Mike Sullivan Team Quotations

One of the strengths of our team is our versatility,

Mike showed that he was a capable scorer last year. He's probably been our most consistent player from day one of training camp. He's one of those guys who is undervalued by people away from our team, but who the players and the people who are close to our team realize how valuable he is. He does all the little things out there that help a line be successful and help a team be successful. He's certainly getting rewarded for it from a production standpoint, which is exciting for him.

From my experience, when a team is faced with adversity, the best course of action is to simplify things. Our play away from the puck has to be a priority. We have a talented group of players here, but we have to make more of a commitment to team defense.

We make it hard on ourselves in certain situations. We've got opportunities to advance the puck and move the puck, simple options, short options, and we're looking for the better play and it's cost us. You combine that with some avoidable penalties against a team like this, that has a potent power play, and it's tough to win.

I think St. Joseph is a much better team that they were in December. Their third and fourth swimmers are swimming much better this time of year than they were earlier in the year.

Our team is at our best when we control territory and that's what we didn't do in the last few minutes.

I think the players are doing a great job of forcing the issue with their relentless pressure up the middle of the ice and I think when we play that way, we're a difficult team to play against. We certainly have shown that we can get results when we buy into it.

I think it's a credit to the players themselves. And I think (coach) Scott Gordon does a terrific job with the team in Providence. We play similar ways, so from a tactical standpoint there's not a lot of difference. I think all of those things kind of make the transition a little more seamless.

It's a matter of getting us to buy into a team concept and making a commitment to defense. I think our team is talented enough that we can score goals, and if we can make more of a commitment to keeping the puck out of our net without discouraging creativity at the other end of the rink, we have the potential to be a real good hockey team.

For every game he plays, he just provides more evidence that he belongs. We've watched him close and he's shown no signs of fatigue. It's a long season and we'll go through some adversity as a team and he will as an individual. But we feel comfortable that he's a mature kid.

We have to do a better job controlling momentum. We have to understand those critical situations, and we have to take charge in those areas. It will give our team a better chance to win.

I can relate to him just through the experience that he's been through in the past. He's a guy who has been in and out of the lineup or has been on the back end of the lineup and was trying to earn a spot on the team or find his niche. Certainly last year he was given an opportunity to play on an offensive line and have the chance to produce on the offensive side of the equation, and to his credit he's shown that he's capable.

He played extremely well. Sweden was a good team and they were very deserving. If it wasn't going to be the United States that won gold, I was happy for him.