On how he assesses Ben Scrivens “rising to the challenge”:
I had never seen him play until we got him. Training camp. So I couldn’t tell you. I just go off what guys in Toronto said, and guys that had him in the American League, and go from there. [Reporter: Starting to trust him a little bit?] I’ve trusted him. As training camp went on, he’s learning stuff that he had to do differently that we do. So obviously that’s more Billy Ranford and him…We’ve told him when his starts were, so that’s what we’ll continue to do. [Reporter: Do you have to reassess anything with the way he’s playing? I mean, I know you want to get the other guy in. Does that matter?] We’ll get the other guy in. But you’ve also got to remember we’re in a division where every point counts. Quite honest, tonight’s our 20th game, and what are we? So we’re on a 103 or 104-point clip, so the goalie’s got to win games. I mean, I can only go from experience…and when a number one goalie went out before, a top goalie in the league, and another goalie played 10 games and nobody talked about him, it was Jamie McLennan, and we made the playoffs because of what Jamie McLennan did during that stretch. So maybe that’s what this guy’s got to do.
On his thoughts towards starting Martin Jones:
Yeah, at some point he’s got to start. [Reporter: What was the thinking today to give Ben the back-to-back?] Not a lot of work. He hasn’t had a lot of work, and he’s played back-to-backs. I mean, he was an American League goalie. He’s done that. It’s like I told those kids between periods. ‘Hey, you guys should have a little bit more energy. You’re used to eight-hour bus rides, and then playing today.’
On Anze Kopitar’s built in defensive ability:
Yeah, he’s pretty well-schooled. [Reporter: Is it because he’s a coach’s son, do you think? What makes him one of those guys?] He left and played in…Sweden when he was 14. If you look at most of those Swedish centermen, they’re very hockey intelligent guys. They play 200-feet. So, really, he probably learnt more of his hockey from that part of it, I would say. I’ve said it lots…he’s the best centerman that I’ve coached for the whole 200-foot game. [Reporter: Tonight you could just sort of take little snippets of what he was doing. It was like a clinic, the things that people just don’t notice.] It’s good for him. He came to the bench when he scored [in] the empty net, because I had been on him that he hasn’t scored on the road yet this year. He said ‘Whatever it is.’
On Dustin Brown’s recent play:
He’s a plus player for us. Playing more minutes now. He’s back on the power play. You know what? Tonight we got a short bench with guys, so it’s not really with one guy. On the road it’s different.
On Dwight King’s increased usage:
Good penalty killer, good net presence guy, scores big goals, playoff proven. He’s still a young player, but that’s the difference – I always look at the young guys on teams. Well, he’s a guy what’s got playoff experience. So they don’t call him a young player. [Reporter: Because he is a young player, does he have to gain your trust early in the season again, or does that change because of it?] He had a tough year last year. It had nothing to do with gaining my trust. If you’d go ask him, he fully knows my confidence in him has nothing to do with it. Dwight King plays a lot for our team. He plays with a lot of guys, plays both wings. He’s a guy that can always go and stabilize the game for you.
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