November 17 postgame quotes: Edmonton

Todd McLellan, on whether the shorthanded goal was a turning point:
Well it didn’t help. We just gained a ton of momentum and we went on the powerplay right away. Jump inside and get beat and obviously we didn’t get the save but there were some other mistakes on it so it sucked the life out of us for a little while but I thought we responded fairly well after that. For me, again, it’s the start. It’s the early mistakes, the falling behind, and not being able to crawl out. Interestingly enough I’m not overly concerned about our offense, I think we’re creating plenty of chances, plenty of good looks. Certain individuals have to finish on them , it’s what we’re giving up and we weren’t scoring five against this team tonight. Not a chance. We may have been lucky enough to get three. So the offensive part is gonna come and it’s gonna come in bunches. I think we’re getting hungrier around the net, there’s bodies everywhere now but it’s what we’re giving up that’s disappointing.

McLellan, on the line-juggling in the third period:
Well I think it gave us a little life and a little bit of energy. It sent a couple messages to individuals, but we shouldn’t have to get to that situation for that to happen. We should be solid enough as a group to bring that energy and that drive. The shuffling shouldn’t have to go on to create that energy.

McLellan, on how to get his players to finish on their chances:
Well if I had the answer we wouldn’t even be talking about it because I’d sprinkle that dust around the locker room and everybody would have it. As you’re denied your opportunities, your confidence dwindles a little bit and instead of thinking about putting it in you’re holding your breath. You just gotta bare down in those situations and it takes only one shot and it goes by him and now you feel pretty good as a player and we can get going again. But as long as the opportunities and chances are created against a very good defensive team we’ll be ok that way. Again, it’s the other end that’s worrying.

McLellan, on the physical attention shown to Jeff Carter:
It’s called the NHL and other teams pre-scout, they know that he’s such a key player and it’s the way it is. We can’t have a bunch of players running over the glass all the time going to fight, it doesn’t work that way anyore. And one of our media guys said you’ll probably get a lot of questions about the missed calls, I didn’t think there were many missed calls on Connor or anybody. They called a pretty fair, even game. We had some hooking, some holding. They had some hooking and holding and there’s no whining and bitching with the officiating or the opponents playing Connor hard. We have a team full of guys that can play hard as well. I don’t see it that way. Maybe I’m missing something, but I don’t see it that way one bit.

McLellan, on any common factors leading to slow starts:
Yeah, and they’ve been addressed. It seems to vary from night to night and you know the D-men with a turnover or forwards coughing something up, not getting a save at the right time. It’s certainly something we’re aware of and concerned with, trying to fix it.

Milan Lucic, on Edmonton’s slow starts of late:
Well it helps when you get the first goal. I mean, we’re letting teams pounce on us early and get that first goal and establish that lead and it’s hard to play catch-up hockey. I think you look back at any year, the team that scores the first goal of the game usually ends up winning but in saying that also, the way you get out of a hump, the way you get out of a losing streak you gotta create your own luck and fight your way back and we had an opportunity in the second period on the powerplay and unfortunately instead of the powerplay giving us something it gives them a goal. So that’s obviously a tough minus to take. And you know, in the third period we were pressing and we were able to create some pretty good scoring chances but you gotta bare down when you get those chances. Especially myself, you’ve gotta find that confidence again and find that scoring touch in those areas when you get those opportunities ‘cause you know they don’t come by often so when you get them you’ve got to make sure they count. We’ve got to find something somewhere to turn this thing around.

Lucic, on whether shaking up the lines gave the team any momentum:
Yeah a little bit. It got certain guys going but unfortunately it wasn’t enough to get us back in the hockey game so one more game on this road trip, looking to get something out of it, so it ends up being an even bigger game on Saturday night.

Lucic, on what it was like coming back to Staples:
It was fun. Like I said before the game, doesn’t matter if you’re a home player or a road player it’s always fun playing in LA here at the Staples Center. You always circle that game on your calendar when you play your former team and I was really looking forward to this game but unfortunately it doesn’t end up well on my side. We didn’t get that win and that’s kind of the bitter part about it.

Zack Kassian, on allowing a short-handed goal:
Yeah we tried to not let it effect us but that’s always tough. You put your PP out there because you want to create momentum. They got a bounce and they end up scoring. We had our chances to bare down and we didn’t.

Zack Kassian, on Edmonton’s slow starts of late:
Yeah, teams are scoring first. They’re shooting the puck, it bounces, and we’re playing behind the 8-ball the rest of the night. It’s hard, I thought we did a good job in the second period, we fought back. Guys didn’t quit but again it’s a tough league to keep playing catch-up.

Darnell Nurse, on playing from behind:
We can keep talking about the starts and such all we want, myself included we gotta be better. Gave a little bit too much room and they capitalized. It’s tough when we’re playing from behind every game so we’ve got to button that down. We know we have better, it’s time to stop saying that and just go out there and play.

Nurse, on Jeff Carter’s short-handed goal:
No. At any point in that game we knew we had the capability to come back and chance upon chance upon chance. We’re playing from behind too much, I’ve gotta be better and I know a lot of the other guys as a team feel that we need better starts.