"We discussed with the guys a couple of areas we wanted to clean up, and a lot had to do with net-front play, box outs and playing a little firmer, and I'm really proud [of the effort]," Milwaukee Admirals Head Coach Karl Taylor, who led the Preds at the Showcase, said. "We did a couple of meetings, a forwards meeting that [Admirals Assistant Coach] Greg Rallo ran, a D meeting that [Admirals Assistant Coach] Scott Ford ran, and he really pushed hard in certain areas and the guys responded and did what they had to do. So, a lot of excitement from the group, and the guys listening and then executing what we were looking for."
"It felt good, and everybody in the room really, really wanted that one," Preds goaltender Devin Cooley said. "It was a lot of fun out there, and I thought that was our best game for sure of the three. It's just a great feeling."
Zach Solow tallied twice for the Preds in a back-and-forth affair with the game tied 1-1 after the first period and 2-2 following 40 minutes of play. Nashville got to overtime thanks to the stellar play of Cooley, who made a number of key stops in the third period to keep the score even, and then it was Novak who finished things off.
"[Our] messaging prior to the game [was that] the last impression is the one that lasts the longest, so we're really happy for him," Taylor said of Novak. "He played his best game today. He was making plays and coming through the neutral zone with speed, and he was an individual that we were going to rely on and we did. And then in the so-called biggest moment of the weekend he's able to get a look in overtime and bury it, so really happy for him and hope it launches him into main camp."
Cooley should gain some confidence from his performance on Tuesday as well, and with a goaltending spot up for grabs in Milwaukee with the Admirals, he's certainly in the running to do so. But in the immediate aftermath of the OT triumph, Cooley was simply proud of his group.
