December 2 morning skate quotes: St. Louis

T.J. Oshie, on playing against Los Angeles:
Every game is a big game for us, these guys are no different. They play a tough style of hockey to play against. As long as we stay with our game we have a good chance of winning.

Oshie, on developing a rivalry with the Kings:
Yeah, I think so. It’s always a hard hitting game. There are some emotions, maybe more so on our side because they’re the ones that have been going forward in the playoffs, but I think it is a little bit of a rivalry here building. Like I said, two hard hitting teams it’s always a physical game.

David Backes, on playing against Los Angeles:
This is another team that is a hard team to play against, that’s going to be in the playoffs, it’s won a cup recently and we’ve had to battle against the last couple of years in the playoffs. So we have something to prove and we need to bring our A-game. No matter who we’re playing against I think it’s about us getting better every night. And if we took a step back in San Jose we need to regroup and get back on the horse and keeping a level head and we’re preparing for another hard fought game tonight and getting the two points we feel we can earn.

Ken Hitchcock, on Los Angeles:
I think it’s both teams really pride themselves on checking. I’d be surprised if this wasn’t a low scoring game again, because both teams pride themselves on not giving up much. It’s a hard, winning way to play. I mean this is hard for the forwards to play this way. I’ve said it before, you need four lines. You need the game to be the game and not chasing it half way through, to play this way. I think both teams have really made a living at checking and managing the puck the right way and have won a lot of hockey games because of it.

Hitchcock, on allowing goals in the first period:
I don’t know if it’s preparation or if it’s – I think sometimes we kind of wade into games a little bit. I think we kind of aren’t sure in some games and we don’t dictate the way we’re capable of. Especially the first time we play teams when we’re unsure of what the team is going to bring. Then I think we really dial it up. I think when we are at our best is when the game is either tied or we have an early one-goal lead. Then I think you really see us dial it up. But I would say it’s accurate to say that we have some feeling out process starts and I think that’s why we have been scored on early.

Hitchcock, on tonight’s game:
I think losing four in a row would get our attention. I think that’s what’s happened, is we have lost four in a row, it gets your attention. I don’t think you view it as the playoffs, I think more the fact we’ve lost four in a row. We’ve got to find a way to win in this building and I think the game against San Jose has probably got our attention more than anything. We didn’t play well…in the first half of that game and we want play a good game tonight. Whatever happens we want to play a good game tonight. We want to be much sounder with the puck and much sounder without the puck. We just need to play a complete game and let it fall where it does. But I think losing four in a row certainly gets your attention.

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