--"We had a good regular season and dealt with adversity and got through that. You look at that and give credit in the right places. You also have to look at what happened here at the end of these last two seasons and there's a pattern here."
(Mike Sullivan responded to this question in Toronto in the exact opposite way. Sullivan: “I don’t think (the trend) adds up.")
--"My concern is when things don't go our way, we start to fizzle out and we don't have that same drive and determination that we should have and need to have. Based on that, I'm looking at everything now."
--We get to certain points in playoff series and we're not the same team. We don't have the same drive as we get closer to elimination...there's something wrong if you don't have that drive to win at that point in the series...it's very disappointing.
--"I plan to move forward with the core. These are good players. They still have good hockey left in them. I always have to say, if some amazing trade comes along, you have to look at it, but I will not actively be looking at trying to trade our core players."
--it was so disappointing in game 4 to see where we are at, you are waiting for the desperation and it didn't come. There is something wrong if you don't have that drive to win in the series. Changes need to be made.
--on Matt Murray and Tristan Jarry: "It's going to be difficult to keep both. Everybody understands that given the cap."
--“There is something wrong. Changes need to be made.”
--“I know everybody picks on Jack and they have for a long time, but I think, in that pairing, Justin Schultz had a lot more to give.”
(Wow, just placing all the blame there on Schultz. Yes, he played bad, but my god man acknowledge some failures by Johnson. I guess chalk this up to Schultz walking as a UFA while Johnson is still on the roster, but, still....
)--"This could be a year where we try to get younger, but in a way that we feel we can still win. Bringing some new, young energy in. We're going to have to make some changes because of the cap."
--"Sid's leadership never changes and his approach never changes. I have no concerns there. I think we do need a little more out of some of the other guys."
--"Are they in a position to still give that leadership, whether it's by example on the ice or in the room verbally, or do we need some other guys to step up and do more? Maybe it's better to have younger, more eager guys. That's part of what I'm trying to weigh."
--"I had a couple of conversations with the owners as I always do at this point of year. Very fortunate to work with these guys, who understand how this works and have very high standards. Theirs have not changed and mine have not changed.
--"We're here to be a contending team and win a Cup. That being said, we recognize that window starts to get smaller and smaller, but that it's still open and still doable."
--there are a number of things that need to change: "Different ideas. Different approach. Younger, determined players. ... Fixing the power play. ... It's so frustrating to watch us go time and time again and not get good scoring chances."
