October 3 postgame quotes: Quick, Mitchell

Jonathan Quick, on Trevor Lewis’ key block late in the third period
To be honest, I knew there were a couple guys there that were playing my position, and I needed the help there. Obviously we were bending a little bit there at the end, but we didn’t break. It’s one of those gritty road wins. Win one in a shootout. It’s a good way to start because you get two points, but obviously we know we’ve got better, and as individuals we know we’ve got better. We’ve got to be better tomorrow night, because we’ve got a hungry Winnipeg team that I believe were watching us play, so they’re going to be a little bit rested here.

Quick, on his pokecheck on Mikko Koivu in the shootout:
Well, I think I’ve seen him quite a few times in the shootout, and I don’t know if I’ve stopped him yet, so I was trying to make him make a mistake, I guess. I know he has a couple moves he likes to go to, so I was trying to take those away, and you get fortunate. You knock the puck off his stick.

Quick, on whether the win was gratifying after losing in a shootout in Minnesota last season:
That was last year. You start fresh. You’re just trying to win a game here, and we were able to do that.

Quick, on whether he has time to recall previous shootouts:
In the shootout, obviously you guys do homework, and obviously they know my weaknesses, and I know their favorite moves. It’s a quick little chess match you’re playing, and you’re trying to take away what they like, and they’re trying to go to the spots that they’ve had success on you.

Willie Mitchell, on how he feels after the win:
Good. Great. Nice to be back. It feels really good when you win, too. I was laying an egg in the penalty box there with about three minutes left, though. [Reporter: A little bit of a questionable call there, too.] A little bit. But you know what? I penalty kill, and I know that’s a big role for me on the team, so I can’t take penalties. It’s not the place for me to be, because then they miss me on the penalty kill, too, so I’ve got to be better on it. I’ll take a look at it. I thought it was a little bit marginal, but they’re moving that way in the game where you can’t engage in a guy at all.

On whether his return was everything he “envisioned and visualized”:
Maybe it’s not as big of a moment as I thought it would be, and maybe it’s just because I’ve been kind of been going for a while here. Training camp and playing preseason games. Who’s kidding who? It was still cool. Maybe it’s just your adrenaline in the game, and you’re so focused on what you’re trying to do and be a good teammate and do the things that make you a good player or play to your strengths – you’re so focused on that. I’ll probably sit on the plane and have a glass of water and think about it then.

On how many people he had in the crowd watching his return:
Twenty-something…It’s home away from home for me.