On whether there’s concern over playing a back-to-back game against a physical opponent:
“No, I don’t think so. Both teams are trying to accomplish the same thing. Just win a game. I haven’t seen the rivalry part of it, quite honest. It’s probably because we haven’t played each other in the playoffs. That’s probably why, right? That’s usually what creates it.”
On whether the rivalry is heightened by both teams in a theoretical race for the division:
“Both teams’ goals going into the year were [to be] playoff teams. That’s really clear, and when both teams have guys that have won Stanley Cups, then they deliver that. Look at the difference in the Ducks this year – the last half of the year last year, they were one of the best teams in the league, mostly because of Ryan [Getzlaf] and Corey [Perry]. Stanley Cup winners. Look at their games, how they played the last half of the year last year, and they damn near made it again. And look at us – we didn’t have a lot of guys. We had Willie – Justin Williams – and Colin Fraser and guys that had won championships, right? So they know the importance of just making the playoffs. So that’s all it is…Divisional titles are just are just dirty banners in every rink. They don’t give you nothing.”
On whether there’s any difference with the Kings since the teams’ last meeting:
“We lost in here and we won at home. Both teams were good at home, and they got off to a great start. [Reporter: Have you seen your team turn a corner a little?] We haven’t ever had to turn a corner. We’ve played well. I mean, every team has three or four games they’d like to have back, right? It’s true. They’re the same. Everybody’s the same. Good teams just find a way not to let it bother them. Losses or bad games or wins haven’t affected how we play, and that’s a sign of your locker room, not anything else. And it’s true. Teams that don’t know how to respond to that stuff are teams that have a hard time.”
On any added incentive to beat the Ducks, considering the teams’ last game in Anaheim:
“You asked it last night, and I couldn’t even care less. I couldn’t even remember most of it. I know we didn’t get goaltending, and as I said the other night, when we played Minnesota, hey, you pull your goalie three or four minutes into a game, it’s got nothing to do with goaltending. It…has no bearing on anything. Even in a schedule where you don’t have three or four days, or any of that stuff, you know what? Your opponent is almost irrelevant. It’s how you play.”
If he’s concerned with player fatigue, given the heavy schedule:
“No.”
On whether Dustin Penner is available:
“No, He’s on IR…He’s got seven days. We’ll push him today and tomorrow, and then see.”
On whether he plans to play Penner on Tuesday if he’s “available”:
“We’ll have everybody play on Tuesday. Remember, there’s an unlimited roster. Whether he plays or not is not public knowledge, but as long as you’re under the cap after the trade deadline, you can have 40 guys. They’re all available. [Reporter: Right, but they all can’t play.] That’s right.”
In if Robyn Regehr has provided what he expected through his first two games:
“You know what, I haven’t coached him since [2005]. So that’s eight years. So it does make a difference…You never change with guys like that, because the way they play, you know how they want to play. So that’s the trust factor. But it’s still a big adjustment when you go from totally different, quite honest, different conference, different style of play, and then different team, different players, different coaching style. It’s an adjustment, right, and…if you ask him, he’ll tell you too. Like, there’s little things that happen during a game. Even last night where there’s situations that…it’s not just cause I coached him before, but it’s an adjustment again, right? Because you know it’s not automatic. It’s a big adjustment for him, quite honest. [Reporter: Has he handled it as well as you thought he would?] Yeah, I mean we’ve tried to watch how you use him. I mean he’s probably in right where he should be now. He played like another minute last night – that’s his minutes, right?”
On Regehr’s pairing with Drew Doughty:
“I think between Muzz, it depends on the time and score. Muzz and Robyn will both play with Drew.”
On whether Regehr has to adjust to playing in a “meaningful game”:
“What is a ‘meaningful game’? I’ve heard that the last two or three games. Who said that? I…think Robyn’s played in a lot of ‘meaningful games’. He’s won gold medals. [Reporter: Well, probably not this season, I think is really the question. He’s in a playoff race now.] That’s how every player in the locker room needs to be at, is be in a playoff race, for sure. I mean, that’s why they train. That’s why they’re proud guys.”
On whether Jonathan Bernier is improving or simply getting better results:
“You know what? Bernie last year played to give Quick a rest, and quite honest, it wasn’t what he wanted in terms of games played, and it wasn’t how he wanted to play, either. He came out after he won. He was awesome for us, quite honest, in the locker room, and I’ve said that a lot. He was important as guys that didn’t play one game. I think that’s how it was in the locker room, because for a kid he was really professional, really mature, and he handled everything so well. And then this summer, after he won it, then he came out and he wanted to be a number one guy. So why not? Quite honest, the teams that are doing well have used two goalies. Chicago, Anaheim and Los Angeles…He’s a high pick…and a kid that if you went back to when he was 18 and 19, that’s what he was seen as, as a guy that could be a number one goalie. Not everybody gets that, right? Not everybody has that on them. They’re looked at as a good support guy or something like that. But Bernie wants to be a number one. Hey, look at the Ducks. You know what. They brought a guy over that’s 30 years old that maybe eight years ago nobody said he’d be a number one goalie in the NHL, and now maybe he is. Hey, you think about the age and experience, what it does to players. Good for them kids, right, because in the long run it’s good for their careers.”
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