March 13 postgame quotes: St. Louis

Mike Yeo, on whether the win was the most important game of the season:
Up until the next one. That’s what we were just commenting on that every game is huge. But I think both teams understood the significance of this game tonight and I think it showed in the desperation from both teams. You know, obviously Jake was outstanding tonight and from top to bottom we had a really strong team effort.

Yeo, on when he knew Jake Allen “was on his game”:
Well, Marty said right from the morning that he was ready to go so I listen to Marty. He seems to get it. But he was on it, he’s been sharp lately so he gives us a lot of confidence going into the game that he’ll pick up right where he left off.

Yeo, on Allen stopping 21 of 21 shots in the second period:
Yeah, and some quality chances as well. Early in the second period there was a couple really good opportunities that he stood in real strong for and just can’t say enough about how important it is to grab a lead in a game like this for us so he gave us that chance.

Yeo, on the key to turning the Blues around since he took over as head coach:
I don’t know. I mean, I think we’re just trying to approach it one game at a time here. You know, this was a great challenge for us and we know our next one’s going to be as well and we’re just trying to stay in the moment, just trying to get prepared every game and we’re all also in a fight here, so we don’t have the luxury of relaxing a little bit here. We know that we have to keep pushing and the guys are doing a heck of a job.

Yeo, on whether this game was a “gut-check type moment”:
I think, you know, there was points when we were in the five-game losing streak where we still felt like we were building our game. We were recognizing the things that we weren’t doing well enough and you learn from those situations and those times as well. You know, I think what was probably even more important is some of the big wins we’ve had recently and just the picture that it paints in the player’s heads as far as what we’re doing and why we’re getting the results – is a huge key for us.

Yeo, on putting together some wins after a five game losing streak:
I think we felt that we, you know, we had lost five games in a row. We didn’t feel that we deserved to lose five games in a row. Every one of them was a one-goal game and we just weren’t finding a way to put pucks in the net despite getting some opportunities so we knew that our game wasn’t quite good enough but that said, we also weren’t that far off. Like I said, we’ve been building a game and I think now we go into games with a clear picture of what to expect from each other and what’s needed from each individual and with that comes some confidence.

Jake Allen, on the Kings late-game push:
Oh yeah, you know they were going to come. They’re chasing us. You know, we didn’t expect any different. They pressed and we got the win. It was a huge win for us. If they would’ve got a point or two points it closes the gap so big win.

Allen, on stopping 21 of 21 shots in the second period:
Fun. I enjoyed it. Gear just gets a little more wet, that’s all.

Allen, on the importance of beating Los Angeles:
Yeah I think we did a good job. We didn’t, in here, think of it as any different game. Just another game, you know, the standings will take care of itself at the end of the year. We just wanted to get a win but obviuosly you have to have a realistic approach, too. I think the guys did a really good job with the way they approached this game and I think if we came in a little bit thinking too much, you know, ‘We’ve got to win. We’ve got to win’, it might’ve went a different way. I think we just prepared like it was another game and got the win.

Allen, on his progression through the season:
To me, I think I’ve had a really solid year except a really terrible three weeks. Other than that I think I’ve had a good year. And those three weeks though were probably the worst I’ve ever had. They were really tough for me to go through personally on and off the ice and, you know, I wanted to work my way out of it and I felt ever since I’ve gotten out of that slump I’ve only gotten better so hopefully I can carry it into the playoffs.

Allen, on any indicators that he’s playing well:
Not really, you know I think I’ve been playing well lately. I’ve been practicing a lot, I’ve been working hard and just trying to give the guys an honest chance every single night. I think that’s my objective from here on out, is to give our team an honest chance to win every game and if I can do that and do my job, maybe steal a game here or there, so that’s what the last 14 games are all about.

Allen, on scoring the first goal:
Yeah it was a great play. Great pass by Steener and I couldn’t tell what happened. Quick might’ve made the save and Perron knocked the rebound in but great play. Good patience by Steener there to see him and just to get us on the board first changes everything for us.

Allen, on a shutout being taken away late in the game:
I could care less about shutouts. As long as we’re winning. If I don’t get a shutout the rest of my career but I get 30 wins a year then there you go. But, you know, they just threw a puck to the net. Went through a couple, hit me and I don’t know what happened. Went in.

David Perron, on Allen’s play:
Jake was on top of his game and it was pretty incredible the way he played. Thought the first period that we started defending pretty well and then we got on the offense and I think that kind of pushed them back just a little bit and again, in games like that getting the first goal is big.

Perron, on the confidence Allen can give the Blues:
Yeah I think we’ve always had the same confidence in him throughout the whole year, throughout the ups and downs of our team play. But most likely, when a goalie’s not doing as well, a lot of times there’s a lot of holes in the game for us and obviously we want him to play like that every night and he certainly delivered tonight. [Reporter: Do you see more confidence in him though now?] No, like I said, I think Jake’s been Jake all year and I think everyone goes through streaks where it’s tougher and like I said, when you’re the goalie you’re the last option to save a goal there and a lot of times it shows in our team play that we weren’t doing enough for him, too, I think.

Perron, on his goal:
Yeah, I think it’s something we have to do more. Use the F3 in the middle there and Steener was in the perfect spot and then Rig and I just kind of both drove the net and I wasn’t sure the lane would be that open. I was trying to just redirect it on net and then Quick was kind of on his belly there and I was able to get the rebound.

Perron, on the importance of starting a road trip with a win:
It’s great. We’ve got four more games and obviously playing in Anaheim next game is going to be special for me. It’s always tougher to play in that building on the road and we’re going to look to keep it going.

Perron, on “getting pretty good at scoring goals against the Kings”:
Yeah, it’s funny, my other night… Eight years before last year I don’t know how many I scored on Quick and last year I got 4 in 4 against LA and scored again this year so it’s good.

Perron, on what’s changed for the Blues since their last game in LA (a 5-1 loss):
Well it’s actually like, sometimes you lose guys. We lost Shatty, we lost Fabbri for the year and I think you really have to bear down on all the details even more than you should. Not that you should, you should be doing that all the time but I think you kind of just bear down even more and it was just a fun game to play in, a great game. I think mostly against the Kings in the past they ended our season two years in a row I think it was and knowing that they’ve been so successful we knew that they would be ready. We had to bring our best game and we found a way to kind of get a bigger lead on them in the standings.