March 29 postgame quotes: Winnipeg

Blake Wheeler, on falling behind early:
There is no explanation. They came out with the kind of energy you need to start a hockey game. We didn’t. That’s what happens.

Wheeler, on getting better after the first period:
Oh yeah, we figured it out a little bit. We stopped playing on our heels so much. We stopped playing on the end of our stick, started trying to engage a little bit physically and it’s amazing what happens when you try to get on the body a little bit and not play on the end of your stick. The puck finds you a little bit more, makes the game a little easier.

Wheeler, on trying to mount a comeback against Los Angeles:
Well you spot them three and that’s tough. That’s what they do. They’re made to win games, low scoring games, 1-0 games. You get behind and you’re putting yourself at a really big disadvantage.

Matt Halischuk, on falling behind early:
Definitely the start, we get behind teams like that 3-0, especially in their building, it’s going to be tough to come back. So definitely, it was the start again for us tonight.

Halischuk, on what was said in the locker room after the first period:
I think everybody knew, we knew, that they were going to come out like this and we weren’t prepared. It was definitely a regroup for us and definitely a learning lesson there.

Evander Kane, on the frustrations of the loss:
It’s frustrating that we can’t play the way we played in the third period for the first period. That’s probably the most frustrating part.

Kane, on Los Angeles:
Whenever a team gets a 3-0 lead, you’re seldom going to be able to come back in the hockey game. They don’t create a whole lot of offense. They have a lot of offensive guys, but they’re a defense first team and when you spot them 3-0 leads it’s going to be tough to come back on. You know what to expect from the LA Kings and we weren’t surprised.

Paul Maurice, on the loss:
Well, it taught a real good lesson in the first period about getting ready to play a hard game. They just give them so much ice to play on and backing up and not playing the game and not making a mistake and you’re going to get beat like that every day. And then two periods, you play as hard as you possibly can. Some night your hands are going to be there, some nights they’re not, but if you play that hard then you’re in the game. You have a chance to play. We were looking for a smoother way to play that first period and it just wasn’t going to be there.

Maurice, on the play of his goaltenders:
I understand how it looked in the first period, but I’m not putting that one on the goaltenders’ feet. I’m not saying they weren’t responsible for the pucks. They were as good as we were, the rest of the hockey club. So we’re not sitting there saying ‘Hey we need some saves to get us going.’ Shame on us. It’s a 20-man group out there. Can our goalies be better than tonight’s game? Yes, but no more so. That wasn’t a goalies issue that period.