Jared Bednar & Avs on Having A "Target" on Their Back, Nichushkin's Return, & More

Jared Bednar & Avs on Having A “Target” on Their Back, Nichushkin’s Return, & More

[Music] You got your own change room now. Yeah. Reminder, raise your hand. I will call on you. Feel like calling. Coach is valitioning on the man tonight. He is. Yep. Ryan. Um, what the status report on the guys that were sick from yesterday. How are they feeling? All good to go. Coach Ross mentioned that with as good as the team is right now, it feels like there’s a target on your backs. Do do you feel as though your team feels any pressure from from that or is that I don’t think they feel any pressure from it. I just think it’s it’s natural. It’s what it is. I mentioned it a couple weeks ago. I mean, if you’re on a roll, you’re going to get the other team’s best game. you know that they’re they’re going to want to knock you off whatever role you’re on and they’re going to want to come in and play well cuz they know they have to if they’re going to beat us and so you’re expecting difficult games every night. question, Jesse. Uh, coach, you know, you guys have had such a condensed schedule here and I know you guys have talked about you’re not really, you know, paying attention to it, but are you guys able to to find the time without practicing as much to look back at games like what you had against Vancouver got a little bit heated earlier in the season and just how are you guys using the time that you do have, I guess? No, we look back at all of them. I look at their last three to five games, you know, uh Brett helps me with the pre-scout on all that and I pick through a bunch of stuff that I want to see goals for and goals against in the last 10. And then I look back at our most recent game against them or recent games if we played them multiple times and see what I liked and didn’t like. And then I narrow it all down to give them a message that I want for tonight’s game and what I think the game plan is. So that’s kind of been the way we do it all the time regardless of how condensed the schedule is or not. And last you want go ahead Evan. Um just with a vow back tonight Ross’ role might change again but um it seems like just doesn’t matter where he is this year. He’s been very consistent and playing the same way. Is this maybe the longest good stretch he’s had like in Colorado the best stretch? I’m going to say yes. Yeah. Love the stretch he had at the beginning of last year. He was on fire scoring every night. um then he got hurt and then he never really kind of got back to that. But I think as far as like he’s been putting in the work and you know we’ve been meeting periodically briefly on things that I want to make sure that he’s doing on the defensive side of things and he’s really bought into that. He’s he’s become a better defensive player this year than he was last year and the year before. Um, and also chipping in and playing to his identity like and and part of that is hard for checking, physicality, energy, skating, and and I mean, he’s getting rewarded for for some of that hard work with getting on the score sheet on a nightly basis. So, I like the year that he’s having so far, and I think it’s sustainable. Like, to me, this is repeatable things that he can continue to do on a nightly basis. Colleen, we were just talking about kind of going back to Jesse’s question. Um, with the balance of optional practices and, uh, the guys that actually do go out and skate, like I was talking about Parker Kelly and the fact that he doesn’t play as many minutes a night and a guy like Kale, he’ll take the he’ll take the time off and he’ll, but Parker will get on the ice. Is that kind of the way you kind of want to balance that and is better for them? Yeah, they all have their own individual conditioning plans, right? So, and I don’t care if Parker goes on the ice or not, or if he wants to do that work off the ice, but there’s lots of guys that that don’t play a lot of minutes that like to get touches and like to feel the puck and like to work on things on the ice because they’re not on the ice for 20 25 minutes a night. And then lots of guys that are on the ice want to give those muscles a break and do different things in the gym, strengthening, conditioning, whatever it is. some of its uh recovery work, but they all have their own individual plan with our strength guys. They’re on top of it. It’s not just like, well, it’s a day off or, you know, like everyone has a plan and is going about their business, even on morning skate days. Um, and it’s but, you know, I’ve touched on this before. It’s it’s basically how we run the last two to three months of the year every year. So, we’re just kind of doing it all year this year. We’re an older team. I don’t think we love to practice. you know, they want to play and they want to get ready to play and that’s kind of the way we look at it. So, with that, if we’re not hitting the ice as a team a lot, then the learning has to be done on video and we got to apply it into the game. You don’t get the reps at it, but you certainly can know what you’re doing out there and you can be all be on the same page. Last two. Go ahead here. to be around the 1/3 point of the season and to see where Gabe is at and he’s in the lineup every day, the physical game. Is that all you could have hoped for when you thought about where he might be back at the start of the season? Yes. Yeah, I think we’re pretty pleased with not only that he’s been able to stay healthy, feel good, you know, like all that is on track to continue, um, but also like sort of the increase incrementally in his game as the season’s gone on. He just keeps getting better and better and I don’t think he’s peaked yet. So, um, we also like the track that he’s on when it comes to like performance as well. Last one, Jesse. Just want to check in and see what you thought of Ivan Ivan and his calls. He was good. Yeah, he was good. I mean, I I like the way he he’s a he’s a great skater, right? So, he has to use that to his advantage. I think this time up he looked more comfortable with the puck. It wasn’t just chip and chase. It was smart puck decisions, but if he had ice in front of him, he took it and used his legs and was making some plays and he went to the hard areas of the ice a little bit more and came up with more pucks both off of for check net front and whatnot. So, I think it was a good step in his development. Now he’s going down again and playing down there and we’ll keep a close eye on. Thanks. Which one’s my favorite? Every three, four days just checking the standings, look the entire entire league up and down, see what everyone’s kind of doing. I obviously hockey fans, so enjoy it. But uh no, I feel like the Central for I haven’t left it I feel like since 200 whatever it was, 21, but uh just you know, good hockey teams out here for whatever reason. And it just pushes the pace, right? like you you feel like no matter how much you take a step someone else finds a way to win or the days you lose someone else’s wins and the days that you win they win it just like a weird kind of way it goes but it pushes the rest of the league and obviously you know the way the the wild card set up is you got to keep going so I don’t think any frustration I think it makes for a fun race and obviously as we keep going it makes other teams better and then people that play us want to put out their best to catch us and knock us off so um you know you want to you don’t want to be given any free ones but you obviously got to work for your your results and right now it’s uh no matter how What do you get? You feel like someone’s right there. You said you look at it every few days. Do you feel like it’s the same for other guys in the room? Uh, I don’t know. I can’t speak for I mean, we got a like we have the boards up in the lounges and stuff that show everything. So, feel like this team’s very u very detailed in the information, you know, the way Bezi runs the board, the the charts we have in the room, power play percentages, uh, goal differentials, all that stuff. It’s all available to to look at throughout the TVs that are constantly rotating the charts and things like that. So, I’m sure guys see it. I don’t know if they look at it, you know, at the end of the night sometimes they’ll look at it and see what what’s happened and watch some recaps and teams we’re going to be playing in a couple weeks or games ahead. It’s just like, you know, watch what they did last night if they played and we’re going to see them soon. I kind of just like to see how everyone’s going and what they’re looking for. Is it any added pressure for you guys knowing that you guys are the team that a lot of teams have circled on their calendars? Um, no. I think it just means you can’t take a night off, right? You got to come prepared. I think um you know getting everybody’s best is kind of you know a little bit of what Toronto gets when you get hometown guys coming right like you get back to Toronto get everyone in their hometown they want to play in front of family you get to Minnesota there’s a lot of guys from Minnesota like it’s kind of that you know up charge up yeah you know mentality going into it but um you know obviously when you play top teams in the league I remember just as myself and you get starts against Colorado against uh Edmonton things like that like you’re playing some of the top players you got to be on your game or they’re going to make you look silly and I feel like that’s probably in other people’s minds when they come to play us right now. It’s not just the top dogs. It’s a it’s a whole team coming at you, you know, throughout the whole 60 minutes. So, yeah, you got to be prepared or you know, we we’ve proven we can put some bucks in the net on you. Thank you. Thanks, guys. So, I was just talking to Ross. I’m curious with these optional practices and these optional morning skates, you guys, you’re one of the other guys that’s always out there. Um, when you take a day off, do you take a full day off or do you how does that how do you balance that out and just that you want to head? Usually usually take a full day off and and kind of just recover both mentally and physically and um just these these morning CAS I kind of like to to be out there and feel the puck a little bit and just kind of um yeah, get the get the body moving and uh it’s just uh I don’t know, it’s a kind of a routine I’ve I’ve had here and uh it feels pretty good. What do you focus on against Vancouver tonight? Uh, I mean, we definitely, like always, I think we always should should do uh defense first and um if we can uh kind of shut them down. They’re they’re a good rush team and they can create some stuff off the rush and uh really got to be uh be focused on that and not give them any oddman rushes and um that usually it’s a good offense and I think the offense uh has been pretty good so far this year. So, uh we know we can create a lot after that. What’s a fine balance for you guys? I mean, you mentioned, you know, wanting to kind of stop them at defense, but wanting to create that offense as well is something you guys have been really, really good at over the stretch so far. Yeah, I mean, like I said, I feel like that’s where you got to start with the defense and um it always leads to more offense and um so it’s just a focus we got to have and um I think the games where we haven’t really been up to our standard, maybe the defense uh slips a little bit and uh that’s how how teams get um a little bit of momentum against us, but uh overall it’s been pretty good and um we just got to keep on focusing on that. Victor, you guys are sitting on top of the stands, but right behind you is someone within your division. Is there any frustration in that knowing that if you were in a different division there’d be more of a gap there? No, I think I think it’s uh honestly I think it’s pretty good. I mean, it keeps us uh obviously motivated to to keep on uh putting up good performances and um we don’t really focus a lot on other teams and we just want to focus on ourselves and and improve every game and uh that’s the mentality we’ve had and kind of continue to have. Do you think it’s too early to be looking at those types of things, the standings and where you’re following, where your opponents are falling? I mean, you’re always looking at it and you always kind of know where you’re at. Um, but it it’s a lot of hockey left to play and like I said, we’re just focusing on getting better um with every game and um I think that’s a good mentality. You mentioned it’s a good thing having that competition. I mean, does it does it especially help right now as you guys are winning so many games. I mean, just one regulation loss, maybe it helps with not being complacent and wanting to continue winning. Yeah, for sure. And um yeah, you know, I feel like I’m repeating myself, but um can’t look uh too far ahead or um just just kind of keep a small pitcher and um focus on the next game and and uh get better. You mentioned the defensive aspect of the game and you’ve got two best on best going at it here tonight in Kar and Quinn Hughes. Is that kind of fun for you to watch him be a part of and and sit in back and look like whoa, like this is this is really cool to see. Uh yeah, I mean it’s it’s definitely cool to see and I don’t know if I I want to sit back and watch. I definitely want to be be part of it as well and I know what you’re saying, but uh no, it’s always fun playing against the best players in the world and um it’s pretty special to see um guy guys like that. Um so it’s it’s always fun having that matchup as well and um you know, we just got to go out and win it. You’re averaging a point per game against Vancouver in your career. Um what’s been the reason for you know there um just really to go out there and kind of feel it and you guys keep winning games even though you’re you kind of have the schedule and the just the balance is that really helping you guys just stay kind of engaged? Yeah. No, for sure. I think uh coaching staff does a really good job of just managing um you know days off um with obviously the optionals and stuff like that. So, um, just feel like this time of year it’s just a matter of staying healthy. Um, you know, getting some guys back in the lineup here and there and, uh, you know, just for us to come to the rink every day. Doesn’t matter who’s in the lineup. We have that, um, kind of next guy mentality that, you know, we’re going to come to the rink every day and, uh, just get a little bit better and then, uh, you know, come game time, you know, um, just trying to get two points. When you kind of keep yourself in a game like Minnesota and then come back and perform the way you guys did against Montreal, is it I I mean, is that the tone that you’re trying to set for a season like this? Yeah, I mean, um, obviously I feel like we have a target on our back. We have a really good team, so we’re going to get everyone’s best every, you know, night in and night out. So, uh, um, yeah, Minnesota played well. Um, obviously could have went either way. Goes to a shootout. Um, and then just kind of, you know, back to backs are never easy, but um, kind of just, you know, didn’t get home too late, got to bed, um, you know, watched some video and then it was just, uh, kind of turned the page and then we came out flying, um, obviously at home. So, um, yeah, those are just those are two tough games and, uh, we got a tough schedule coming up here, um, on this little road trip after tonight. So, it’s just up for us. Feel like this time of year, just keep stacking points. Most people have a different pregame meal. What’s been your choice over the years? And how has that helped your preparation? I don’t know. I feel like I used to eat pasta a lot um back in the American League, but then, you know, you get to the NHL, you know, especially at the start, I was only playing like six, seven minutes a night, so I was like, I’m eating a lot of pasta and really not playing a lot or burning it off. So, um I switch. I eat a little salad and then I just eat a little chicken and rice. Nothing too crazy. Thanks. Thank you

Jared Bednar. Scott Wedgewood, Victor Olofsson, & Ross Colton Press Conference in Colorado Avalanche Locker Room Before Colorado Avalanche play Vancouver Canucks at home