Pete DeBoer IMPRESSED with Mikael Granlund and Return of Heiskanen In Stars WIN vs Winnipeg Jets

Pete DeBoer IMPRESSED with Mikael Granlund and Return of Heiskanen In Stars WIN vs Winnipeg Jets

beat. It just seemed like another really good third period. There was a chance you guys could sit back in a two-1 lead and it it just looked like you were very aggressive coming out of locker room. Yeah, good third period like the other night. Um, you know, listen, it’s a good formula when you’re playing from in front against that team uh as opposed to behind. They’re a tough team to play from behind against. So, you know, but I liked how we handled having the lead all night. You know, we kept our foot on the gas. Huge power play goal, big kill. uh at the end there too. And uh you know, I thought our five on six was was excellent. You know, when you when you think about uh we hold the record for giving up uh how many goals do we give up in that in that one game, right? Yeah. Three in a minute. It’s the worst six on five on six in NHL history we had late in the season. So, we’ve obviously fixed that. Yeah. Before you got Mo, you got Granland and he had some nice games for you. It seems like forever ago, but just how big is his addition? He’s kind of been a secondary role because of what Mo’s done. How important has he been for you guys? Yeah, we we were just talking in there. That’s a great point, Tim. Like like the Grandland CC trade. Uh both those guys uh invaluable contributions. I thought CC was outstanding tonight for us and and Granny, you know, led the way. You know, the thing about him is he he really uh what he does on the ice is one thing, but the guy oozes leadership. You know, our finish group there, he’s kind of the elder statesman of that group. Uh he’s won internationally. uh he he’s got a lot of respect uh amongst uh that group of guys and uh you know he he really is fantastic leadership Pete right over here just your thoughts on seeing Mero back there and just what what’s your expectation on just how gradual you think you guys are going to increase his minutes? Yeah, well he hasn’t played in what 42 games uh since late January. Um it’s the first time I’ve ever seen him not catch a guy on a breakaway, so you can tell he’s been out out a while, but uh I I thought it was a perfect night. He got 15 minutes in, made a huge play for us on the power play. Um you know, you can see what he has just his composure and patience with the puck. So it’s hard not to play him more. You know, we’ve got to fight that urge. Um but you know, talking to him after he got through the game, so and he feels good. So, mission accomplished. Pete, um how grateful are you to the country of Finland? In all seriousness, um what do you think is going to you know Jake said that you’re going to have to you’re going to see Winnipeg’s best game of the season um in game five. What’s going to be the key to going up there and getting that series win on their home? Well, and you know what, listen, that’s a good point. I I didn’t mention Jake. You know, he was probably our best player tonight. you know, he was he was so solid. Um, you know, he made a lot of really tough saves look easy. Uh, and you know, the breakaway save uh was was the save was the turning point of the night. You know, they score there, the momentum flips and who knows what happens down the stretch. So, he he was fantastic. Um, yeah, listen, we we know what we’re going into there. You know, we’ve won on the road before in there. Uh, we went on the road in Colorado, which is an intimidating rink, too. So, I think our group’s comfortable on the road, but you got to go and get it done, and it’s always hard to to send a team home for the summer. Hey, Pete. Um, power play’s been really good all playoffs. I know kind of throughout the season some ups and downs, but what do you think’s clicking now? Yeah, you know, both special teams have been excellent. uh power play’s been been if you if you take out the first two and a half months of the season, you know, where we were bottom of the league, we were really struggling, you know, might be the best in the league over the the rest of that time or right up there. So, you know, our special teams, listen, when we lost Miro and Robertson, um, you know, we needed our special teams to be difference makers every night and and our goalender and, uh, and all those things have happened to allow us to be in the spot we’re in right now or we don’t get through Colorado and and to the point we’re at right now. Hey Pete, Miro talked about the challenge of getting back from the injury and the injury itself. It’s obviously not something you do alone. What did you see from his teammates during that whole stretch? Well, let’s start with his team of of of trainers that we have here and doctors and people that worked with him. I mean, a huge huge effort by by that group every day. Uh pushing him to get back behind the scenes. Uh you know, we come in early in the morning as coaches. He was he was the first guy there all the time getting his work done before everyone else showed up. So, you know, he he he gets a lot of credit for that, too, because he he pushed himself, but he had a lot of people in his corner pushing him. Um, yeah, I mean, the the team, I think I think everyone knows how important he is to our group. I think, you know, we kind of took the approach that, you know, we can’t be concerned about that, you know, until he’s back in the lineup. We’ve got to find a way. And, uh, you know, we stumbled around a little bit. you know, we uh it wasn’t pretty uh for portions of of the 42 games he was out, but we we you know, the group found a way. You have to give them credit.

Pete DeBoer praises Mikael Granlund and his hat trick in Dallas Stars WIN in GAME 4 vs Winnipeg Jets in Round 2 of NHL Hockey Stanley Cup Playoffs

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