February 17 postgame quotes: Mike Richards

On coming close in the third period:
“That’s what it was. Close. We probably didn’t play well enough to win this game. The slow start kind of cost us. For a team that thrives on momentum, we gave them a lot in the first period with penalties and some turnovers, and they scored some goals, so it put us behind the eight ball pretty quick.”

On what the team succeeded at in the third period:
“We were moving our feet, making them take penalties instead of us getting penalties. It’s a game that obviously we have to get better on. We’ll get back at it on…Tuesday night…against Edmonton.”

On whether Chicago was that good, or if L.A. made them look good:
“We’ve got to give them credit. They’re a great hockey team. But at the start we weren’t ready to play, and they had open looks like Seabrook did right off the bat. Just mental lapses, and I guess not being ready to play. It is what it is. It’s obviously something that we have to look at, get better at and look forward to Edmonton.”

On being 5-6-2:
“[It’s] not the way you want to start a season, obviously. We’ve had some ups and downs. We’ve played some really good games, and some poor games, so we have to try and find that consistency on a daily basis. It’s got to come soon.”

On what led to the possession advantage in the third period:
“Moving our feet creates a world of difference. Instead of making plays standing still, you’re making plays going forward. As a defender, it’s tough to do, so as an offensive player that’s what you have to strive for.”

On what led to the power play’s success:
“I think we put a big emphasis on getting pucks to the net, and Brown did a really good job of getting there. We had a couple of lucky bounces, so that’s something that we have to continue to get better at. At some point here we’ve got to have it win us a hockey game.”

On Jonathan Quick’s performance:
“He played outstanding.”

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