ON PLAYING A TOUGH BLUES TEAM:
"They've got such a good defensive core, they don't make many mistakes. Low-scoring, low-chance games. They still have that identity … This is going to be a real tough game." Glen Gulutzan
ON THE STRUGGLING POWERPLAY (0-5 last game, 0-12 in last five games):
"I think we have a little concern with our powerplay. We have to generate more shots. I think we had some great success there for a long stretch, 30 game-35 game stretch, where we were running pretty hot. What happens there is you start to look for the fancy play rather than just shooting pucks and getting bodies to the net. " - Gulutzan
ON 3M LINE REUNITING WITH TKACHUK'S RETURN:
"I expect him to be really excited, I expect him to come out flying …" - Backlund
"Hopefully it's going to click right away again tonight with him and hopefully we can have a good game." - Michael Frolik
"I think that we read well off each other and we all work hard and they're really good two-way players which forces me to blend in with that, too, and at the same time let me play a little bit of offence." - Matthew Tkachuk
ON BRIAN ELLIOTT:
"I think everybody in St. Louis would know he's just a really good professional. We brought him in here not only because he's a great goalie but he was a great guy in the locker-room (and) his work ethic. And you know what, we as a team stumbled early and he just keeps working his way through like he did his whole career and now he's seeing the benefits. He's been tremendous for us here, especially in the last couple of months. It's a credit and it's a lesson for our guys even in there, too, of perseverance. He just stayed with it, he was working everyday at his game and he's a competitor and he's getting the fruits of those labours now." - Gulutzan
ON RASMUS ANDERSSON STAYING UP WITH BIG CLUB
"He's had a good year in the American League and he needs now to rub shoulders with Mark (Giordano) and our defenceman here … and get up to a little bit more of an NHL pace. He's a really cerebral player, he's got great puck movement. The next step in his evolution is to be around NHL guys and see what they do to prepare, especially a guy like Gio, everyday. And that's a good learning step for a young guy."
