TALKING POINTS: Hitchcock talks offence, Khaira and the Battle of Alberta

Q: Is it nice to have one of those (offensive explosions) after playing so many close one-goal games?
A: To be honest with you the one-goal games don't make you nervous, because you know if you're playing the right way you're going to be getting points at the end. I was a little bit nervous on the bench yesterday for the first time because you get a lead and you're hopeful that you can continue to play the right way and not get too loose and let them come back, so it was the first time I've been a little bit nervous wondering how we were going to respond.
What I said to [the media] last night is that I was very impressed with the way we played in the third period because we did a lot of the stuff where you have to play for each other. We stacked pretty well in the red zone and near our net, and they never got any quality chances because of that. Then we transitioned into offence and got goals because of it. The third period to me is a good sign that when we get a lead we're not going to go play loose. So that's a good stepping stone for me.

Q: Have you seen the team adapt to your coaching style, or is it still coming?
A: I think it's still coming. I think it's an evolution. There haven't been enough practices and we were just in the room and I was complaining about things that I didn't address at practice that popped their head during the games, and I wished I would've spent a bit more time on certain things. I think it's a work in progress, but the part I like is that our conscience and our disposition on the ice is starting to round into a form that allows you to go into every game with a real chance to win. We're starting to show those signs. We're starting to look exactly the same when the other team has the puck, and that's a good sign. That means players are conscious of their positioning and that's a really good sign for us right now.
Q: You weren't here when Edmonton and Calgary played a few weeks ago, but it got heated at times. Matthew Tkachuk was doing his disruption that he often likes to do. In the rematch tomorrow, how do you want to see a player like that handled if he's trying to do things to get under your skin?
A: I've been involved in so many of these and just think if you want to win, you're going to have to plow through the distractions. If the distractions lead to frustration or a lack of focus, they don't do any good. I'm sure both teams will be trying to get the other's attention, but as I said last night these next three games are going to tell us a lot about the things we're good at and the things we need to work on. We got three significant opponents, Calgary being one of them, and by the time we leave Winnipeg we're going to have a real good handle on what we need to work on and what we really like.
I think Calgary is probably one of the best transition teams in the league right now, so that's something we need to take them out of. If there's emotion and there's an extra level of intensity where it feels like a playoff game, then with where our team is at right now that's going to do nothing but make us better. If we get more of those games, it's going to make us nothing but better quickly and that's what we're looking for. I'm hoping it'll be a high-strung affair, and we'll see how we perform.
Q: When you coached against the Oilers last year or watched them at the start of the season, did you see Jujhar Khaira becoming a legitimate option as a consistent top-nine player? Right now you're using him in the top six and he's on a bit of a run right now.
A: No, I didn't see that. I thought he was a depth player coming from the back, but we started to see this during practice. We didn't see it during the games, he was still playing sideways during games, but we saw his ability to play a north-south game that was going to be very effective in the NHL. He just had to get the confidence to move his feet more and trust his speed, and he looks like he's back doing that stuff right now which is a good sign. I saw the hands, but I didn't see the tempo. Now he's caught up, and with the way we want to play, he's one of those guys that's picked up on it real quick and I'm sure he looks at this as a great opportunity for himself. He's really taking advantage of it.
Q: Has he given that line a different dimension?
A: Both have. [Puljujarvi] has done the same on the right side. It's a hard line to play against. When you look at the tape the next day, that line creates more turnovers in the offensive and neutral zones than any line on our team, so the combination of the two guys on the wing are allowing Nugent-Hopkins to have more space with the puck.
Q: What do you guys think you're getting from a guy like Chiasson? Arrives on a PTO and now he's one goal away from tying his career high.
A: He's a goalscorer, and I think the best part is that he stays around the front of the net. To me he just goes into the scoring areas and stays there, and he's got the ability to be patient. If you look at the goals he scored, he's not panicking when most guys do. He's not panicking at all in that situation. He's also on a line that can control the puck, and he's a perfect example of goals coming from possession time. When you look at the goals he scored they're not quick-strike goals, they're possession goals. We've been in the zone a long time, space is available, and he ends up open at the net because people are tired from defending. He's a guy that's willing to go to the net, stay there, take a beating, and still hang in there and try and get his stick on the puck. You have to really appreciate that.
Q: How do you think Kevin Gravel has improved from when you arrived in Edmonton to now?
A: I'm still trying to find out who he is. I mean that seriously. I knew him a little bit from Los Angeles and I didn't pay too much attention to him. When we were rounding out, Edmonton wasn't really one of my teams so I didn't know much about him, but I liked him a little bit in Los Angeles but kind of lost track of him to be honest with you. I haven't seen much of him.
The part I like about him is he's got a great stick. His angling, his body and stick positioning, he's able to disrupt plays down low a lot. To me that's what we saw in LA - that he's a smart player and has a great stick. If he gets caught up to the pace he could be a full-time NHLer.