MTL@TOR: Quotes of the day

TORONTO - Forward Phillip Danault, defenseman Joel Edmundson and interim head coach Dominique Ducharme spoke with reporters via Zoom on Wednesday morning ahead of the Canadiens' clash with the Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena.

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Here are a few highlights from their respective chats:
Danault on the absence of Brendan Gallagher, who's sidelined with a fractured thumb:
Gally is an important part of the heart of this team. It definitely hurts to lose him. At the same time, we also lost Toffoli for a few games and the guys stepped up. Gally got hurt last game, and we still found a way to win. It's these types of situations that really showcase the culture of the team. We have to battle together. We've lost a big piece of the puzzle, but we have a lot of players who can step in.

Danault on Jesperi Kotkaniemi taking Gallagher's spot on his line with Tomas Tatar:
We know that KK has an excellent shot and good vision. We'll help each other out. We'll have to talk on the ice. It's an adjustment for KK, but I'm not worried about it. He'll do his job. I'm very excited to start this new chapter tonight.

Edmundson on the true impact of Gallagher:
He's one of a kind, that's for sure. He's a great guy in the dressing room. He's a chatterbox. But on the ice, he's the type of player that goes to the paint hard. He likes to stir the pot once in a while and just goes to the hard areas. I just don't think one guy can fill his role. It'll be a team effort to fill the spot. We're definitely going to miss him, but hopefully he'll have a quick recovery and he'll be good to go in a couple of weeks.

Edmundson on his role models at the start of his NHL career:
When I came into the League, I was in St. Louis. We had an older team. Our captain was David Backes, who played a lot. Guys I looked up to the most were Jay Bouwmeester and Alex Steen. They were just unbelievable players. They had great careers, but off the ice, the way they prepared for games, the way they treated the other players and their families, it's just something I always looked up to them for. I learned a lot from them. It goes a long way in this League to have veteran guys on the team that have been through long playoff stretches and have won Cups.

Ducharme on facing Toronto:
Games against the Maple Leafs are always intense. We know we'll be seeing them a lot between now and the end of the regular season. We'll likely see them in the playoffs at some point, too. It's an important game. We want to make the most of this game to see where we're at.

Ducharme on the effectiveness of the top line with Kotkaniemi on the wing instead of Gallagher:
I have confidence in them. We know that Gally is a 30-goal scorer. KK brings something different. He's a playmaker and he can score. I expect them to produce and to continue being responsible at both ends of the ice.