Comments from both locker rooms following the Coyotes 3-1 win over the Kings in Phoenix on Tuesday night…
– Coach Dave Tippett on the overall game: “There were lots of shots at the net but I thought we just competed harder defensively. We were harder in front of our net, we just competed like we were supposed to and we had an ‘A’ game from Smitty (Phoenix Goaltender Mike Smith) and some timely scoring and it was a good two points.”
– Tippett on his young lineup tonight: “We never want to use anything as an excuse for not winning. We feel like we have people that, you know, one guy goes out, there’s another opportunity for a guy, but we still expect a win. Sometimes you’ve got young guys that are looking for an opportunity and sometimes they give you energy. Sometimes you can just find that combination or player that can jump in and do the job.”
– Tippett on forward Kyle Chipchura: “I don’t think the season has gone how he wanted. Kind of seemed like every time he was stepping on the ice there was a minus and it wasn’t his fault, but he was chewing on some minuses and you know he cares so much and he works so hard. I’ve been in that position before and it gets you down a little bit. He was looking to have an impact on the game- and boy did he ever. He had a big impact on this game.”
– Goaltender Mike Smith on the satisfaction of winning: “We kind of got embarrassed in their building the last game we were in there, so I think we responded really well tonight.”
– Smith on bouncing back after losing to the Kings at Staples Center: “Absolutely. We talked about having a better start, obviously. In LA, our start was not even close to where it needed to be against a good hockey team. So, I thought we did a good job tonight from the drop of the puck to respond after a tough loss in their building last game. Throughout the whole lineup, guys were ready to play from the start.”
– Forward Kyle Chipchura on the importance of the first period: “It’s funny when you look at the stats, the difference when you have a good start then when we’re trailing. We try to just focus on that, we talked about that the last past couple of days. I thought we did a good job.”
– Chipchura on refocusing defense for this game: “We’ve talked about defending a little bit better. We looked at the numbers when we score first and when we are leading after one. They speak for themselves. We become a little more focused, there is a little more detail oriented. I thought we did a good job on that again tonight. “
– Forward Andy Miele on the effectiveness of his line: “It was exciting, we played simple hockey and got pucks to the nine and that’s how we got the outcome that we wanted.”
– Miele on what it will take to stick with the big club: “Just keep on doing what I did tonight. Play simple hockey and get pucks to the net and be good defensively.”
– Coach Darryl Sutter on the time his team spent killing penalties: “We didn’t kill the one we had too. We didn’t get the puck out, or an opportunity to make a play on the boards. It is tough with seconds left in the period like that.”
– Sutter on the play of goaltender Ben Scrivens: “I thought he was really solid. They are a team who hasn’t lost at home (in regulation), so you have to get some saves in the first period and both goalies did. As the game went on, their goalie was on.”
– Sutter on his team’s scoring chances: “I didn’t get the sheet, but it was 40 something to something, so I am going to assume we had 15 really good opportunities. How many of them were from our top players? Probably three or four, and our top players got scored on, didn’t kill the penalty, and took the penalty with less than a couple minutes left in the second period. That usually results in a loss.”
– Goaltender Ben Scrivens on the overall game: “Personally, I felt I played well in the first and I tried to keep the boys in it through a couple of tough penalty kills, so (there’s) some positives in there, but overall this league is about winning. That’s the goal every night, to go out and win games and we couldn’t get it tonight, so we go back to the drawing board and I have to get ready for the next time I am called upon because I need to win games to help this team.”
– Forward Dustin Brown on his team’s penalty kill tonight: “I think we are top five in penalties taken this year, so we have to bring awareness to it as a group, individually as a group, but in saying that we were doing really well early on and we need to get back to the details on it. A large part of that is taking less penalties because it helps over the course of the game.”
– Brown on the rhythm of the game: “There was more rhythm in the last two periods; I thought we had some pretty good chances. (Phoenix Goaltender) Mike Smith made some pretty good saves… But I think it is also about bearing down on your opportunities.”
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