October 11 morning skate quotes: Darryl Sutter

On whether he has been “happy” with the team’s last two practices:
I’ve been happy with the way the team’s practiced since September 18th.

On whether the team prepares for early season games through video of their opponent or by focusing more closely on their own game:
I think both. It’s not like Phoenix went through a big transition in terms of personnel or coaching. They’d be doing the same thing that we’re doing in terms of strategy. We expect a lot and are very familiar with each other.

On the Arizona Coyotes:
We play the same game. A lot is expected out of all four lines and six D and goaltending. Both teams play very similar.

On Marian Gaborik’s first game back from injury:
He’ll tell you that he did not feel like himself. He had been off for whatever it was, he played a little scrimmage game, basically, the two-in-one-day deal, and then he hadn’t played since. Basically, all we did from then to the time he played was his conditioning. There was no battle because we couldn’t, because of the injury. Really, the last game was his first game since the middle of June last year.

On how he keeps the team motivated in the context of the “Stanley Cup hangover”:
I don’t think motivation is an issue at all. You don’t play until late June three years in a row without being motivated, and that continues to motivate you. That old theory about ‘once you’ve won, it’s not there anymore’ that’s not the case in pro sports, for sure. You know, the toughest part of our guys is getting the emotional level back to where it was. That’s the toughest part. There’s no ‘hangover’ or ‘short summer’ or anything like that.

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