PIT@MTL Quotes of the Night: Belzile, Lehkonen, Weber, Price & Julien

TORONTO -- The Canadiens defied the odds on Friday, sending the Penguins packing with a 2-0 win in Game 4 to punch their ticket to the Conference quarterfinals.

Carey Price posted a shutout, Alex Belzile had an important milestone night, Artturi Lehkonen played the hero, and Shea Weber continued leading by example in the postseason tilt.
Alex Belzile has earned every shift he's been given in his eight years of pro hockey, having battled in the ECHL and AHL for the better part of a decade. On Friday night, the undrafted, 28-year-old forward had an opportunity to suit up for his first career NHL came when the stakes were at the highest.
Belzile on making his NHL debut against the Pens:
"It felt good to be able to contribute in a win like tonight. I've been preparing for a long time in case I had a chance to play in the NHL so I was really happy, but at the same time I was trying not to get too nervous. I didn't want to be too high because this was such an important game. In a situation like this the important thing is to get the win so I'm happy I was able to contribute."

Artturi Lehkonen had a goal and two assists in the Qualifying Round, including Friday's series-clinching goal with just over four minutes to go in Game 4. The Finnish forward explains how he's managed to elevate his play in the postseason:
"Everybody enjoys these games and everybody wants to play in the playoffs. You play such tight games and there's a lot of physicality out there. For me, it's pretty fun to play against the same team for several games. It kind of creates match ups and it's a lot of fun."

"Everybody was kind of counting us out, so of course it feels good to win this series. But, I mean, it was one series. We've got to enjoy this for a moment and then move on."
Carey Price sheds some light on how he's also managed to take his already-All-World game up a notch in the 2020 postseason, having made 146 saves to give him a 1.64 goals-against average and .947 save percentage in the Penguins series:
"We were definitely all motivated going into the series. Nobody was giving us a prayer to beat them. That definitely played a factor into it. I thought we all took it with a grain of salt and went out there and just tried to prove everybody wrong."
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Shea Weber on seizing the moment and making the most of a unique situation:
"This is a big opportunity. Even coming into this qualifier, we knew got a second chance here -- a little bit of a second life given where we were when the season stopped for COVID. Now it's official. We're going to be playing in the playoffs. It's not an easy thing to do, to get into the playoffs. It's a battle and there's still a lot of work left to do."

Weber on the team's playoff rookies coming through in the clutch:
"It's fun to watch. Everyone talked before this series started about how much more experience [Pittsburgh] had than us, but I almost thought it was kind of a good thing that maybe these young guys didn't even realize how big of a deal it was. They stepped up. Guys played really well against two of the top centers in the League. There's a lot of work left to do, but I think those guys have taken huge steps, even during the 'pause' for three months. I think they've gotten even better. I'm not sure how without playing games, but obviously they worked at home and skated and they've definitely gotten better and they've been a big help for us."
Julien on what the team learned in the Qualifying Round that they can bring with them to the Conference quarterfinals:
"They're starting to understand how consistency is important. I think we've played four good games. One we lost because they were the better team. This was our fourth game in seven nights and I thought we did an excellent job of defending, we didn't give them much. We knew their backs were against the wall and they were going to be desperate, but I thought defensively we did a good job and we managed to score that goal when we needed it."

"There's no doubt your team gets an opportunity to grow. But we all know when the next series starts, we're obviously going to be playing the top seed, so we'll have our hands full again."