SAY WHAT: 'FIRE UNDER OUR SADDLE'

SEAN MONAHAN ON THE TEAM'S MINDSET:

CONNOR MACKEY ON HIS SECOND FLAMES CAMP:

"I'm thankful they brought me in [during the summer]. It was definitely an easier transition coming back now, knowing the guys and the systems. I'm still adjusting and still learning everything, but it's definitely been beneficial the second time around."

MACKEY ON IF HE FEELS HE'S AN NHL PLAYER:

"I do. I feel like I'm close. Seeing those veteran guys out there like Gio and Tanev, being on the same sheet as them gives you confidence. … I'm willing to do whatever to help this team, make this team and be a contributor."

GEOFF WARD ON MACKEY'S GROWTH:

I think that body of work is still in motion. We don't want to judge somebody's camp by one or two days, obviously. He shown us an awful lot of good things. He showed us smarts, he showed us mobility, he showed us that he's able to think the play ahead and isn't afraid to play a physical game. Those are all things that he made an impression on us with. But we'll give him the whole camp before we sit down and try to formulate something. … We want guys to develop at their own pace and feel comfortable, and he's certainly right where he needs to be in terms of showing us what he needs to show us."

DAVID RITTICH ON PAIRING WITH JACOB MARKSTROM:

"It's a great opportunity for both of us to push each other to get better. What other team can say they have two all-star goalies?"

RITTICH ON OFF-SEASON TRAINING:

"I started to work with my new mental coach, which I think should be really helpful for me. The training? I started to do a lot of VR - virtual reality for the goalies. … It's a pretty easy setup. You buy the Oculus VR headset and subscribe to the Sense Arena app and do a workout wherever you want. You can do it outside, in your basement - you don't really need a big spot for it. It's been really helpful. The reaction stuff, the reflexes… I didn't really believe how realistic it could be, but I was surprised and honestly think it was really helpful."

SAM BENNETT ON BUILDING OFF THE PLAYOFFS:

"I think I was getting a lot bigger opportunity in the playoffs and it was on me to take advantage of that. I thought I did a pretty well and hopefully I can start off with the same way I (finished) last year, and go from there. … I think everyone is in great spirits. Guys are having fun; guys are excited to be back paying again. There's definitely a little fire under our saddle, for sure. We've still got a lot to prove and we're going to try and get off to a good start this year."