February 26 postgame quotes: Mike Stothers

On a bounce-back win after a tough loss in Bakersfield:
The question I asked was which team are we? Are we the team that wins three-nothing against Tucson or are we the team that loses 4-3 in Bakersfield? What are we? We can’t have the fluctuation in our play. There’s a certain way we’ve got to play and when we do, we usually have some kind of success. When we don’t, everybody gets disappointed. [Reporter: How was the answer tonight?] I thought they did a good job. I thought we played well. I thought it was an entertaining game and the right team came out on the right end of it. So, I thought it was a real good bounce-back for the guys.

On the high-scoring second period:
I think there’s probably uncharacteristic goals that went in. So, that’s what made it close. I didn’t think it was anything else. We missed a glorious chance down at the far end and they come back and it’s in the back of our net. But that happens. That happens. Again, I liked the resolve and I liked the fact that everybody just went, ‘hey, no big deal, take it back to center, go back to work.’ That’s what we did.

On Brett Sutter’s big game and the success of the Sutter-Amadio-Brodzinski line:
Well, I thought that line was pretty good. Sutts had a great night statistically speaking. But a lot of times he does so many things for us that don’t go recognized or he doesn’t get enough credit for. Brodz had seven shots or something. So, any time we can have him getting that many opportunities, that’s great for us. Amadio, he had the puck, he was making plays, so that was a great line. There’s a lot of guys. I thought we played well. There isn’t anybody I could sit here and go, ‘oh, we didn’t get enough out of so-and-so.’ Might be some guys that got better grades if you look at the stat sheet but hey, we came back after a tough game in Bakersfield. We played well against a good team.

On what he credits the goals early in the first and second periods to:
I think it’s just a matter of, what we talk about all the time, is being dialed in and ready to go. Makes a big difference when you’re the team that executes and scores than say you give up chances or you get scored on. So, get yourself ready to play. Start of periods, start of games, start of shifts, end of shifts, stay focused, what’s that [looks up to sky]. [Reporter: Butterfly flies by.] What time’s my flight leave?

On whether having Jeff Zatkoff here gives a better option for Jack Campbell to get games off:
Soupy might still be shell-shocked from the 40 that he faces in Bakersfield on Friday. Holy smokes. [Reporter: Fast team.] Well, there was a lot of pucks in and around his net. It can’t hurt to have an experienced guy like Zats. I think it’s good for Soupy, I think it’s good for Zats. To be honest with you, it’s good for Flinner. He should have been playing more than he was. He didn’t play. Period. So, the way it was kind of mapped out prior to the start of the year was he was going to be down and getting some starts and getting his game together in Manchester. Now he’s going to do that. So I think it’s a win-win-win for all three goalies, really. So, I think it’s great. I’m not sure that Soupy can play every game between now and the end of the season. I’m not saying he can either. I don’t have to say anything because we don’t play til Wednesday.

On whether things are looking optimistic as far as some injured players returning:
Well, we are getting closer. I saw a pretty lean, fit-looking Michael Mersch today doing a really intense workout today on the ice prior to us going on the ice. We had Teddy out there with a pretty good intense workout. [Reporter: On the ice too?] On the ice too. And we had Lintu, so on that note. [Reporter: Three out of 12?] Yeah, we’re getting there. So, soon.

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