Darryl Sutter declined to name a starting goaltender for Friday’s game against Columbus, and it appears our first assessment as to who will lead the team out of the tunnel at Staples Center Friday night will take place when the first goaltender leaves the ice at tomorrow’s morning skate.
On the team’s performance over the last two games:
“I think we deserved a better fate against Detroit. Sometimes it doesn’t go your way like that. Obviously we played really well against St. Louis. We had a strong game. But there are things we definitely need to clean up and get better at and continue to work on as we move forward here.”
On what he’d like to see improve:
“I’d like to see myself get better. That’s the biggest thing.”
On how vocal he is with the defense:
“It’s great. Every play we’re talking to each other. Every time the puck’s in our end we’re talking.”
On whether he’s more vocal this year, considering the youth on defense:
“We have certain commands. Every time someone has the puck, or we see something, we’re yelling. I think you try to maybe do it a little more frequently, but at the same time you don’t want it to be overkill. You don’t want five guys yelling at you to do five different things. I think it’s about keeping it simple, no matter who’s out there, whatever the lineup is, whoever’s on the ice. It’s about keeping it simple and not over thinking and just making the smart play.”
On how anxious he is to start again:
“Yeah, obviously. You always want to play the games. It’s why you work so hard over the summer and during practice. You do all that work to play games, and you do all that work to play well. When you’re not playing them well, you always want to get back out here and try to do it again.”
On if he’s pinpointed an aspect of his game that needs improvement:
“Yeah, there are more goals going in. So that needs to be improved on.”
On Detroit’s game-winner, and how difficult it is to end a game like that:
“It’s a tough pill to swallow. It especially kind of hurts a little more, just because you know how hard the team played in front of me all night long. They worked really hard, and they deserved better. Finally to tie it up and to think we’re going to have an opportunity to play four-on-four overtime, possibly shootout, and then you kind of lose that opportunity. Obviously it’s going to sting a bit. You feel like you let a lot of guys down. At the same time, that’s part of the position. That’s what I signed up for. You’re going to have those ups and downs, and you’re going to give up goals you want back, and you’re going to make saves that maybe you shouldn’t have. That’s all what you signed up for. It’s how you handle it. It’s all about the next day. Obviously, you’ve got to come back and work hard in practice, which I felt I have the past few days. You look forward to get out there and help your team win the next game.”
On whether it’s still “a little weird” seeing Jack Johnson in a Blue Jackets jersey:
“It’s part of the game. Guys get traded. Guys get called up and sent down. Nothing’s guaranteed in this league. It is what it is…You hate to see him go, but its part of the game, and you know it’s a business. From my talks with him, he’s happy there. He really loves it there. That’s all that you hope for – that guys are happy where they’re at.”
On whether he noticed that Jack Johnson leads the league in ice time:
“I did notice that, yeah. He likes to play, so that’s good. That could be a reason why he is happy there. He’s playing a ton. He’s a big, big part of that team. They’ve got a nice, young group of players. Obviously, you can see they’re growing something special there. You’re just happy that he’s happy.”
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