around looking at their heroes. That's one of the intangible sides of this business that is the good in the game. It was really a pleasure out there this morning. |
Todd is a big, strong player, we expect that kind of game from him here. |
Tonight he had a hot stick going too. |
Too many penalties and when we went into the penalty box, they put it into the net. They were weak penalties. And mistakes where we made a mistake with the puck and either hooked somebody or got a stick up on someone. They are our mistakes and double mistakes. Give the puck away and hook somebody to cover up your mistake and we paid for it. |
Too many times we were trying to make the great plays, instead of the simple ones that are more effective. |