How how big is a road trip like this early in the season for a team yeah it’s good just to get the boys together um you know and here obviously a little spread out where everybody lives so it’s hard to get everybody together we had a nice Halloween party last night but um
You know just getting in the hotel getting on the plane a couple dinners be uh good team performance through three games you know obviously offense is clicking um at times the game looks really really good and then um you know there’s just been stints in every game where uh it’s
Kind the structure’s kind of Fallen apart um taken too many chances at our Blue Line not getting pucks out uh but you know it’s early in the season I think there’s a lot of good but there’s uh you know there’s obviously stuff that we got to clean up especially going on
The road here with the second change you like the impact that the new guys have had in terms of adding that level of edginess notot that Brad said you saw Noah fighting the other night like how do you kind of sum up that element yeah
Yeah I mean it’s you know it can’t just be one guy and I think the way the team’s built right now it’s kind of up and down the lineup there’s a little bit of uh little bit of bite on every line and um you know different guys are going
To step up different nights uh Gregor obviously uh you know big hit and uh back to up with a good fight I know you you obviously weren’t here last year but it’s a playoff rematch actually two playoff rematches on this on this trip to start it off in your experience how
Much more emotion is there when you’re facing a team like Thursday that eliminated this group last year yeah there’s always a little bit extra I think um you know I always look forward to those games the next year especially when it’s earlier in the season um you
Know it’s usually a little extra emotion uh just cuz they took your dream away from you so yeah you come out swinging what was the Genesis of the costume I saw your Instagram uh post uh yeah we we’re usually we’re usually pretty dialed it was the last second
Thing but uh yeah Snoop and Martha um you know I’m not a big celebrity guy but one guy would love to meet to snoo just everything he touches turns to Gold so um yeah him and you know Martha Stewart obviously a power couple right there and
Mean you said it was the last minute thing the road trip did you guys s of like oh know we’re going have to do this party because we’re not going to be back in time yeah there’s just no time uh when we got back to do anything for
Halloween um you know sometimes just the schedule doesn’t allow for great timing obviously we were we were in The Uber going to the party yesterday and the guy was actually asked me if I was a rapper cuz didn’t know that uh Halloween was this early so I guess I pulled it off
Well any other costumes popped for you yeah we had a we had a forsome of uh speed skaters rolled in on roller blades uh the tights everything um they looked pretty good I heard they rollerbladed there too so they were probably sweating on the way yeah any Nam us uh Mo na
Uh I’ll snitch I don’t care uh Moy mince and uh and tone yeah it was it was it was good luck just on the playoff rematch end of things I’m curious your perspective kachuck kachuck like dealing with a guy who likes to kind of live in the gray
Area but also has the skill like what what sort of challenges a guy like him I mean he’s he’s a great allaround player you know he’s one of the one of the best players in the league obviously for a reason but um yeah it’s tough because he
Plays hard he’s got a lot of skill um he can hurt you in a lot of different ways um not just on the scoreboard so you got to be aware of a guy like that um but you also we also got to realize that you
Know our game can can take over too so U we can’t just focus on one guy you just got to be aware of him was it like mixing up with Cory Perry there’s another guy who kind of lives in the grave yeah I mean I never really liked him to be honest
Um we always seem to kind of run into each other when we play against each other but uh yeah not a lot of love for that guy where’s that deep first day I met him on the ice yeah is there anything in particular that makes him
Hatable uh just the way he runs his mouth I don’t know he kind of acts tough he’s not tough I don’t know drop the glove gu no no definitely wouldn’t yeah Matthew and Fraser raving about the breakfast what you guys serving over there uh I don’t know they’re uh I think
Uh you know you you come into the league and uh um you know some things uh that you experienced for the first time I guess uh uh um obviously uh it’s great to have them and I think more so the camaraderie um uh than that and um like
I said my boys love it uh having them around and um asking questions uh having fun and and you know nice celebrating uh n’s birthday yesterday too so what will he bring to your life well I think just the the tenacious uh uh uh his ability to get on the puck on
On top of the opponent and and it’s amazing how just physically mature and dominant he can be at his age and um you know still still hasn’t even played 10 games yet so um and then obviously you know you see his ability to make a play
Um you know soft hands pois with the puck so you know obviously we think very highly of him here and know uh he’s got tremendous potential and you know enjoyed uh um you know getting to know him off the ice which I think only can help on the ice and and
Um spending time uh throughout training camp together so um yeah excited about about that if uh if that’s the way it ends up what’s it like when you play a team for the first time the next season that eliminated um it’s I don’t know I think it’s maybe
Different every time but uh it it’s it’s obviously a sour taste in your mouth it’s something that you want to learn from uh uh you know there obviously disappointing from our standpoint so you know but for us you know we’re moving forward learning from it um it’s a new
Season a new challenge challenge obviously uh um for them as well um Team within our division so you you know you’re going to see them a bunch and you’re battling for positioning so these points are obviously always valuable and crucial what’s impact you feel the new guys have made especially the added Edge
Right that Brad talked about bringing a little more snot are you feeling that already I think so I I mean you know whether it’s that or just their ability to play the game and be effective for us um you know you see uh um certainly throughout the the first few games here
Through training camp what the what they can bring and they’re going to impact the team and that should only get better as we go along here and our team game comes comes together more obviously last season didn’t end the way you guys wanted it to but playing Tampa again on
Saturday did the fact that you were able to to shed at least that elephant in the room of winning around maybe serve to relax the group a little bit coming into this year than at least that’s in the past um well I think we know playing
Here and and and this is this is our feeling in the locker room we don’t accomplish our goal you know you’re never satisfied and um that’s the next that’s that’s where we’re we’re working towards and we want to get to and um you know you you win around you get to that
Next challenge and you’re really excited about just how how much bigger the opportunity it gets and and um you know for us uh obviously um it’s disappointing but uh when you look back and want to take back some of the positives from last year and learn from
From the good and the bad obviously um an important step for us one that how we’ve been so close with and haven’t been on the right side of it um to do that obviously a good feeling uh you know helps the group uh come together and understand what what that
Takes especially against a team as accomplished as as Tampa so um yeah I mean I think there’s only positives that can come from that the best uh maybe Bros yeah we had a speed skating group they look pretty good yeah um you know I think I think uh obviously re Revo brings great
Personality and um and camarad camaraderie and and uh elements like that that go a long way and bringing a team together and I think he understands the importance of that and takes a lot of pride in that so um you know so uh you know in times like that when we’re
Spending time away from The Ring together uh just how he leads to charge that way is great the earliest Halloween party you guys ever had yeah well well yeah I think just uh you know the schedule is what it is it’s not nothing we uh can determine and dictate and um
You know obviously a common thing around the league and for us especially with a lot of new guys and getting the group together we felt it was important so um yeah nice to spend some time together uh enjoy each other’s company especially long road trip here away from home
That’s uh another chance for us to continue to build together what was your costume uh I was a hippie hippie yeah I had a nice nice throw going so yeah yeah uh we didn’t have a cake uh dropped the ball a little bit there but uh but
Uh my boys are really excited to give him a gift so uh you know when they got home from their school and gave him a gift they were pretty fired up about it and and happy to say happy birthday and sing happy birthday so um so which was
Good they suitcase suitcase and and and I think a I think a shirt I think a shirt as well yeah sweater or shirt one or the other um I Heard Revo was given the whole rundown on us so I mean um probably the four guys he said speed
Skaters yeah it’s pretty good outfit by the boys you pull that up yeah for sure I could have I got a wife though I got a got dressed up with so okay yeah yeah I know um but no that was probably the the costume of the the night what was your
Costume that was the Pink Panther yeah yeah yeah keep it casual nothing too crazy what was she she was a pink panther I was uh agent yeah cluso so that was great I got to wear a tie and a dress shirt just what I want to do on an off day
Halloween party how do how do you assess the how do you assess the team through through three games just overall yeah um I think some things we can really be happy about um obviously some defensive flaws that we got to just clean up of um you know diving in on pucks that we
Shouldn’t be um being above people um you know that’s something I think that we know we got to be a lot better at and something that’s definitely going to be on our Focus for this road trip we’re playing some serious um you know heavy hitting teams here with some offensive
Power so um we got to make sure we’re we’re being above we’re playing smart with the puck and you know not giving up too many OD man rushes any extra emotion when you’re facing the team that knocked you out I mean I think just you know
Anytime uh you get to kind of play a team again you know you want to um I don’t I mean I think it just doesn’t matter you want to play your best against any team um maybe yeah there’s some extra motivation there especially with what happened last year
But um you know we want to play our best hockey on this road trip and you know really get the ball rolling here and you know play leavs hockey no I mean it was a long time ago I’m not focusing on that I’m not worried about
That you know it’s a new season ahead of us here we got a lot of games to play um nothing you can change in the past um we’re excited about the here and the now and you know we’re excited about what we have in this locker room and that’s what
We got to focus on yeah pretty good with it um you know happy with the conditioning mindset of it of the minutes wise and you know being able to play those minutes and not feel too tired or too gas that I can’t do my job and um you know I think our
Line’s had some really good looks that just haven’t gone in and you know we’ve created some havoc and um you know I think every once in a while we maybe sometimes get carried away just making maybe the extra play or something like that but um you know I’ve been happy I
Think with uh us three did chck ever talk after the playoffs at all um I saw him at the awards and you know just kind of shot them there a little bit but but um obviously we have some history going back to London and stuff like that but
Um you know he’s still a buddy of mine we don’t talk too much in the summertime just you know different kind of uh agendas in the summertime and you know different areas how was did that win over Tampa like resonate because you know you finally win that series or does it get reset
Right away um well I think you know I don’t want to talk like I just said too much about back in the past cuz you know there nothing you can do with it um it’s over with but you know there obviously is a high and then you’re right back into another series
And you know it was it was pretty quickly into a low so um yeah um you know don’t want to think about it too much like I said before you know we want to focus about the here and now and you know make sure our mindsets here and you know looking forward every
Single game and every practice we can brought in some snot right in the offseason I know it’s just three games but what’s your sorry Kev you’re next got I I brought some extra here three games in have you felt that like what sort of impact do you think that extra edginess
Has brought yeah it’s been great um you know I think um all the additions have been great to our team you know all add something different like uh we all talked about before and I think um you know you always know you’re going to get
Out of 75 and that’s a big man that goes up and down the The Ice pretty good and you know makes a lot of contacts gets people’s faces and you know backs his teammates up and um obviously Burt and Max have done a great job of you know
Just with their speed off Puck play and um you know even with the puck in their hands so um it’s been good um you know I think uh it’s always hard to adjust to a new team new systems and stuff like that but I think they’ve done a great job
Everybody better be a good question I was just wondering about giu how is his sort of passion for the game different for maybe uh Spencer Cur and getting you guys going on the power play um I think any power play coach we’ve had here as just love and passion for the power play
And um it’s a good thing to have I mean we’re passionate and love our power play too and you know that’s where you can really make teams pay so um that’s what you need you need a power play coach that’s really passionate about it and loves it and you know wants to study
Constantly about it and see ways to get better so um you know it’s been great to have uh G come in and you know really open our eyes to some things but I’d say all of our power play coaches we’ve had here have really had a love for it and
You know serious passion for it aach what was Spencer like as a coach kind of boy for two I to own him um what was Spencer like as a coach you say sorry um yeah he was great um you know very open-minded as well um you know same
Kind of thing of there systems there to try to implement and be with and at the same time there’s the freedom and skill that our group has that lets you kind of do your thing so um try to keep it in the steady lines of both that and you
Know make sure you’re not trying too many outrageous things how practice was today that’s a bit different you guys starting on that other P like what was that like yeah wasn’t anything different to us I don’t know maybe some different other guys but um yeah nothing too
Crazy what went into the new look with those two middle six for L uh just going on the road want to reig some things so that that was it I think I think n has a lot more to offer us uh as well so um there’s that and and then
You know sort of the change previously was to have DOI and yarn Croc on on different lines for different reasons and now having them together I think um in terms of how their skill sets could play off one another and Yar stabling presence defensively um I think going
Out on the road makes some sense for us to give it a try is itough is it tough to get a guy like Max only gets about 12 minutes does he need a bit more yeah I think he you know that’s that’s part of
It you know is is and it’s similar to ni I mean n minutes are too low as well but uh it’s a challenge you know players got to find their game individually I get to help them along with that with that um same time you you’ve got a lot of guys
That you’re trying to introduce and get going and get comfortable and and all of that um you know all all four of our left Wingers are are new um so you’re trying to trying to find the right mix for everybody but everybody is responsible for the minutes that they do
Get to to maximize them all the way through our lineup and um things will will settle into place but as we go out on the road the re of the lines here for me is more about trying to more consistently get guys out there you know
Special teams always play a role too and how and how that shakes out yeah it’s it’s certainly would help um you know it’s ni is still young guy still learning Lots through here but any any sort of familiarity you can have and comfort uh can be helpful um because I I
I think n has actually played well I’ve just kind of lost a little bit on that line and and uh you know he’s got more off for us so I think coming out on the road it’s a good chance for him to you know to be more involved with with those
Guys what’s the balance when you have new guys coming in like you say but you’re also now mixing things up two three games how do you feel as a coach because guys are trying to get comfortable but now they’re in yeah they’re trying to get comfortable I’m
Trying to get comfortable with them too right and trying to find what the what the right uh right mix is sometimes you got to really kind of find your team game before you can start to focus on some of the other things and uh it’s
Like I said it’s on me to manage that you know we talked about having you know new players on on each line and how that can you know that that presents some some challenges but there’s also great opportunities there for for guys to to find chemistry um I said yarn Croc’s
Ability to move around and and be a caling presence and I think he’s had a positive influence on whatever line I played him on here to start early in the season which is not unlike the way it was last year so that’s pretty consistent for me and uh it’s a matter
Of us you know kind of helping the rest come together world you don’t have to fiddle with your defensive parings too much but was some inevitable bringing clintberg find well again same same sort of thing you’re trying to find the right mix and how they compliment one another you want
To give it time to breathe but you also uh you know you also need to perform well and you need to get good results and uh so that’s sort of that balance um um but Riley Brody pairing has been really consistent for us as we had
Expected that it would it’s been the one that’s been uh you know played the most together uh Gio Lily has been good and they’ve got lots of comfort together kingberg coming into the mix that changes things up and maab still somewhat somewhat new here as well so um
You’re kind of working through that and you know I think you’ll see uh rhyo on the back end there Mike Van Ry mix things up and use guys in different spots anyc that Tyler won’t be able to play tomorrow not at this point I’m told that he’d be available today was just a
Maintenance maintenance day just to to to help the help uh him be you know fully ready to go tomorrow so as of now I’m expecting to have him and what’s the feeling going well it’s regular season game four so I don’t think much of that is that
Play at least not for me everybody’s individual in that sense but anytime you’ve been through a playoff series you know it does add a little bit more for sure um I think right now though the focus like really you always want it to be about yourself most importantly but
In the early going of the Season uh you know we really got to focus on our own game and being as prepared as possible and continue to take positive steps towards uh you know what you know a more complete game which we haven’t had yet
Um so we got to keep the focus on us but certainly have a lot of respect uh for the opposition and know that it’s going to be a challenge as our first road game you’re very quick to um I think we all appreciate it credit your assistant
Coaches for whatever they brought to you and in a particular game or idea not a lot of head coaches actually do that why is it important for you to um to praise your assistance or whatever the way you do uh I don’t know it’s I I think it’s
Natural uh to do it it’s just there’s a lot that goes into preparing a team to play Not Just coaches but you know uh everybody in organ organization plays an integral role to to get the players on the ice and and prepared to play um and
Able to play I think the more you can you can share the love and acknowledge people that aren’t out in front of the cameras like myself all the time I think it’s good and healthy and it’s it’s it’s uh it’s reality you know um there’s a
Lot of work that goes into preparing an NHL team and on the dayto day and so when guys are doing your job well and uh uh we’re having success I think it’s important to acknowledge those guys because they put in a lot a lot of time assistant coaches you know they put a
Lot of time a lot of work uh every day that helped make my job easier with today’s practice what into starting power guys on that PA at least yeah just just a simple way to manage their their workload and not disrupt the flow of my practice so that was really it we wanted
To get some power play work in today but but uh we were talking about maybe just doing it after practice which would have added extra time to those guys and and we wanted to find a balance of giving them their time but still having the rest of the group active and moving are
There any benefits getting Road Tri like this out of the way early uh I mean we’re excited to get on the road that’s that’s the first thing we’ve had the our time spent out in Graven Hurst a little bit there but otherwise this group hasn’t been together on the road so uh
That I think there is benefits you know with the newer players that we have and allow things to kind of fall into place there but it’s it’s it’s also challenging you go out on the road we’re playing against good teams we’re going to move around a lot and it’s a long
Trip uh you know so there’s lots of things there that we’ve got to be prepared for we’ll take it a day in time right now we’re focused on getting to Florida and preparing for the Panthers and and we’ll move along from there but I think the guys are you
Know excited for a change of scenery uh Samson off
source
