On whether Tanner Pearson will play:
“We’re sort of undecided still if we’re playing seven D [and] 11 forwards. If we play with 12 forwards, he’ll play.”
On aspects of Pearson’s that he has liked over the last several days:
“He had a good year…I don’t evaluate it on being here for four days. He had a good year.”
On using young players in the playoffs:
“With Tanner and Tyler and Keaton and all these kids, quite honest, they’ve earned their right. Give the opportunity and see how they play. I think that’s the important part of it, especially this year, the way the schedule’s been, quite honest. I think it’s certainly helped us a lot, and I think if I was them young guys, I would like to be given that opportunity if I’ve earned the right. That’s sort of how we’ve approached it. I think it’s fun for them.”
On whether a possibility exists for the Game 2 momentum to “carry-over” into Game 3:
“You know what?…I think everybody remembers that, but at the same time, we had a really good third period, and so was there a carry-over? You know what? They’re a veteran team. I mean, I think that’s, quite honest, it’s a bigger wuestion for them than it is for us. I think that we know our focus is not on that. Our focus is on that we’re coming into a tough building, and that we’re going to have to handle some big guys tonight.”
On whether he’ll talk to his group about the first 10 minutes of playoff games in San Jose:
“Our group? No I think we’re trying to get into what’s important early in games – length of shifts, staying out of the penalty box…You know what? There are principals to every team that don’t change that are important, like starts of games. Especially on the road.”
On whether dissatisfaction made him consider lineup changes in spite of a six-game win streak:
“Not satisfied, quite honest. I said it last series too, our fourth line’s been moving all year. There hasn’t really been a fourth line if you even do it from the first two games. Jarret Stoll’s injury obviously impacted what we did in Game 2, and if you look at minutes played…we had guys play five or six minutes, and Brad played center last game. We can use him there tonight for sure, but he’s also an important part of our penalty kill with Jarret out, so you know what? I don’t know it quite broke down, but Lewie and Brad both killed almost two minutes the other night, so it’s important that he’s in the lineup. I don’t really think that they played his lines as much, even if you look at the second half of the last game, the only line that stayed together was Mike’s line. Close games make both teams play top players more, right? So that’s when miuntes go up. If there’s two or three goals difference in the third period, that’s when it sort of evens out. But for the most part, it’s like Mark asking about the start of the games. For the most part, top players are playing a lot.”
On the team’s ability to rise to challenges:
“Well, our greatest strength is our young players’ abnility to do that, and that’s something that experience with last year in the playoffs for sure taught them…They don’t go away, and they might have rough shifts, and they might have rough periods, but they’re not going away. They’re still going to maximize their skill set, and everybody does that different based on your skill set. That’s still the best part of this team.”
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