They Said It: Top Quotes from the Preds Ahead of Game 1 in Carolina

The 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs have arrived for the Predators, and in just a few hours, the puck will drop in Raleigh to begin what Nashville hopes will be a two-month journey.
After a week of practices, meetings and the like, the preparations are complete, and the Preds know what they're up against - a Carolina team that won 36 games, and the Central Division title - but the visitors have some added confidence as they head into PNC Arena for the first-ever postseason meeting with the Hurricanes.
Finally, the waiting is almost over. Here are the best quotes from the Preds ahead of Game 1.

Preds forward Colton Sissons on being a part of the Herd Line:
"I was really proud of our line's effort this year. We got together a few months ago, and it just kind of clicked. We know each other's games, and we play a fairly similar style of hockey and can trust each other out there. We were solid, we felt good about ourselves, but we've got to do it now because it doesn't matter too much if we're not stepping up again here for the playoffs. So, another big challenge for us."

Sissons on playing up the role of "underdog" against Carolina:
"I don't think we're going to play anything up, we're just going to go about our business. They'll say what they want to say in the media, and I know [the Hurricanes] are heavy favorites, so it's all good with us."
Defenseman Ben Harpur on being the lower seed and facing Carolina in the first round:
"Hockey's a funny game. I feel like there's not a huge difference between the top team in the League and the bottom team in the League, and that's what makes it really exciting. I think that in a playoff series, every team has a chance. We're just going to take this game by game. We've seen them eight times this season, and we definitely had our struggles with them early, but I feel like that kind of puts a bit of a chip on our shoulder and we have something to prove, for sure."

Captain Roman Josi on what he does to set the tone for his team in the playoffs:
"Our team has been playing really well, and we're all excited today. When you wake up, it's the first day of playoffs, there's a lot of excitement around the room and guys will be ready, guys will be excited. I think for us, the last week was important. I think for me as a captain, you want to make sure - like last week, we prepared the right way, we practiced the right way, and tonight, everybody's going to be excited. We're ready for it."
Preds Head Coach John Hynes on what he means when he says he wants to see his team play to their identity:
"We want to play fast, we want to play physical, relentless checking when we don't have the puck; I think our execution when we play north fast, which means when we're up and out of our zone and we're playing direct to the offensive zone with speed and good puck support and moving the puck quick, putting it behind people, putting it behind their D and really accessing our speed, that allows us to get into aggressive forechecking, physical play and a relentless play without the puck. That's the identity that we want to play with, and when we do that throughout our lineup, we're a difficult team to play against."

Hynes on what it's like to have another opportunity to reach the playoffs and compete for the Stanley Cup:
"This is why you do it. You coach or play because you love what you're doing, and to do it at the highest level, you want [what you do in the] regular season to give yourself a chance to compete for the Stanley Cup when you make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Now, you actually give yourself the opportunity to compete for the Cup, and that's something that, for us, is exciting. For me as a coach, that's what the ultimate goal is. We're excited to be back, there's been a lot of hard work that's been put into it, and now in the second season the work is just going to begin here now."