January 12 postgame quotes: Toronto

Peter Horachek, on the team’s character after giving up an early goal:
I think there was some resolve and some work. They’re a big team. Their coaching staff has been on them a little bit to be coming out of it and playing harder. I thought they came out very hard and I think our guys kind of responded. I thought there were a few things early in the first period that we were poor to execute coming out of our zone, but the resolve was there. I thought our effort guys responded hard and the shots were down again. We allowed 20 shots and the chances were pretty close to the same. I think they had one more in our calculations. It’s disappointing that we can’t capitalize. Our power play didn’t score when maybe we needed them to. But you have to take some solace in the fact that their shots and chances were lower and we think we’re going to be able to score some goals going forward.

Horachek, on whether the team played the way he wanted them to:
We definitely feel like we can play better in areas. There is no question about it. I thought that we could have done a number of things better, especially in the first period. I thought we started skating better in the second period and there was some kind of push back and we had some chances to do some things. But you can always play better. If it was close to the script, then they would have nothing and we’d have three. That would be closer to the script. You can’t say it’s closer to the script when that’s a really good team over there and they’re big and they’re physical. They play a big, heavy game. You’ve just got to keep the process of your team, keep getting and going in the right direction and going in the direction of playing harder, better defensively and limiting less chances.

Jonathan Bernier, on how he felt about the game:
We’ll take that loss because I thought we deserved better. We had some scoring chances, especially at the end with our power play. But to keep a good team like that to under 20 shots, most nights you’re going to end up on the good side of the game. I thought it was a very good effort on both sides. We did a lot of good things tonight.

Bernier, on whether he was being interfered with on Anze Kopitar’s goal:
I was, because I tried to push and then Gaborik was there and [Dion Phaneuf.] I just tried a desperate save there and he got it. [Reporter: Did you receive an explanation from the refs?] No, he didn’t say much. [Reporter: Did you know the puck went in as the play went on?] I couldn’t really tell because when I dove I heard the post, but I wasn’t sure if it went in or not.

Nazem Kadri, on what adjustments they made in the second period:
In the first period, they probably got the better of us. We knew they were going to come out hard. We just kind of had to weather the storm for the first 10 [minutes]. Then in the second period, I think we really got our legs going and just played down low. We possessed the puck, put pucks to the net, and got second opportunities off of that.

Kadri, on where the team is making progress with Peter Horachek as coach:
I think D-zone and neutral zone play has been a little more structured. I think we’re starting to trust each other a little more with certain plays and that’s what is really giving us the ease to break out of our zone in order to get those offensive opportunities.