January 5 practice quotes: Darryl Sutter

On a lengthy Monday morning practice:
Yeah, you know what? We talked to the guys before we went on the last trip that to get…almost like a game practice in, in terms of minutes and things like that with the four days. Real similar. We did ask them last time we had the – it wasn’t that long ago, actually that we did once, too. [Reporter: Any particular focus or message or anything that you want to adhere to over these three days of practice?] Just the structure of our game, obviously. The system-wise, in particular, some of our younger players who really lose their detail, and when you have that four-day break at Christmas and this four-day break, and then six coming up, you’re not seeing it ‘three days.’ You’re not calling it that. You’re going to get one good system day in, and that was today. Then, you’ve got to get going into games again.

On the lineup flexibility afforded by Dwight King, who has skated at right wing:
Yeah, I think he probably played center, if you talked to him…earlier on. He was a big guy and he was a smart guy, and in your age group, when you’re that, when you’re a big guy, smart guy and good skater and you’re a forward, you play center. You cover a lot of ice. [Reporter: He played some in Manchester, didn’t he?] I couldn’t tell you. I’d never seen him play center yet. [Reporter: But just in terms of being able to slot in the left and right side, does that provide you good flexibility to line up? He seems to be another one of those guys like Trevor Lewis where he can go up and down the lineup.] His flexibility, if it gives the team an opportunity to be more successful, and his flexibility, if the player is good at it, it gives him more ice time. And that’s not saying Kinger, for example, but that’s any player. And, also, the flexibility you have with Kinger is the opportunity to move up the lineup. It’s not going to affect minutes, but it’s an opportunity to move up the lineup, for sure. You know what? He’s found his game a little bit more, I’d say, not because of goals, but in terms of a little more emotion in his game, I’d say, the last couple weeks. So we have to see if we can continue to manifest that in some form. So if that’s playing the other side, then fine.

On whether Robyn Regehr is “still a ways off”:
Yeah. He’s not allowed to do anything with us yet. [Reporter: I saw him skating there. No contact or anything.] No. He’s pretty much the very same where we had Muzz and Marty out with those injuries. It’s basically when the doctor tells you that he’s well enough to go to the next step. [Reporter: Are those all on blocked shots? I know Marty’s was/] Yeah, Marty’s was. Muzz was a funny thing, almost like – you know when you used to sprain your thumb when you were a kid? Same sort of idea…I think his was more catching it just like this [demonstrates thumb bending back].