December 26 postgame quotes: MacDermid, Kempe, Backman

Kurtis MacDermid, on his overtime game-winner:
Yeah, it was a really nice pass by Hensick there, and I just tried to get open for him, and he made the pass through a guy, and it was a shot on net and it went in.

MacDermid, on rolling lines and pairings in five-on-five play:
It’s always good when we’re rolling all four lines and all six D, and everyone can get into it and you can get some momentum going and build it that way. Everyone’s into the game and there are no real breaks in the game, and it just flows good and everyone’s playing well. [Reporter: You ever play in a game where there were no penalties on either side?] I don’t think so, because usually I take the penalties.

MacDermid, on shaking off the rust after the first two periods:
Yeah, there’s going to be some rust there obviously coming off a break like that. You just want to take the first couple shifts in the first period nice and simple. Just make the easy play and get back into it.

MacDermid, on what has been coming around in his game this season:
I just keep trying to get better every day and working with the coaches here and the development staff, it’s just all about learning and working on all parts of your game and applying that into the games. There’s going to be mistakes here and there, but you’ve just got to keep working at it, and soon it’ll just become second nature and you’ll be making those nice plays and getting better and better.

MacDermid, on his decision to jump into the play for the game-winner:
There was just a battle in the corner there, and I was just staying high in case they through it around the wall there, and then I saw Henner won the battle, so I just jumped down and tried to get open for him, and he made a real nice pass, so got to give it to him.

Adrian Kempe, on whether he feels his game is coming around:
Yeah, I mean, I think I’ve created a lot of chances the whole season. I think I’ve played better and better, and I think I’ve played pretty well the last couple games, and then you get good results. I got a goal today – I think I played well, and our line was pretty good, too. After a tough break, it’s hard to get back after a week off to jump right into games, but I think the team had a good game.

Kempe, on finishing off a nice give-and-go with Sean Backman:
We got the same opportunity in the second period when I got it, and I tried to look backdoor to him. We talked on the bench, and just tried to keep doing that, and if I kept going with my speed in the middle, I’m going to get more opportunities just like that. We got one in the third as well, and I got a shot … it was a good shot, and it was nice to get a goal, and then we got a goal right after, too, so it was really important.

Kempe, om how the team’s game has come around recently:
Well, I think everybody knows how to play, and we play our game and we know how to play it, and I think we play really good offense, and if you have a good offense, then you have a good defense, too. That’s a really important thing, and I think the last 10-15 games, I think we’ve played really well. Just going to keep playing our game. We’re going to get the points, and we’re going to steal some, and that’s good.

Kempe, on what he is trying to address in his game:
Well, I think me, myself, I have to be more consistent and keep playing like I did today. That’s really important, too, to keep up like that the rest of the season now. Sometimes you’re going to have a tough game, of course, but I think that’s one big thing that I think by myself that I have to be more consistent out there, and I think that’s what they want me to do, too. I know how good I can be, and we just have to keep playing like we did tonight.

Sean Backman, on whether it took the team time to find its game in the win:
Yeah, it was horrible. No, obviously that morning skate this morning helped a bit, but anytime you take that much time off away from the team it’s a good thing mentally, but physically, to get back into it, it’s a little tougher, and I think as the game went on we kind of got our legs under us.

Backman, on the team’s third period performance:
I think it was just knocking off the rust in the first couple periods, and as the game went on, we got stronger and stronger. Like I said before, that time off, it’s good mentally, but physically it takes a toll.

Backman, on his third period goal:
I tried to get a step on him early, but he just kind of stayed with me. Basically put it on net hoping for a rebound, and it kind of slipped through the five-hole there, so it was fortunate.

Backman, on the team’s game coming around over the last month:
There are some new guys, and it takes a while to get that Reign identity under everyone’s belt, especially on our back end – there are some younger guys. We’re at game 26 now or whatever it is now, so I think guys are starting to realize how we’re supposed to play night in and night off.