May 14 morning skate quotes: Kopitar, Doughty, Martinez

Anze Kopitar, on how this Game 6 compares to Game 6 in the San Jose series:
Obviously the series went in a different direction with being up 2-0 and now facing this. The mindset is always the same. Even though we’re facing elimination, it doesn’t change a lot. It’s the same as it is Game 1 of the series. We’re trying to get out there and win a game and give ourselves a chance to play Game 7.

Kopitar, on what changed when they faced elimination in the San Jose series:
I don’t think it changed a whole lot. We sharpened up in our game and that’s what we’re going to have to do tonight.

Kopitar, on being comfortable in an elimination game:
I would rather be up 3-2 than down 3-2. I don’t know about that comfort level, but we’ve been in this situation before. As I said earlier, it’s not going to be any different of a mindset. Obviously our backs are against the wall, but it’ll be the same type of deal as Game 1. We’re just trying to win a game and extend the series.

Kopitar, on Marian Gaborik’s play in the postseason:
Obviously he’s been our top goal scorer and you have to give him the puck more. We’re going to need him to score a few more goals tonight and everyone else will try to chip in too.

Drew Doughty, on playing in an elimination game:
I just look forward to these kinds of games. I get up for them. The night before the game, I’m excited to play it and I enjoy these pressure situations. I know I’m looked upon to help get this team through to the next round and now it’s gut check time. It’s my job to try to be the best defenseman on the ice and lead in both defensive and offensive ends. I’m just going to do everything I can to play my best game. I think everyone else needs to try to do the same thing.

Doughty, on what is said in the room prior to an elimination game:
Everyone knows what needs to be done. There are certain guys that are going to step up and say a few things, but I don’t think too much should have to be said. We should be ready to go. There is no reason for every single guy on this team to not be 100-percent ready for this game. Have our full energy. We’re confident when we play at home, even though we’ve lost two at home here in this series. We’re still very confident when we’re here at Staples Center. We’re looking at it tonight, we’re looking to get a big win and carry some momentum into the seventh game. Obviously, we have to focus on Game 6 first.

Doughty, on the potential for the third period of Game 5 being a turning point:
Yeah, I think we played better in the third. I think the game before that was really a game where we played even better than that. We played two full periods that were really good. Our problem in that game was the first period. We just need to put 60 minutes together. That’s how we’re going to win games against this team. They have a very good team. They’re the first in the conference for a reason… We’re not going to win games by winning just a few shifts here and there. We need to win every single shift that we’re out there. Every guy on the team needs to make sure that they’re playing desperate and playing the right way for every single shift they get.

Alec Martinez, on getting off to a good start in Game 6:
I think it’s important to establish a good start, especially against a hockey club like that and then in the playoffs you want to establish your game early. Darryl harps on it all the time, establishing a good first shift then building off it from both lines and from an individual standpoint. That’s definitely a big part of it.

Martinez, on the importance of puck possession:
That’s also tied into a good start. If you’re turning pucks over and you don’t have the puck at the beginning, that constitutes as a pretty bad start. We just want to take a focus of playing our game and having a good start.

Martinez, on facing elimination in the San Jose series:
I think we just started playing a better team game. I don’t think that we’ve played our best hockey in parts of these playoffs. I think a lot of guys would agree that we haven’t played our best this series. We have an opportunity here tonight, at home, to get a win and keep this thing going. We just have to focus on playing our own game.

Martinez, on handling an elimination game:
I think that it’s healthy to respect the situation, but at the same time you can’t look at it as a whole. You just have to take it one game at a time. I think we’ve done that and we’ve got a lot of guys in here that have a lot experience and have been through situations like that before, not just in the last series. I’m confident in this group. We’ve got a lot of character and a lot of talent in here. We just have to put it all together.