March 12 postgame quotes: Keaton Ellerby

On whether the game was more wide open than the team would have preferred:
“Yeah, I think it was a little more wide open than we would have liked. They came hard. They got a couple quick goals, and going down 4-0 isn’t always the way you want to start things off. We’ve just got to bounce back, go into San Jose, regroup, and get two points there.”

On the challenges caused by the schedule, travel and the absence of a morning skate:
“It’s tough, but it’s all part of the gig. You’ve got to be prepared mentally and physically to battle through that adversity. I mean, every team does it. It’s not just us. Like I said, we’ve got just got to bounce back and get ready for San Jose.”

On the frustration of Phoenix scoring a pair of early goals following L.A. power plays:
“It’s a little bit frustrating, but you can’t let those things get you down. You’ve just got to keep pushing and just keep working for that first one. I mean, yeah, they got the first one, but you’ve got to just keep pushing, keep sticking to the systems and things are going to go your way if you do what you need to do.”

On Phoenix’s physicality as a means of taking advantage of L.A.’s schedule:
“For sure. That’s their style of play. They’re a hard-nosed, hard-working get-the-puck-in-deep, grind-it-out, wear-teams-down kind of team. We knew it coming in. But they definitely came out hard, and they worked for those first couple of goals. We got into a little bit of a hole, but like I said, you’ve got to bounce back and get ready for San Jose.”