Quote Roundup: Pens-Jets
By
Pens writing staff @PensInsideScoop / Pittsburgh Penguins
ON THE JETS
Letang: "They're a big team. They have a lot of big bodies out there. They finish all of their checks. They're a team that works hard and they also have skill. They're dangerous. They've been playing well lately. We have to bring our A game."
Reaves: "Every time we played Winnipeg in St. Louis I would say those are some of the biggest wars we had all year. They were kind of built like St. Louis in the fact that they were fast but played a very physical game. They try and wear you down like that. Games were always low-scoring and very physical. Something would always seem to happen that would carry into the next game. I expect them to do the exact same thing to any team."
Sullivan: "I think there's still a handful of teams in the league who play a heavy game. I think Winnipeg has a little bit of a hybrid style, they can skate as well. They're a team that has good size, they have a physical element to their game, but certainly they can skate as well. They're a real good hockey team."
ON HANDLING WINNIPEG'S PHYSICALITY
Crosby: "I think as long as you're ready for it. Just like anything, as long as you prepare for what kind of team you're playing, whether it's fast or physical or there's certain things they like to do, I think you're just aware of it so you can prepare for it. If it is a physical team, you've got to make sure you're sharp and you expect to get hit, take a hit. Then your power play has got to be good. If they want to run around, take penalties and things like that, you've got to make sure you make them pay on the power play."
Malkin: "We know Winnipeg tries to finish checks every shift, every time they try to finish checks on me, Sid, Phil. We understand that. We need to play heads up and protect ourselves. We need to play physical too. We're not soft players. We're strong players. If we have a chance to give it back, give it back."
Maatta: "You want to take a couple hits, give a couple hits. I think that's part of the game. We don't want to shy away from that game. We still want to hit. We're not a team that shies away from that kind of game. When the going gets tougher, that's the way you want to play."
ON COMBATING THEM WITH SPEED
Hagelin: "We got to be moving our legs. When we're moving our legs, we're creating space for ourselves and for our teammates. That's when we're successful. We're a team that needs to be moving, needs to be playing with that edge in terms of getting onto pucks, getting onto the forecheck and giving teams no space."
Sheary: ""I think against any team we want to bring our speed, that's our biggest asset. When we're playing quick, playing fast, I think we're a hard team to stop. I think if we can get on the offense, make them defend and make them use their size, I think that'll be the best way to beat them."
Cole: "They are always battles against Winnipeg. They're a team that's had some success over the last couple games, they're 4-0-1 over their last five. They've been playing well and they certainly have guys that can beat you. They have good players on their team. We don't want to get away from what we do, but we certainly we want to be kind of aware of what they do."
ON DEFENSIVE DEPTH BEING TESTED
Sullivan: "We believe in (the guys we have). We think we've got a lot of depth at that position. We've got guys that are very capable who can step in and do the job for us. That's what our expectation is. So regardless of who's going in our lineup on a given night, we're fortunate to have the depth that we have and the expectation is that whichever 20 players we dress for a given night, our expectation is that we're going to win."
Crosby: "That's what we have to deal with. Nobody is going to feel sorry for us. We've got to find ways to continue to get wins and I think we've shown guys have been able to come in and fill those voids. Whether it's individually or collectively, we've got to do it. We'll try to find a way."
Maatta: "It happens. I think all teams go through that. It's part of hockey, it's part of the sport. I think we just got to do a good job if we have a couple guys out tomorrow, we just got to have a couple more guys stepping up. I know we have a lot of depth on our D in this organization, that's a big strength of ours."
ODDS AND ENDS
Trotman on his potential debut: "It would be exciting to get back. It's been a while, a year and a half ago. I felt pretty good (in WBS) and I've been working up here to stay sharp and be mentally ready if I get called upon."
Sullivan on Trotman: "Zach's a good, solid two-way defenseman. He's got a big shot. He's got good size. I think he defends well in the battle areas because he's big and strong. He skates well for a big guy. He has mobility, so we think he can fit into the style of play that we're trying to play. So we're excited to have Zach as part of our group of defensemen and he's a guy that we anticipated we were going to use throughout the course of this season, and if he gets the call tonight, he's a guy we know we can trust."
