George Gwozdecky Time Quotations

When he's on the ice, for the most part he controls play. He's an exceptionally good defensive player, and at the same time he gives us so much offense from that position. He's a terrific captain. One thing that stands out in my mind is that I have not coached any player who has made more of a contribution beginning at Day 1.

He is as competitive as anybody on our team. He gets to pucks very quickly. He's got great grit. That's one of the reasons he's so valuable in the offensive zone. Any time there is a loose puck and Ryan is in the area, you know he's going to come up with it.

I think that this time of the year, the athletes are fatigued. They have gone through a long, grueling season already, and I think the home-ice advantage is even more of an edge than it is during the regular season. Especially when you are considering a series and everything that's on the line, I think the home-ice advantage is so much more of a factor now than it is during the regular season.

I think it's developing on this team at this time of year as to how we need to play. How we need to play this year is really different this year than it was last year and probably the year before.

Any time you can get one of your regular veteran players back in the lineup, it's bound to help. Especially at that crucial position. Adrian has played a lot of minutes over the years and has made some big-time plays for us. He brings that confidence and that experience and that know-how to our team that we need.