Derian Hatcher Playing Quotations

I said it before the game, it wasn't a must-win game, but it was definitely a big game we wanted to win. Between the second and third periods, when we were down 1-0, we felt in here that if we keep playing that we were going to win, and even when they got that second one we didn't stop. That's a great sign.

I think more than anything, we almost wilted a little bit. We were down 1-0 and we weren't playing bad. We were on that edge. But after they got the second goal we kind of wilted, and as a player that's the toughest part to swallow.

I think it?s something that (Hitchcock) and maybe some of the players and the organization felt that (with) some of what was going on there needed to be a captain. One of (Hitchcock?s) biggest concerns was to have that voice in the room. The voice about the way we?re supposed to be playing and the system we?re supposed to be playing. Someone to preach and to hold guys accountable toward the team.

We know what lies ahead of us. We know who we're playing and where we stand.

We were playing with a desperation. We definitely got a break or two, but maybe that's what we needed to get going. That's why this is back to being a series.

This team has played like this for years and years. They wait and wait and capitalize on mistakes. There's no secret. They've been playing this way for a long time and they're good at it. They challenge you to beat them.