Ken Hitchcock Second Quotations

I think everyone is hoping physical play will be allowed. Our team is built that way. You cannot play in an emotional setting without getting physical. Over 82 (regular-season) nights, there are times it's hard to get physical. But when your focus is on playing the same team every second night, it's hard not to get physical.

I think we play better when we're desperate. The big question mark now is, can we answer the bell again a second time? We've played some games like that in our building and then we haven't come back with near the emotion or intensity. We have to play with the same sense of desperation or increase it for more minutes if we expect to win.

We deserved to be tied or ahead after the second period.

We didn't have any second or third opportunities.

We were banging around it so hard in the second that I felt, even though we were down 4-1, that if we made it 4-2 early (in the third), which we did, if we kept going we could still tie up the hockey game and maybe win it. We had a lot of good chances, but we didn't finish and then they scored the fifth goal.

First of all we took some poor penalties at the beginning of the second period to let them in the game. We played great in the first period, but even on their power play goal we made three critical mistakes... There are two things that really concern me right now. Against the good teams we lose the special teams game and when you can't kill a penalty, that's a big concern.

It's quality of life. The players already know the building is full, the building is loud, the fans are knowledgeable, the organization is committed to winning and the practice facility is second to none. Players talk about that stuff all the time.

That second period felt like the longest period I've ever been through as a coach. The first question was whether we could skate with them. We can. They've got speed and so do we.

It took us almost a period and a half to get up to the pace of the game and then we were fine. We were much better in the second half of the game and the overtime than we were at the start. I thought we were a little behind the pace at the start and then really got going.

Even when things get a little hairy like they did in the second period, we gathered ourselves and did a great job.

That power-play goal at the end of the second took the winds out of our sails.

The puck was in their zone a lot. We were one chance and out. We didn't have any second or third opportunities.

We had such a terrific start to the game. And to me, as soon as Peter went out, our whole energy just dropped right off the cliff. Our energy went right down the tubes. That's the second time that's happened and that's got to change.