Midday Fix: April 26

It's been nine days since the Vegas Golden Knights last played a game and eight for the San Jose Sharks. The storyline in the early going tonight as the teams kick off their second round Stanley Cup playoffs series will be who shakes off the residual effects of such a lengthy break.
Keep it simple will very likely be the mantra of every player heading into the game. Straight lines up and down the ice will be the preferred tack for both Gerard Gallant behind the Vegas bench and coach Peter DeBoer of the Sharks.
"We talked about it. Managing the puck is important and we want to be north, south and not east, west," said Golden Knights forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. "We've been off for a while but we've worked hard in practice and prepared for this. We're ready to go."
Bellemare added - the opportunity to play in front of the fans at T-Mobile Arena is something he and his teammates are looking forward to tonight.

"We get excited for it every time. They've been incredible all year and they raised their level for Round 1 and we're hoping they can for Round 2," he said.
Gallant said he expected his lineup to be unchanged from the end of the last playoff series. Game time is 7 p.m. at T-Mobile Arena.

Coach Quotes

Highlights from Gerard Gallant's morning media scrum:
Thoughts on how anxious the guys are to finally play tonight…
It's been forever. They're excited and like I said, hopefully we'll come out and we'll have a really good start. It seems like forever exactly. Nine days is a long time.
Thoughts on the crowd helping you in a situation like this…
It's going to be huge for us. Every team that plays in our home building in the first game of the series is huge for them. Hopefully they'll be really loud tonight and I'm sure they will be. Hopefully our players will respond to it and have a great start to the game and get us going in the right foot.
Thoughts on what you think will be the biggest factor in the series…
I don't know, we'll see. Like I said, I think it's two really good teams that are evenly matched and it's going to be a really good series. They play fast, we play fast and we'll see what the difference is. Last series was a four game sweep and nobody expected that. Every game was a really close game that could've went either way. I expect it to be a really close hockey with two real teams that are competitive and pretty similar.
Thoughts on what the biggest factor was last series…
I thought we took advantage of home ice. We played really good at home and then when we went on the road, we bent a little bit but we didn't break. We found ways to win hockey games. The third period in game three where we scored those big goals, I think we defended really well and we played a really good solid hockey game. We played from the first period of the first game to the end of the series and played really good solid hockey.
Thoughts on the long layoff and if you're content in what you'll be able to accomplish…
We had some days off and got some rested bodies. San Jose did the same thing and we'll see. There's no perfect schedule for it and you do the best you can. I think I'm happy with it going into tonight.
Thoughts on the puck management being important early tonight…
It will be nice to get some pucks behind their defense. Like every coach says you have to get the north game going and get your forecheck going early in the series and that's really important. We have to manage the puck and I think especially for our team if we do the right things with the puck we'll play really good hockey.
Thoughts on if players making decisions on how to play is the best way to take root…
No, definitely. As coaches, we go in there and we analyze games and there are lots of things we want to get better. You pick out a few things that are really important and make your game play fast and play the way we play and hopefully players are going to adjust to that and do that. Like I said, we don't change a whole lot from game to game.
Thoughts on what your biggest concern with San Jose is…
No, they have a good solid hockey team. Right from the first player to the 25, 26th player, they're a solid team right through. And they've got some star players over there. I just think they play a good solid game. Their game is really good. Obviously, their penalty kill was second best in the league to L.A. They do a lot of good things right. Again, you know, they're not the highest scoring offensive team in the league but they can put the puck in the net and they work hard. I think it's a really close series. I really do. I don't know what's going to happen in the game, but it's built up to be a really good series and a close series.
Thoughts on their depth and having four solid lines and whether those factors into how much your lines play…
I don't decide, I decide during the game, you know what I mean. When guys are playing really well, you give them a little more ice. Or if you're behind in the game, then some of your top other players play a little more ice. Just depends on the game. Like I said, I think the first game in our series, I thought the Bellemare line and they played an unbelievable game and I think they had 13 or 14 minutes so they were up a little bit but they deserved every minute of it. It's not like I sit in that room and say "Marchessault is going to get 18 minutes tonight."
Thoughts on if San Jose's depth impacts that…
No. It doesn't affect what we do. Really, other coaches might say that but for me, it's what our guys are doing, and the situation is in the game where we're losing or we're winning.
Thoughts on if there was anything you saw from San Jose in their series against Anaheim that you didn't see from them in the regular season that you now need to account for…
No, we know their team and they know our team so there's nothing special there. They took advantage, they had a really good power play in the series and their penalty kill was outstanding in the series and like us, their goaltending was outstanding in the series. When your special teams are really good, and your goaltending is outstanding. Anaheim only had four goals in that series. We only had three goals against us in that series so that says a lot right there.
Thoughts on the importance of getting on the board as quickly as possible after this long break between series…
Let the game happen, you know what I mean. Would I love to score the first goal? Yes. Will it happen? I don't know, we'll see what happens. I just know both teams are pretty excited because I know for me, it seems like it's been a month since we played. I can only imagine what the players feel like.
SAN JOSE HEAD COACH PETER DEBOER
Thoughts on in the regular season it felt like a playoff atmosphere and now it is playoffs, do you think it would turn up a notch…
I don't know how you can. I was here the last game of the season and I don't know what other level you can get to from that. It's awesome. I know our guys are excited to be here. Guys want to play in that environment even if it's hostile. That's the beauty of playoff hockey. I know our guys are excited and I don't think there is any place else they would rather be playing here tonight.
Thoughts about both teams being on a long lay-off and rust happening…
Yeah, I think there will be and that will be the interesting part, I don't know, but you never know in these situations. It's hard as a player to try and mimic game speed and game situations in practice. Everybody has a different plan and we tried to stay in the rhythm of playing every night in our practices, but it's not the same as a game. I think in these situations usually the smarter team has an advantage on a team that doesn't do too much, and they recognize the situation, and hopefully that will be us.
Thoughts on being talked as the underdog after closing out with the Ducks, and now not being viewed as one of the favorites…
I think we have been in that spot all year. Probably when Patrick Marleau left, and Joe Thornton got hurt I don't think anybody gave us a chance to be sitting here and definitely not moving forward. We are just showing up and playing hard and good things are happening.
SAN JOSE SHARKS DEFENSEMEN PAUL MARTIN
Thoughts on difference in being a team that's expected to win, versus the position that the sharks are in now...
Yeah I mean I think, you know the pressure is always put on ourselves. Obviously Vegas has had a great year and they are a really good team and they have a lot of great players. So, it's not for us to get caught up in distractions and that kind of hype. We just have to come in and whether we are the underdogs or not, and play our game and try to take one here.

Thoughts on motivation as an underdog...
Yeah for sure I think we don't pay too much attention to it you know? Whether the significance of it I think obviously just winning is enough satisfaction for us, but to come in and you know set the tone on the road early. Knowing it's going to be a tough series is important
SAN JOSE SHARKS FORWARD TIMO MEIER
Thoughts on what the most important factors are in this series…
I think they're a speed team. It's up to us to take away their speed. We need to keep it simple out there because they like to play fast, and they turn the puck and go the other way. For us, sticking to our game plan. Do what we've done all year and we're going to have success.
Thoughts on the importance of coming out hot in the first ten minutes tonight…
I think it's going to be huge, the start tonight. Just be on top of our game right away. Obviously both teams had a little break, so I think the start tonight is going to be huge. This building is going to be really loud so it's going to be really fun.