On avoiding three-point games while coming out of the two-game set with four points:
“It’s not just us you’re hoping for not three points. Games we’re watching – it’s so close. We played a team that had been struggling to score, and I think once they got a bit of momentum, you’re worried about three points.”
On if there was a reason for Toffoli not playing in the final 10 minutes:
“No. There’s nothing that says he has to play.”
On whether Toffoli was injured:
“Do we report injuries usually?”
On how good Jonathan Bernier could become:
“I don’t know. He’s a young goaltender, and he wants to be a number one goalie. That’s his goal. That’s what he said this summer. The way the schedule has been and with Quick’s surgery last summer and his training, it’s allowed us to play both guys, and we’ll continue to do that.”
On whether he was happy with the final sequence of the game:
“I was really happy because they diodn’t score. When the other team pulls the goalie, that’s what you’re trying to do is make sure they don’t score, so I was very happy. We had our five best players on the ice. Hey, you want to win the faceoff. Kopi did that. You want to get the puck out of your zone. We did that, so we were able to get the win.”
On whether the Coyotes “whine too much”:
“I’m trying to get our team not to whine. I’m not worried about the other team. Is that whine with an ‘H’ or an ‘I’, without the ‘h?’ I don’t know. You’d have to ask them that. I don’t know if they whine too much.”
On the team’s composure:
“I thought we had a good third period. I thought we got better. You know, I don’t even look at it like ‘today’. I look at it like ‘six periods’, right? We got the goaltending that we need, and we got great special teams two nights in a row.”
On Drew Doughty’s goal and whether it’s time to move on from recognizing Doughty’s goal total:
“Aw, jeez, I’m sure they’ll change it. I thought it hit Jeff Carter.”
On whether he told Doughty that:
“No, I didn’t want to tear him down. Let him feel good about himself, right. Nobody’s pulling more for Drew to score a goal than I am. He’s had so many [chances]. You just want him now to move on, right?
On whether he’s surprised that it took a player of that caliber that long to score:
“Nope. I could score, and I probably went 20 games without a goal, too, a couple times. I put him in every situation. There’s nothing that surprises you. I don’t know why everybody talks about Drew not scoring. It happens, right? The leading goal scorer by a defenseman in the league only has [seven]. Drew scores a goal in the next five games, he could be leading the league by a defenseman. It’s not that big a deal, right?”
On Thursday’s game against Dallas:
“Dallas kicked our ass in here last time.”
On whether Bernier is a “special player”:
I’ve only seen Jonathan Bernier play a handful of games. I said last year when we Stanley Cup that he was a great team player and he and I have a really good relationship. But what is he, 23? You know what? 10 years – then somebody can answer that question better than I can. It’s not possible. How many games total in his career so far in the NHL? It’s a night-to-night thing…He played very well tonight. Three games ago, we pulled him after three goals.”
On whether he’s happy with Dustin Penner:
“We’ve asked him to move around, play a different position. He’s accepted a little different role. The best thing about Dustin Penner – he just wants to win. The best thing. It doesn’t matter to him. That’s what happens when you’ve won it twice. You start understanding it better.”
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