May 6 postgame quotes: St. Louis

Ken Hitchcock, on what changed in the third period:
“I think it was just a continuation of the second period. They took the game to another level and tonight we didn’t have an answer.”

Hitchcock, on St. Louis’ miscues:
“We made two mistakes, two really poor mistakes to give them odd man rushes to get them back in the game. But even when it was 3-2 they were playing better than we were. We grabbed it for a little while for seven minutes or so in the third did an okay job. But didn’t manage the puck very well in the second and third period really at all and paid for it dearly.”

Hitchcock, on looking ahead:
“Who’s got control of anything right now? They got momentum off the game today. I don’t think they got momentum off of Game 3. We probably deserved a better fate in three. But they took the game today. They were better than we were. They won a lot of puck battles that we’d be winning before. They dialed it up, so there’s another level out there and it’s our job now to answer the level. We’ve got home ice, we’ve earned it and it’s best of three now and we will see where it goes. It’s been very intense, hard hockey but they went up to a gear today that we’re going to have to find an answer to.”

Jay Bouwmeester, on the loss:
“After our start we got two quick goals and then we didn’t play nearly as good as we needed to. Now we have to regroup and go back home. We knew they were going to come hard. They come hard every game. We just didn’t do the things to respond. The effort on our part just wasn’t good enough.”

Bouwmeester, on whether the team’s confidence has been affected:
“No, I don’t think so. We are going back home. We are in a good position still. You just have to approach it like it’s a three-game series now. We just have to get back to doing the things that made us successful. We have to get back to skating and getting on the forecheck. This time of the year it’s real close. You don’t have to change a lot but sometimes it makes a big difference.”

David Backes, on the loss:
“They all have been one-goal games. It’s a tight series. It’s hard fought. We have to bring it every night. When our 20 guys are on the same page we have a heck of a team. If we stray a little bit off of it, then it’s a coin flip. Scoring three on them is fine and dandy, but giving up four goals is not our style. Going to the third with a 3-2 lead we just seemed hemmed in our zone and not having any relief for the guys back there. It’s a little disappointing with the all-around result but we know we have some more to give in here.”

Backes, on St. Louis’ turnovers:
“The turnovers in the neutral zone fed their offense. A couple of guys pinching and leaning in and then give them a two on zero and three on one when we were up 2-0 in the first. That’s not the way to protect the lead. We left Elliot hung out to dry there. He’s been awesome for us, and we need to be better for him.”

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