Budaj, Forbort, King analyze recent play, talk upcoming Montreal test

Peter Budaj, on playing for a team that tries to keep shots against to a minimum:
It’s great, this team has been playing really well in front of me and I think we’re working really hard and working together. I think, we had a span of games where we didn’t play that well but right now I think we’re getting back together as a team and we’re doing little things right. We stick together and definitely they help me a lot. Defensively they block a lot of shots, they don’t allow many goal-scoring chances and that makes my job much easier so credit to the team. Everyone is doing a great job.

Budaj, on playing for Michel Therrien in Montreal:
He’s a very competitive guy, he wants to win and obviously he’s doing a great job with the Canadiens. Tough year for them last year when Carey went down but they’re showing against this year that they’re the team to look out for. They’re the best team in the game right now, so they’re playing really strong games, so Michel is doing a good job with the guys and the guys are buying in to the system. It’s going to be a great battle tomorrow and I’m looking forward to it.

Budaj, on what he thought about Carey Price’s injury followed by the team “falling apart”:
I think it’s a tough, tough thing to say. You never know unless you’re on the team what’s actually happening with the team, you know. You can look from outside but it’s never the same as looking from inside. Obviously Carey is the heart and soul. I don’t want to take anything away from other players but Carey is the heart and soul of the Montreal Canadiens. A lot of people, because he makes it look so easy, because he makes easy saves look like routine saves and he makes heavy saves look far more easy so a lot of people don’t understand how big of a factor he is. I think when that happened last year, I think people realized what they had in Carey. It was a very tough year for him too, and the team but I’m sure their thoughts are not on last year but on this year and we’ve just got to get ready. It’s going to be a good battle. They’re a fast team, good team at home so we’ve got to come out with the right foot and come out strong.

Derek Forbort, on whether he feels good with his improved ice-time:
Yeah, I mean, it’s obviously pretty easy playing with Drew. He’s really easy to play with and he’s fun to play with, so it’s been good, it’s been fun.

Forbort, on whether his game against Toronto was his best in the NHL so far:
I don’t think points really dictate how I view my game. I mean, I got pretty lucky with a couple of those assists. For me, it’s all about how I close guys out in the D-zone and then make that play up to the wingers and the center, like those little things, so that’s kind of what I grade my game on.

Forbort, on how he would describe his game when it’s at its best:
Just like I said, being quick to close on those guys in the D-zone and then from there gaining an advantage and making a play up to the forwards, so that’s basically what my game is.

Forbort, on whether getting the puck to the forwards is the biggest key to playing under Sutter:
Yeah. He really emphasizes quick ups and just kind of playing fast. We obviously have really good forwards so for me to get the puck in to their hands as quick as possible is probably best for all of us.

Forbort, on whether moving the puck out of the D-zone quickly is a universal hockey style:
Yeah, I think most teams nowadays try to play like that. There’s obviously teams that like to bring the puck back and do a lot of re-grouping and stuff like that but for the most part teams now a days are like, ‘let’s get the puck moving up in order to get on the attack right away,’ so I think that’s just the way it’s trending.

Forbort, on any similarities between the games against Toronto and Calgary:
I don’t know, I think we’re just throwing a lot of pucks at the net and I think we’ve kind of scored a lot of greasy goals and I think maybe they’re just starting to go in. Maybe we weren’t doing that before but the forwards are doing a good job of mucking it up in front of the net and banging in some pucks.

Dwight King, on what stands out the most over the last two games:
I think it’s capitalizing on the chances, I think when we went through the drought we had some chances, we just didn’t score. Obviously we cleaned up our own zone too and I like the way we’re creating our chances. They’re a lot of different styles of goals, a rush, kind of an end-zone play, defenseman getting shots through, stuff like that. They’re all a little different and that’s good to see.

King, on his view of Carter’s first goal against Toronto:
Yeah it was kind of starting in our own zone so it was nice where once Greenie got it from Ty. I could tell he was looking for me right away so I just tried to position myself where I could protect it ’til someone was coming. Once I got it I was fortunate enough that Carts grabbed enough speed that he was in alone when he got to the blue line, so it worked out well.

King, on whether the approach changes when you’re leading 6-0 late in a game:
Well the intensity probably drops for, realistically, both sides. Obviously the losing team doesn’t feel great. We’ve all been there, they’re just trying to get through the game. If you’re on the winning side you try and not get in to too many bad habits, like you said you basically play every other day so if you get in to those it’s going to carry on to the next game most likely.

King, on his goal in the third period:
Yeah he literally just shot it off my foot. My stick was in there and I was just standing there.

King, on what the “code” for celebrating in a 7-0 game:
I’m not big on celebrating, so I probably cut it off around 5 if it’s out of hand. [Reporter: It seems like that’s kind of the mantra of this team. Jeff Carter doesn’t celebrate a ton of goals.] No, well he does it a lot so he’s got a valid point there but no, I think everybody kind of goes about their business here. Obviously the bigger goals, like if you see him score in overtime or a playoff goal then you see the emotion but I mean, I think no matter who it is you get excited, but you’ve still got to go about your business.