January 21 postgame quotes: Mike Stothers

On being back in first place and winning in this fashion:
It feels great. That’s a lot of goals for us. We just went to Tucson and scored a grant total of three in two games. You need to score some goals to win and we’re hoping that maybe we’ll feed off that and be able to continue it tomorrow. It was good to see.

On the third period goals and if LoVerde being able to return triggered the outburst:
Well, we were just happy Vinny was able to come back. I’m not sure how that gets missed. There was no penalty at all. And I know things happen quickly in the game but we watched between periods and it looked like there was some kind of a pushing motion [from Blackwell]. Vinny goes into the boards very awkwardly and right away you’re concerned for his health and well being. At that point the game doesn’t even matter, it’s the health of your player, he’s our captain. So the fact that Vinny can come back and play it just goes to show ya how valuable he is to our team. Vin’s not missing a shift. Maybe it was his way of — because there wasn’t a penalty called — it was his way of revenge. So, you know what, they played last night so maybe they were a little bit more fatigued but I think we came out with a drive and a purpose in the third and we wanted to make a statement. We wanted to make sure we were winning this game. So, again, credit to the players. They did a great job.

On him telling the players at the last intermission that they could take over first in the Pacific:
I don’t like it when the guys tell you what I said between periods, but yeah, we had already known the result of Tucson. They lost, it was a chance to regain first place. So, if that’s a carrot that you’ve got to dangle in front of them — I don’t know, sometimes I say things and it works, sometimes I say things and it doesn’t work. I just say things. Sometimes they say things, you guys print them. Sometimes they say things, you don’t print them. No you’re waiting for me to say something, so you can print ’em.

On the success of the power play:
Well I think we ended up going 3-for-7 tonight which, that’s terrific. You’ve got to take advantage of those situations. Team wants to take penalties on ya, you’ve got to make ’em pay. [Reporter: Nearly 4-for-7 considering Herr’s goal.] Yeah, how good was that for Herrsy? How about his night? [Reporter: Gordie Howe hat trick. You must like that?] Yeah. What a dustup. That’s classic. Good for him. The game is such that it’s hard to get any revenge or satisfaction for maybe a hit or a shot that you might want to get. You’ve got to take advantage of the power play. We’ve been doing a real good job of it all year. Our guys have been doing good. Hajter does a good job of preparing our guys so, you know what, it’s been the difference. I think we rely on that a lot. Tonight we got some scoring 5-on-5 as well, which we needed in Tucson. We need to score. Everybody needs to score regardless of the situation. So, hopefully everybody feels good and we’ll be ready for what’s going to be a tough matchup tomorrow against San Diego.

On continuously jumbling the lines in Mersch’s absence after starting Brodzinski on left side:
We have been experimenting. I wasn’t real enamored with our lines early on and that’s why I changed it up and put Backs on the left side. I had talked to Brodz and he said he was willing to try the left side. It’s not always easy to play your off wing. Augs has probably had the most experience of it. But even when you think you’ve got a combination or a three-some you think is going to work, it doesn’t always work. Backs goes on the left side. There’s a lot of energy when he’s skating around with Teddy and Henner, who they’re more of slow-the-game-down to their speed and they make plays and then you got a guy like Backs, speed, opens up a little more room for them. As you said, Brodz maybe is a little more comfortable on the right side. So, we keep tinkering around and the biggest thing is I’ve liked Kempe in the middle more than I’ve liked him on the wing. I’ve actually liked him on the wing too but I think he’s more of a threat in the middle of the ice. So, we keep experimenting and it might continue. As you guys know, replacing Mike Mersch is not an easy thing to do. It’s unfair to ask anybody to fill that role for us. It ended up that way tonight, it will probably start that way tomorrow, but just make sure you write everything down in pencil. Have a good eraser because chances are I’m going to shuffle them up again.

On LaDue’s play and what he’s meant to the team this season:
He’s had some ups and downs, which is to be expected for a first-year guy. But, man, he makes some plays. He escapes coverage and forecheckers with his feet. He makes good outlet passes. He’s mobile and he’s getting the puck through, which is important. He’s changing his point of release, he’s not just blasting it into the shinpads of the opposing players. There’s a lot of composure in that young man. He’s good and he’s only going to get better. He’s one of the guys when I think back to last year, I wish we would have got him sooner. He came out of school and it was a while before he arrived with us. Who knows, who knows. Sutter’s healthy, Brodzinski’s healthy and we get LaDue a little earlier, maybe it’s a better challenge against Lake Erie. So, you don’t like to look back, but that kid’s got a hell of a career ahead of him. [Reporter: What is it that he has to work on, because he says everything.] I agree with him. Everything. He’s just a kid. Again, that’s one night he can look like close to a Drew Doughty and sometimes he looks like an old Mike Stothers. You need to get that consistency, right? [Reporter: You want me to write that?] I don’t care what you guys write.

On Kempe’s progress in the last month:
I think he’s starting to play more like we were expecting. I think there was a lot of hype for him in training camp and I don’t know if it was deserved or not. He showed you flashes of speed and everything else but the end result was, there was no points to show for it or whatever. Now you’re seeing the end result. I think he had two assists tonight, numerous chances, making things happen. That’s what Kempe can do for us. So, he’s really, slowly, I think gotten himself, I don’t know if it’s a confidence or a quiet confidence or he just feels better about himself. He’s taking advantage of the situation. He’s been very good and he’s only going to get better too. I try not to get too excited about guys like Kempe and LaDue because there’s always going to be that young guy consistency thing. So right now he’s improving each and every game. And you know what, he’s been moved around a lot too. If we could just get him to the point where we feel comfortable having him kill penalties, then I think we have a legitimate shorthanded threat. [Reporter: What’s it going to take for you to trust him on the defensive side of the puck? What does he have to do?] He has to earn my trust. [Reporter: Well I know that, but what does he have to do to do that?] He has to earn my trust.

On whether he has any picks in the NFL games tomorrow:
Oh man. There’s going to be some good, good football on. I just hope our game’s better than the football games. I hope everybody’s thinking hockey and not football. But it’s going to be hard because that’s probably as good as it’s gonna get. I’m a Steelers guy. Go figure. Blue collar. The old Steel Curtain. Smack ’em, run ’em over. Not much big on the pretty boys. Brady.