On whether competing against multiple teams in the playoff race is a good thing:
Well, with the new system that we have now, you sort of have so many different options with the division, the two, three teams getting in, and then with the wildcards, with how that works. So there are a lot of teams that play in a lot of different situations.
On whether he has any type of message to a “veteran team”:
Stick together is what we do. I wouldn’t say we’re a ‘veteran team,’ I’d say we’re an experienced team. We’re not an older team or anything like that. You know what? When you’re used to playing in big games and used to winning, you take that. There are losses, and there’s a little bit of misconception that you’re going to go 82-0 or you’re going to go 50-32, but at the end of the day, everybody’s goal is just to get in, and that’s what we’re trying to do.
On whether Mike Richards could be a “big factor” down the stretch:
I think his experience of winning championships can help us for sure. I like having him in our lineup.
On whether playing the Rangers brings back memories from last spring:
No, I think that being an Original Six team, the biggest thing for me is coming back to MSG, as always. Even sitting up here this morning, when you sit in the stands, it’s still like a brand new building to me, but it’s still got the nostalgia or the history there. For me, on this trip, it’s the last time we’ll see the old Coliseum, and getting to come to MSG is awesome and getting to go to Chicago is awesome. [Reporter: Do you like the renovations here?] Beautiful. I mean, you sit in the stands here and you look in the building, it looks like a brand new building. It looks pretty awesome.
On tonight’s game being “not another game”:
Yeah, it is another game. It’s game 72 or three or whatever the hell it is. Yeah, it is. They’re always just another game. I mean, it’s not anything other than that. [Reporter: I mean, the importance. The fact that you played them last year, and that emphasis.] I don’t think 70-something games later has anything to do with last year. They’re trying to win a President’s Trophy and we’re trying to make the playoffs. I don’t think either team will put anything more than that into it.
On whether it was good to see Andrej Sekera score last night:
Yeah. I think he’s not a guy who scores a lot, but he’s a guy can get the puck up the ice and play against good players. I mean, I hope you’re not hoping that he’s going to be a 15-to-20 goal scorer. [Reporter: No, but you talked about the adjustment, changing conferences, changing expectations. That transition, has it been about what you’d expect? Has it been faster? I mean, he’s been playing well.] I couldn’t tell you. He’s supposed to play well.
On the importance of Anze Kopitar playing the way he did last night:
I think Kopi’s played really well the last three or four games. Just his energy level and his handling the puck and making plays and being involved, getting in the middle of the ice and wanting the puck, all those things a top centermen do. [Reporter: He might get a bit more sleep being on the road, although I heard the baby’s cooperating.] Yeah. He’s played really well since the little one was born, so it hasn’t been any sort of a distraction for him.
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