January 8 practice quotes: Matt Frattin

On just missing a goal on a deflection:
Just going to the net, trying to get away from their defenders and Dewey had a nice shot. I think it missed by more than it looked, but I’m trying to change the direction of the shot and it surprises the goalie sometimes.

On setting up a deflection play:
You have to get your body in a position where the defenseman can’t tie-up your stick. If they get it by that first guy you have a good chance to tip it and you have to keep the eyes in front of the goalie. It’s tough to get a deflection on net, so you’re just trying to get a piece of it and hopefully it finds a spot on the goalie.

On playing on the left side:
Yeah, I’m comfortable there. The biggest things we work on in practice is just wall work coming out of the defensive zone and that’s something they’ve been harping on me since the beginning of the year. I felt like I’ve been doing a good job of that lately and I just have to keep working on it.

On skating on a line with Mike Richards and Tyler Toffoli:
We had a lot of good chances in the last three games or so when we’ve been put together and those are the chances that we need to execute. We’re on the doorstep and we just have to keep shooting, trying to make the goalie make a save, and hitting nets, get traffic and try to get some rebound goals.

On if Boston and Los Angeles play a similar style:
I was looking up their lineup, they still have their main core and that’s what they’re going to hang onto for a while. Big, strong, they’re very good in their defensive zone. They break out the puck really well, just like us. That’s something we have to have our chips, come in with speed. Turn it back up, high to low plays where you can kind of sustain some pressure, because if they make a soft chip and they have time to break it up they’re going to break it out in transition on us.