Quotes of the day: Toffoli, Price & Julien

MONTREAL - The Canadiens practiced at the Bell Centre on Tuesday.

Following the on-ice session, forward Tyler Toffoli and goaltender Carey Price met the media.
They were followed by head coach Claude Julien.
Here are a few highlights from their Zoom-based Q&A:
Toffoli praised the work Julien has done to help the group achieve their early-season success, securing 10 out of a possible 12 points on the recent six-game road trip:
I feel like he's done a really good job of sticking to the lines, the lineup, giving everybody a chance to play. It's tough for the guys who aren't playing, but giving everyone in the lineup a chance to kind of gel and get used to new things. Obviously there's been little things that we haven't been doing too well, but he hasn't really been getting angry or mad in the sense of it's more just sort of teaching. It's been really good. It's been easy to adjust, and I feel like all the guys that are new would probably say the same thing.

Given his strong start, the veteran right-winger was also asked to reflect on his decision to sign with the Canadiens and whether he believes he made the right choice:
I was never too worried about coming to Montreal. I've heard nothing but great things about it here, and talking to guys who have played here before, they said the guys were great. Both have been nothing but true so far. The only thing that would make it better is if we could have fans for the home opener. It's unfortunate, but that's just the way things are right now. I think we're just excited to be home and to be playing back at home.

This marked Toffoli's first practice at the Bell Centre as a member of the home side, which required a few adjustments:
Just trying to get used to the locker room, know where everything is. That was a change. And then obviously stepping on the ice was weird with no ads and stuff on the boards. I'm sure there will be for the game, but not seeing all the fans that I'm normally used to and there are no hot dogs after practice like we usually have them after games when I'm on the away team.

For his part, Price was thrilled to finally return to his home rink. The last time the Canadiens played there was on March 10, 2020 against the Nashville Predators, just before the League went on pause as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic:
It's nice to be back here. It's been a while. We're excited to be back.

The Habs' goaltenders were both privy to some outstanding goal support in Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver, and Price couldn't be happier:
The guys have been doing an awesome job of going to the net and creating chances. I think we're not sacrificing much on the defensive end either.
SHOP: WOMEN'S FLEECE
The Bell Centre underwent some renovations recently, including the installation of large tarps in the stands. That suits Price just fine:
You know I like red. I like it. I think it looks good.

As for the baseball-type schedule teams are dealing with this season, Price believes it's a great fit, especially when you're on road ice:
I actually enjoy staying in each city a little bit longer. I feel like it's easier to recover than travelling directly after a game. You're able to spend time doing things that you need to do to recover. I think the guys enjoyed starting out on the road and spending a lot of time together.

Julien was also asked about returning to the Bell Centre and reconnecting with the fans:
It isn't any different than our last trip. We played in Western Canada and we felt the fans behind us. I think the fans are excited to watch our team. It's up to us to have success at home. We struggled here last season. It's a good challenge for us to compile a good record on home ice and continue to bring enjoyment and enthusiasm to the fans.

As for why the team practiced downtown instead of skating at the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard, the veteran bench boss had his reasons:
It was mostly to familiarize the new players with the building. Some of them hadn't been to the Bell Centre yet. I didn't want them to come here for the first time on Thursday night before the game. We wanted to show them their new lockers, their spots in the dressing room, and we wanted them to skate here. It was important to be here. It also gave us a good idea of our environment. We saw the tarps in the stands. It was a good experience for us today.