October 22 postgame quotes: Brown, Budaj

Dustin Brown, on the shootout win:
I thought we controlled the play. They get two power play goals, so it’s sometimes the way the game goes. Special teams is huge every night. I mean, our special teams got a power play and a shorthanded goal. It’s just we gave ‘em opportunity after opportunity. It puts a lot of stress on the PK.

Brown, on the surplus of early season penalties:
We talked about it before. They always start off calling everything, and then as the year goes on, they let a little bit more go. Either way, we’ve got to find ways to kill.

Brown, on “grinding out” a win after surrendering a lead:
I think that’s essentially what we’re all about. We have a three goal lead. Obviously it’s something we don’t want to give up, but finding an extra point’s huge. We’re just playing to our identity, really, as a team. We’re not going to run-and-gun with teams.

Brown, on the shorthanded sequence that led to his goal:
I just drove the guy wide and kind of pulled it in, and I think Kopi whacked it. It was just pucks and sticks and skates, and I just found a way to get it in. At that point, the goalie’s down and out. It’s just a matter of getting the puck on the stick.

Brown, on the importance of coming back to win after surrendering the lead:
Well, it’s probably more important against a divisional rival. So we give ‘em one point back. But the important thing is two more points and just keep going.

Brown, on contributing with three points:
Everyone likes getting points. Like I said, it’s more about the two points than individual points, though.

Peter Budaj, on the shootout:
In the shotoout, it’s kind of just a battle. Just get out there and try to outwait the shooter. You don’t want to do a move too early, because then the shooter knows what you’re doing. You want to kind of outwait them and wait for him to do the move. I was able to do that today, and the second one I got kind of lucky he lost the puck, but I was glad that I was able to see those two. It’s a big win for us. We need the points.

Budaj, on his comfort level:
I just want to take it one game at a time. I know it’s a cliché and you guys probably hate it when players say that, but it is true. You just want to look up one game ahead, and that’s what you want to look at. We won today, we’re very happy, but we’ve just got to regroup, come back to work. There are a lot of tough games coming up for us, so we’ve got to just be ready and work hard and try to focus on the next game and don’t look too far ahead, because then you’re going to get caught in the moment and the present’s going to kind of slip away from you, so you’ve just got to focus on the present.

Budaj, on the emotions when Jeff Zatkoff was injured this morning:
It’s tough. It’s unfortunate for Zats – obviously Quickie, too, and Zats. It was just such a freak injury when that happens and both guys [are injured]. I definitely feel bad for them. It’s tough, but I just want to be ready to play and help the team to win a game. I’m not really going to look ahead, I just want to really just focus on the next game because that’s the most important thing. If you start thinking too much, you’re going to overthink stuff. I just want to help the team win a game, work hard and have fun and enjoy this. It’s a great organization, a great team, great guys, so I’m very happy to be here, so I just want to enjoy it and try to play the best I can.

Budaj, on whether he’s able to appreciate the bigger picture in attending camp on a tryout before his success in the AHL last year and assuming responsibility with the Kings this year:
Yeah, I do, definitely. I think today was my 300th game played, so it was a special moment. That’s why I went to get the puck after. I came a long way, and I’m just very thankful to everybody … my family, my wife, my kids, my parents. Thank God I’m still healthy and can perform. As you said, two years ago I was on a PTO and I didn’t have anything, and a year later, a year and a half later, I’m right now the guy probably that’s going to play most of the games. It’s a huge blessing. It just shows you that you should never quit, never try to quit and just keep working hard and good things happens, and I’m very thankful to God that I’m able to be here and hopefully stay healthy. That’s a big thing, and the rest of it is just enjoy the ride, work hard and try to help the team. This is awesome, and I’m very thankful for this. This is great.