February 6 postgame quotes: Columbus

Todd Richards, on the loss:
I thought our guys played really hard. There wasn’t a lot of space out there. I think they check well. I thought we checked well. It was an intense, physical game and we knew that coming in. I thought we were going to get tested here in this building and I’m real happy with the way the guys came out and played the game. [Reporter: Did you anticipate a low scoring game?] I thought it was going to be a low scoring game. They check well. Their systematic play is very good. It’s sound and we’ve been doing a good job of that as well. So, you’re coming in thinking two goals might win it and that’s the way it went tonight.

Richards, on the physicality of the game:
I figured that coming into the game that it was going to be a physical game. That’s the way they play in this building. They’ve got some good size in their group and they’re committed to doing that. Sometimes that can back you off and I thought the guys answered the bell by going out and playing the physical game and fighting through the checks and those types of things.

Nick Foligno, on rallying together:
You got to find those things you can rally around the game and get your emotion up and I thought we did that. We didn’t let it rattle us and we continued to play and go after them and really gave them a tough night. This is a hard barn to win in. They play really stingy defense and obviously have a good goaltender. We had some chances, just couldn’t find the back of the net. But lots of good things we did tonight and we have to build on that for tomorrow.

Ryan Johansen, on the game:
Our team played a very strong road game I thought tonight, and credit to LA – they stuck to their game and found a way to win. It’s the way it goes sometimes and I liked the way we played tonight though. Quick made a couple big saves on us. We hit two the post there later on in the game and a couple bounces could have gone either way. So it was a good road game for our team though.

Johansen, on Los Angeles’ physicality:
Yeah definitely, they’re a big bodied team over there. We had to match the physicality and I thought our team toughness in here showed out on the ice and guys played a hard heavy game.

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