WPG@MTL: Postgame media ops | FULL PRESS CONFERENCES

WPG@MTL: Postgame media ops | FULL PRESS CONFERENCES

Um, it’s a momentum fililled game and I think last night we didn’t really handle that well and tonight I think was one of our most complete 60-minute games or 65 I guess um minute games. Um, every line contributed and um that’s a good team over there that you know we fought to the very end with. There was a lot of talk last night about the defensive coverage uh in in the defensive zone and uh what was different tonight. Attention to detail. Um a lot of guys were mad about how they did. I definitely was. And um I think when you have that, you know, fire in you to to it’s all about effort in our Dzone. And um that’s what we did tonight. the you you guys got at least three solid chances in that first period and they score at the tail end of the period. Was there a sense of here we go again or I don’t think so honestly this game was it felt different. Um I think everyone felt like they were doing something well and um everyone was contributing and you know I think we all realized if we kept playing like that we were going to win the game. um over the last couple weeks. So, every good and positive day just helps, you know. You feel the guys played a much better game in front of you that what we saw the last two games? Um I wouldn’t say that. I feel like um you know if I’m good um the team is not playing well it’s hard to win. If the guys play well and I’m not playing well it’s hard to win, you know. So I got to play good, the guys got to play good and we’ll we’ll win a lot of games. So I’m pretty much we just everyone got to show up and um it’s definitely not I don’t I don’t even know who is on the ice. So I don’t know if we break down defensively. I just know everyone tries their best and uh we all learn and um we all try our best. So um I’m just happy that the guys play good, but I feel like the guys play pretty much good every time that I play. So is is the goal post the goalie’s best friend? Uh um I don’t know. I mean uh some goalies think like that. I just um I’m just happy it didn’t go in and you focus on another one. But um uh personally, I do not think about that too much. How can you describe the atmosphere out there in the shootout, especially after Cole gets the goal to give you guys the the edge? I felt good, you know, uh not too many shootouts. We usually ended in OOT. So, um I felt like we could have ended in an OT, but uh I just learned from, you know, Columbus that we we uh I gave up two goals and just learned from my mistakes and applied it. And um I knew that, you know, after the first um round of the shootouts that we have a pretty good chance to win. And I felt good. And um I honestly thought Texas is going to end it. But um yeah. Yeah, I felt good in the shootouts. more confident. Can you describe from your point of view the the twoon one and over time the decision that you made? And then and then just get the puck and and make a play. The best said after the game was a big relief for him. He felt a lot of pressure this week after the last two losses. Did you feel the same? Yeah, it’s good that he’s not crying. Uh it’s h it’s good that we got the win and uh yeah, it’s for sure it’s a relief, but uh you know, we got 11 more games until playoffs so we we can get satisfied. Cole’s got such a reputation as a goal scorer, but he’s got assists in eight consecutive games and I’ve passed the night that play on your goals. Yeah, I think he’s a underrated playmaker honestly. Like obviously has a good shot, but he can he can make all the little plays, all the all the slips and stuff. So yeah, he he he’s a good goal scorer. He’s a perfect goal scorer, but he’s also a great playmaker. The goals that you’ve been scoring, I mean, what does this do for your confidence to have a start to the season like this, especially the way you came into it, your intentions? Yeah, it’s it’s good. You know, uh stuff opens up for me. game is game feels a little slower than last year for example and uh it’s good. I want to be better every day and uh I’m happy the way where where it’s going and I yeah like I said just got to stick with it. Can’t get satisfied and just keep working hard every day. Do you feel like maybe it brought a little extra to the line like something from going off the line you might have add a little Well, I hope so. I don’t know. I don’t think I can I can be a judge of that. You feel you had the puck on your stick more than you more than you used to when you were playing with them before. Yeah, for for sure. I mean, well, they probably saw that I can play with the puck, so they’re also trying to give me the puck a little more. Did you also see yourself that you can play with the Oh, I know it. I don’t know that that’s sounded a little bad but uh you know I I think I can make all the plays and uh when when I have the puck and it was just matter of I would say confidence you know get confident with it more and more and feel like it’s on the it’s going the right direction and Marty changes the lines like he did tonight. What kind of effect does it have on the go? I don’t know. Everyone is just It’s really good. Did you get some really good advice from Marov? You did you have a good chat with him? I mean, it was good. Yeah. I’m not saying that it’s like was best advice in my life, but still because he’s a D man. Yeah. Ian, how did it feel to to have your line trusted in the defensive zone tonight to play as much as you guys did and be counted on to contribute at both ends? Sorry. How did it feel to get more defensive responsibility in this game? I mean, uh, it’s part of the game, so you shouldn’t do this. You should play on the both sides of the ice. So you should be like careful or like you know like you said like more you know like uh I forgot the word what you said. Okay. Yeah. So you should be like more you know like aware on both sides. Do you feel like you’re gaining the coach’s trust in that department? I feel like yeah like game to game it’s coming you know. your thoughts about the ceremony for Andre uh before the game. He can give us a bit of insight on like what his profile is in Russia. You know, like he’s so calm and uh he’s not the guy who’s going to talk a lot with you. He’s like more, you know, like in yourself in himself, you know. So he’s like so character guy. I mean he’s huge. And what does it feel like to see that kind of response from the crowd? Obviously they uh had a lot of admiration for him. Uh I think he spent like good career here. So people loves him and we see that so today. Yeah. when you see him getting that kind of a response, does it motivate you as well to want to play to like the highest potential to play in this market to have that kind of send off when the time comes? Yeah, for sure. Uh, absolutely. It’s you know like motivate me to play you know like hard as I can and uh you know like hopefully I’m going to have same same as he or more. Yeah, we’ll see. on Oliver’s goal when you went to the corner Still fun. [Music] Uh, wherech. [Music] Well, good for What? foreign speech. Mhm. Uh C edge physicality. Um, global Would you mind explaining just the decisions you made tonight in terms of your lines and how you used them? Well, you know, I think Winnipeg’s coming with that top line and so I I um I wanted to match that, you know, with a line that uh with Susie’s line who’s who’s who’s been who’s done historically very well against matchup against top lines. Um and you know, we shuffled a couple things. Um I put the you know, the veteran line and Jake Andy and Galley together. I feel like they could help each other out. But I think they were all pretty disappointed in their last game and uh gave them some familiarity and just some uh you know I think they they they’re going to take take that as a group the three guys and let’s let’s let’s go and they did that. They were very good tonight you know and and Tex with uh you know Kappy and um and Demi you know we we know that that Tex got you know high skill and I think he can he didn’t slow them down. I thought he made some great plays tonight and still learning the other side of the game with us a little bit, but I felt he was pretty responsible and and gave us some some really good minutes with those guys. And as we’re evaluating to with him, like what do what do we really have, you know, and um there was an opportunity for that, you know, and then uh you know, Davey who hasn’t played recently and and Joey, you know, and Baldi just kind of gave us some depth there and and I think we were kind of you look at their lineup in our lineup and we’re just kind of trying to match, you know, especially on the back to back it was, you know, we’re trying to match, you know, with with the with their guys. I thought we did a good job at that. What did Sorry, just to follow up. What did you gain from trusting the captain line a bit more in the defensive zone and giving Jake’s line a bit more opportunity up the ice? Experience for the Cappy line, you know, you if we’re going to, you know, as we go through this month, we have a lot of games. You have to be able to to spread the ice a little bit and, you know, so you have to be able to trust people and you’ll never be able to trust them unless you give him that experience. So, I felt that was it was a little bit of that. Marty Valeno was pretty dominant in the faceoffs tonight. You had him out there to start overtime to win the faceoff. You talked about players going to fit into chairs. The last few games it looks like he’s fitting more comfortably into what you want him to do. Is that a safe? Yeah, I would say that. you know, like I said after last game, you know, I think he’s a good depth player for us and he can, you know, especially when he’s hot like that on the faceoff circle and night, you know, you can use him a lot in the left side and and he’s shown that he can do a great job on the kill as well. So, I think it’s it’s a chair that we need to be filled and he’s doing that. We’ll take two more. Just to follow up on on, you know, I think you mentioned, I don’t remember when, but you said at one point, you know, when you have a line that’s going well, sometimes you take someone away and then you put them back and and it’s a different dynamic. I understand the reasoning why you wanted to load up next line again because they have an equivalent line on the other side. But did you see a different version of Slaf with them just having a few games away? Did it did it have any impact on this game? It’s just one game. They had a tough, you know, challenge in front of them, you know, and I as a coach, you you you know, because I like Cappy Slaf and and Demi. I liked it, you know, but based on what we were facing tonight on the back to back, I felt that way was going to give us the best chance to win. So, I’m not overthinking how he played tonight versus how he played with the other guys. um you know and it gave us an opportunity to see what we have in text you know so I don’t think I answered your question but I mean that’s that’s all I got you get in trouble with Shantel every time you just [Music] Just coach. When I say the Defensch. performance. I mean, Colorado. Okay. That’s it.

The Canadiens address the media live following Wednesday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets

00:14 Jake Evans
01:25 Jakub Dobes
03:36 Juraj Slafkovksy
06:00 Ivan Demidov
09:34 Alexandre Texier
18:41 Head coach Martin St-Louis

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