On the importance of secondary scoring in the playoffs:
“It’s obviously important in the playoffs, just in general. In this series, it’s no different. It’s going to be guys who aren’t looked upon as producers to step up here and there when the team needs it. I guess it kind of goes under the unsung hero part. But it’s needed, for sure.”
On what he learned from his performance in the playoffs last year:
“It’s just a new season. There’s a new chance and opportunity, and it obviously a little different game – more physical, more intense. That’s what players strive on, and if you bring your A-game, you tend to make a difference out there.”
On whether the Kings-Blues style of play more easily allows him to play his style of game:
“I mean, that’s kind of the identity of our team. We want to be a big, physical, hard-to-play-against team, and when you play against a team that’s very physical, it’s going to just bring the cream to the top.”
On skating with Jarret Stoll and Trevor Lewis:
“It’s like you said. Obviously it’s going to be a fast, physical series. That’s what our line brings – energy. If we can do that, and obviously contribute a little bit on the offense and play in the offensive zone, then that’s really the key.”
On his altercation with Alex Pietrangelo in Game 1 of last year’s series, and whether the added attention provided a “growing up through the playoffs” moment:
“It was a little different, that’s for sure. That situation is a little different than what you’d think of as a ‘growing moment’, but what happened from it was our team built from it, and we got better as the series went on from there on, so it was good.”
On continuing L.A.’s play against St. Louis, considering there have been admissions of looking for “revenge” in the St. Louis dressing room:
“I mean, obviously we’re playing to win. So are they, obviously. Whatever we did in the regular season and last year doesn’t really matter. I mean, we’re familiar with the group of guys they have in their room, but the old scores don’t really matter, and now we’ve got to just look forward to winninng this first game.”
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