Quote Roundup: Pens-Kings
By
Pens writing staff @PensInsideScoop / Pittsburgh Penguins
ON TONIGHT'S MATCHUP
Sullivan: "LA is a team that I think is hard to play against. They're another one of those teams that plays stingy defense. They have good goaltending. They play a heavy game. They have good size. They lean on you. They make you work for your opportunities. So it's going to be another one of those type of games where we're going to have to have an element of patience to our game that we don't try to force things if we don't get as many opportunities as we would like. We have to find a comfort level in playing in those games, whether it be a low-scoring game or a one-goal game. We have to develop that comfort level and that's something we talk about with our players a lot. I think our team has the ability to win games different ways. We're a team that certainly can score. But when we play the right way, we can be hard to play against and we can defend every bit as well. I think we're going to have to embrace that tonight against a team that plays stingy defense like LA does."
Crosby: "We need to exercise our speed and play a speed game. They're big and physical, so if we can hold onto pucks and use our speed that's our biggest strength. That'll be tonight's game plan, but just like every night you have to play to your strengths and that's what we're trying to do."
Hagelin: "We know they're going to come out flying tonight. They have Brown coming back from the suspension. He'll be going. All the new guys will give them a lot of energy too. We need to play a lot better than we did last game if we want to have a chance. It should be a good game."
Reaves: "They're a big physical team. They like grinding you down, they get pucks in deep, lay the body, that's how they get their offense. I expect a lot of that, that's how they've been for the past almost decade."
ON THE TEAM'S RECENT PLAY
Crosby: "I think we're doing some different things well. Special teams have been pretty good, that helps a lot. We're scoring in different ways, we're scoring gritty goals and some nice ones but we're defending well, so that's the main thing. When we defend well we have the puck more and create more offense, so we have to continue to make sure we do that."
Sheary: "As a team our confidence is pretty high right now. The goal scoring comes from a mixture of things, whether our power play is clicking that night or your line chemistry is going. Confidence is key. When everyone is playing with that, the pucks will go in."
Reaves: "I think we're playing our game. We know our strengths, we know our weaknesses. One of our strengths is playing a speed game but playing responsible in the D-zone and getting into their zone fast. I think we're sticking to that and minimizing mistakes in the D-zone."
Sullivan: "I think when you look at the way this team has played the last five or six weeks, I think what's allowed us to have some of the success that we've had is that commitment. And it's not just about playing the game hard, it's about playing the game smart. It's attention to detail and with our team, a lot of times it just starts with managing the puck the right way, taking care of the puck and not making high-risk plays or forcing plays that aren't there, forcing teams to have to play goal line to goal line. It's an important aspect of our team identity in becoming a playoff-type team, and that's something that we've discussed within the last month is, becoming a team that can compete in the hard environment. So we've got to be hard to play against ourselves and it always starts with our puck management."
ON MATT MURRAY
Sullivan: "I just think he's been really focused, he's had some quality practices with Buck. I think he's tracking the puck extremely well and when he tracks the puck the way he does he's such an intelligent goalie, he reads plays as well as any goalie I've been around and he tends to make the saves look easy because he's always square to it, the puck just seems to hit him and I think that's an indication of when Matt is really on top of his game. I think the last handful of games here he's been really good for us."
Sheary: "The fact that he's only playing his 100th game and what he's accomplished is pretty incredible. He was always a top goalie in this league and he continues to prove that. It feels like even if we're getting outplayed or we're coming out of a period with either a tie or a lead just because he's playing so well, when he can stop those Grade-A chances and stymie their offense I think it's momentum for the whole team."
