Avalanche Morning Skate Quotes: Game 3 vs. Predators

The Colorado Avalanche will host the Nashville Predators in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs First-Round series on Monday night at Pepsi Center. Nashville leads the best-of-seven series 2-0 after winning both of its contests at Bridgestone Arena.
Here is what some of the Avalanche players and head coach Jared Bednar had to say about the matchup following the club's morning skate.

Left Wing Gabriel Landeskog

On feelings heading into Game 3:
"We're real fired up for tonight, and we just got to make sure we come out and have a good start and don't think about the consequences too much but just go out and play. We know that we can hope for the (first) 5-10 minutes to play hard and we're on the body and we're making it tough for them."
On difference in physicality in playoffs versus regular season:
"No doubt it takes a toll on you. Guys will take runs at one another every shift. You don't really come back to the bench trying to see where you got hurt that shift or where you got banged up, you kind of just keep going and then after the game, we'll figure it out. Guys in here are tough guys and everybody is working hard and everybody wants to be in the lineup. We need everybody tonight, we need a good game with everybody and I got a good feeling about tonight."
On maintaining the team's attack:
"Yeah I think we're going to play the same way. We know it's an important game, we don't have to harp on that. Even coming into the season, coming into this playoffs, we have a lot of pressure on ourselves but we feel like all the pressure is on them. They're the ones that are the Presidents' Trophy winners. Being down 2-0, I mean, you look through the history of the playoffs and it's not uncommon that it starts out 2-0. The series might end up going six or seven games. Anything can happen, and we just got to take it one game at a time and take care of business here."

Center Tyson Jost

On maintaining the team's attack:
"I wouldn't say any major adjustments just things we need to touch up a little bit that we talked about. We're confident on the ice, and we've had a lot of chances we just need to be able to bear down and make plays too. We realize that. We've talked about it the last couple days, and we know what we need to be better at and like I said, we're right there. We know it's going to break through sooner or later."
On team's confident play in first two games:
"Obviously Nashville is a pretty cool place to play your first couple playoff games. We were all excited, but we did a good job of staying focused and really mentally preparing for those games. At the end of the day, we really want to win the series and we know we're the underdogs, but we're confident in our group that we can come out on top in the series. I wouldn't say we were all too overwhelmed by the crowd or the atmosphere or stuff like that, I mean, we've all played in the NHL, we've all played in front of big crowds and we knew what to expect. We're excited for tonight in front of Pepsi Center, in front of our own fans. It's going to be a little bit of a different atmosphere because you got everybody yelling and cheering for you and you kind of feel the momentum swings and the fans can kind of rally behind you. Everybody in this locker room is excited and it's a big two games for us to get back into this series."

Defenseman Patrik Nemeth

On taking advantage of home ice:
"I think it is real important. We've been playing real well here for the whole season. We're definitely feeling confident playing here at home. It will be a really good atmosphere. We really have to take advantage of the next two home games here."
On the confidence of the team:
"I think we're real confident. I think we're playing real well. It is just some small mistakes that's been hurting us. So if we clean up that and work on the things that we've been talking about, I think we'll be in a good situation here."
On tightening up defensively:
"I don't think it is the defense. I think it is a few mistakes there that have cost us. Not necessarily in our own zone, it's been up ice. They've been beating us. There are always things that you can improve. I think those are things that will be key for us. Just improve and not make those mistakes."
On playing playoff hockey:
"It's fun. It was a great atmosphere in Nashville. We've been playing well. We're looking forward to coming back here and bring playoff hockey back to Colorado and Denver."

Defenseman Mark Barberio

On Nashville:
"I think we can play with these guys. A lot of times it is our own mistakes that have cost us. When they get the lead they're a patient team, and they have the skill and ability to capitalize on mistakes. I think for us, it is to just minimize those mental errors in the game and continue to attack them. We've showed that we've got some scoring opportunities throughout the first two games, and we feel we're right there with them."
On playing in the postseason:
"Going into the series and still now, we've got nothing to lose. We got into the playoffs in the last day of the season and for a lot us, a lot of guys in the room, it's the first time in the playoffs, so it's a great opportunity to gain more experience. We've got nothing to lose. We just got to go in and work as hard as we can to get this game at home, and it will set us up nicely for the next game. Again, we're happy to be home and looking to take advantage of home ice."
On tonight's game:
"There is no mistake, this is the biggest game of the season for us. There is a big difference from being down 2-1 or being down 3-0. We have to come out with a lot of desperation. That is what you guys should be expecting tonight, a desperate hockey team."
On playing at home:
"We've taken advantage of home ice all season. We've fed off the crowd. Looking back to our last game against St. Louis, the crowd was amazing. If they can come out and give us some good energy again, we'll be buzzing for sure."

Defenseman Duncan Siemens

On cleaning up mistakes:
"I think if we just commit to our game plan and stick with it for 60 minutes, no matter what happens. I think any time we've got in trouble is when we get away from it and try and do too much. I think it is imperative that we stick with what makes us successful, and I think everything will work out."
On having home ice:
"It's huge. We've been a really strong team at home. I think the crowd really gets behind us, give us that extra energy when we need it. It is an exciting place to play, and we've had a lot of success. I think we're going to look to continue that."
On the defense stepping up with injuries to Erik Johnson and Samuel Girard:
"Obviously those are two big guys for us. I think everybody here is capable of doing the job. I think it is just sticking to our strength, not do too much. Know who you are as a player and just play within our system. Our system is everything for us on the backend. So we stick to our game plan, do what we need to do and execute, that will give us our best chance."

Head Coach Jared Bednar

On if there are lineup changes:
"Nope, same lineup."
On Samuel Girard missing his second game:
"Yeah, he is out. Still day-to-day. Hopefully he's back for Game 4."
On the impact of not having Girard:
"Impact this game the same as last game. We miss him from a little bit from a puck-moving standpoint. Certainly power play. I mean he's grown into a top defender for us. He plays a lot of minutes, especially down the stretch. I felt like his game is peaking, and he's getting better as the year has gone on. He's a big loss for us, but we got to move on. Other guys have to pick up the slack."
On the team's fourth line:
"I like them the last couple games. Heavy, both, especially on the wings with Wilson (C Colin Wilson) and Bourque (LW Gabriel Bourque), they're heavy guys, they're highly competitive. Defending details are right. They're getting some looks and finishing some checks on their D, just turning in some offensive-zone time. They've been good. We need them to be good. They scored the first goal the other night to get us on the board to get us the lead. We need all of our lines to be able to contribute like that, and they were good in that game, for sure."
On getting better matchups with the last change:
"I think we can. There is a lot that goes into the matchup side of things. I think we can possibly help some of our other lines with what we do with our top line. So yeah, I think we have all year at home and likely will tonight. That might not be a big concern for them, but it is a little bit of an advantage for us coming to home ice and getting the last change and the way we want to do things."
On excitement of playing at home:
This is best-case scenario. You're coming home to play in front of your fans, we know it's going to be an energized building. I think I get excited about the way our team's played at home throughout the course of the season, and I think we're a confident group at home. Coming into a game like this, every little advantage you can get I think it grows and grows. For our guys to feel like we can go out and win tonight and are excited to play in front of our fans, I think it's great and certainly there's butterflies before every game, especially during the playoffs."
On adjustments on the power play:
"Some. That is all I'll say about it. There are some things that we've looked at and talked about. We talked all year about having an attack mentality. I think the one thing that you can say is that they pressure hard. They pressure the puck hard. They come at you quick, tight routes, their details are good, they get in shooting lanes. You have to be able to move the puck ahead of their pressure and anticipate where they're coming from."
On importance of veteran presence in playoffs from guys like Blake Comeau:
"Extremely. I think in knowing Blake that he's a real even-keel guy, but he plays the game with a lot of emotion and passion. So when he says something, he's not the most vocal guy, but when he says something everyone listens. He has the ability to calm our team down, let them know we're alright. He has the ability to try and ramp us up if we need that. It's invaluable. To have a handful of guys that our younger guys look up to, that have been through it before, I think it's real important."
On being more disciplined:
"Yep, because 5-on-5 we've been good. We've been really good. We've created our share of the scoring chances. I think we have three 5-on-5 goals, they have four through two games. Where we've come up a little short is some of the special teams situations. We're down a goal 4-on-4. We're down a goal on the power play. So we have to be a little better in those other areas, but we also have to make sure that we're staying out of the box and playing 5-on-5, that's the most important."
On how penalties are called in playoffs:
"It's tough because a lot of the penalties (last game) were called in the second period, so you think you have a good read on how the game's going to be called and the physicality that's played with and what they're going to let guys get away with, you know. You're expecting it to be called a certain way and it goes a different way, so I don't know that you can get a real good read on it early. I think the referees do a good job of communicating with our players as to what's acceptable and what's not and what they may call the next time if certain plays keep going on so they get a better read on it. Sometimes you just don't know."
On being desperate in Game 3:
"I've loved our competitiveness and the way we've come to play physical and not get pushed out of the game and push back when it's called for within the play. That part of our game in Game 1 and Game 2 has been as good as it has been all year, which tells me that we're a hungry team and we believe. I don't know if it changes a lot for Game 3 from our approach. But it's one thing to get into the playoffs and say you've played two really good games against Nashville, they're the best team in the league. That's not what we're looking for. We're looking for the result, and in order to get the result that we want against a team like Nashville, the fact is that they don't make a bunch of mistakes. We have to earn [it]. We've earned every scoring chance that we've got. We have to fight through checks. We have to do things right continually. Then eventually hopefully get rewarded for it if we can beat (goalie Pekka) Rinne. So cleaning up some of the portions we've had, like we've handed them a couple goals through two games. It's plays with the puck that should be made, it's poor reads at times. We have to clean those up. Our guys have seen them, they understand them. I think it gives our team belief that if we clean up a couple things and keep doing what we've been doing, we're eventually going to get the result that we want. And we have to be able to be desperate here today."
On the team's inexperience in the playoffs:
"The facts are when you're playing a team like Nashville, as good a team as they are with the experience they have, we're asking a lot from our guys. It's a fine margin for error for our team to win. We just have to expect more from ourselves and go from there."