October 2 practice quotes: Darryl Sutter

On how closely the opening night lineup will mirror Saturday’s lineup:
I still want to get guys in the necessary games. We really haven’t, quite honest, decided [inaudible] different formations, different pairs. We tried to look at it more as if we didn’t have Muzzin, Greener for the first game, what we’d do, and then if we had one of ‘em, what would we do, because one plays left, one plays right, who their partners [are]. So we kind of looked at that more than anything, and then the bumps and bruises. We’re not going to play somebody if another day [of recovery] is going to help ‘em. It wouldn’t make much sense. Just kind of go from there.

On the amount of and quality of scoring chances over the last two games:
Well you have to remember, you’re playing Anaheim. They’re the best team. They don’t give you much. It’s hard to put if you like it or if you don’t like it based on what your lineup is and who they’re against. I paid a lot more attention the last two games of who’s on the ice against who, and what they’re actually doing, more than what the scoring chances are. Like, what is the number of scoring chances? Against top teams, if you get into the teens, that’s a lot.

On his evaluation of Nick Shore and Jordan Weal:
I think Shore’s had a good camp in terms of what we expect of him. Again, it goes on as camp goes along. The farther you go in camp, the more you see guys playing against players at this level, and that’s how you evaluate it, for me. [Reporter: And Jordan?] I think as it’s gone along, there’s been times where he’s shown he can be productive, and times where he’s shown he can’t.

On whether Nick Shore is capable of playing a third line center role:
That number, it’s not a name. That box right there has to be a number, meaning production, if you’re just basing it on that. It has to be a number. Who in that group is going to be able to saw off – I’ve said this before – with guys they line up against, and who’s going to be able to neutralize that part of the game, in terms of the checking part, who’s going to be good on faceoffs, who’s going to help you maybe on penalty kill, maybe power play? What is that box? What’s that production in the league? What’s he got to do? So, who can do that? Last year, that box did not fill that number. It produced at the box-down number. So that dramatically affected – think about it – two points.

On the team’s response to Chris Herren’s speaking:
Yeah. I’m sure most of them have seen the TV part of it. He’s a strong guy, powerful message. [Reporter: Does it mean more coming from a guy who has been a pro athlete?] As athletes or former athletes, we all know one to several former athletes that have been in the same position as he was in, so to get them to tell that story in front, it’s a powerful message.