MTL@OTT: Quotes of the day

KANATA - Forwards Phillip Danault and Nick Suzuki met the media via Zoom on Tuesday morning ahead of the matchup against the Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre.

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They were followed by head coach Claude Julien.
Here are a few highlights from their respective chats:
Danault was asked specificially what the Canadiens must do in order to snap their two-game winless skid tonight:
We have to make the simple plays and get back to the basics of our identity. We have to move the puck quickly and move well in the neutral zone, just like we did at the start of the year. We have to get back to our winning habits. It isn't complicated. Keeping things simple is the key for us.

The 27-year-old centerman also shared his thoughts on the general atmosphere around the team:
I don't think there's a heavy feeling. We often have good starts and and then we dip a little. We have to find a way to get back on track and stay positive. It's all about the attitude we bring on the ice and off it. There's no room for negativity.

Suzuki, meanwhile, stressed the importance of hitting the ice with a carefree demeanor:
That's kind of the attitude we should always have. We all know the systems. It should be in the back of our heads at every point. Everyone has the skill and the work ethic, so we can play a good game tonight. It's just a matter of having fun out there, getting back to what we were doing at the beginning of the season.

The NHL sophomore talked about the psychological aspect of the game as well, and the manner in which it can affect your play:
One of the hardest things to go through in sports is the mental side. Some guys, even me, just get into our own heads. There's a lot of overthinking. Just the mental side of the game is very difficult. It's kind of overthought. But at the end of the day, we're here to win hockey games. We're here to perform, so we have to find that within this group and I'm sure we'll play a better game tonight.

Julien knows his group will have another tough fight on their hands because the Senators always battle hard:
We have to find a way to win games, regardless of who we're facing. You cannot overlook the Senators because they work hard and they're playing well. It's hard to score goals against them, especially when you look at the way they backcheck. They do good work. That's why they've beaten teams like Toronto, Winnipeg and us. Other teams underestimate them because of where they are in the standings, but they make life difficult on all of their opponents.

As far as his lineup changes are concerned, the Canadiens' bench boss offered this explanation:
Brett Kulak will take Victor Mete's spot, and Artturi Lehkonen will be a healthy scratch. It's all a part of the decisions that I have to make. If I had the chance to dress 21 players, Lehkonen would definitely be in the lineup. We have to make lineup decisions based on our needs. We put Corey Perry out there because he can help our power play. His experience helped us tie things up last game. Those kinds of decisions aren't always easy to make when your team is healthy, but they're choices that must be made.