Notes and Quotes: Canes 5, Sabres 2

From the Coach

Bill Peters:

(On Skinner) Skinny got us going in the first for sure. Good way to get your 300th and then follow it right up. I thought he was good. He was dangerous, got us on the power play in the first period. Taking it hard to the net, also. He did a lot of good things.

(On balance in the lineup) It is an exciting time. You got some interchangeable parts and some guys that can play all over. So in the third, we put Doc back in the middle and Teravainen to the wing and next thing you know, somebody scored early in the third... Now you’ve got some skill and some guys that can play multiple positions. It makes you more dangerous.

(On swinging the momentum) We have the ability to get back now. I don’t think we did before. Probably mental toughness as much as anything else. We know there’s going to be pushback. There’s ways we can limit the swings in a negative fashion. We can do a better job.

(On frustrating other teams) They just wanna play. They wanna play hard in between the whistles, and we expect physical games. It’s gonna become physical and more physical as we keep going, and that’s fine. Just make sure it doesn’t make you compromise the way you play. If you’re a skill guy with the puck, you’ve gotta hang on to the puck whether they’re playing physical or not, so I think we’ve got the right collection of guys in order to do that.

From the Locker Room

Brock McGinn:

I think if we really concentrate on being sound defensively, that’s gonna help out our offense, turning pucks over and just playing a really good transitional game.

(On difference in play between first and second periods) I think we started playing with speed... we came in after that first period knowing that wasn’t our best period.

(On scoring dirty goals) I think you aren’t gonna score very many highlight reel goals out here. I think a lot of them are coming from in front of the crease and areas like that. So you just wanna box out guys and get to those dirty areas, and they’ll go in.

(On play at home) We’re definitely playing great hockey here at home, and I think that confidence within this group is definitely building throughout the whole lineup and we’re just doing a good job meshing right now, and we’ve just gotta build off it.

Jeff Skinner:

(On difference in play between first and second periods) I think we just spent a little more time in the offensive zone and started executing a little bit. I think we were a little sloppy in the first, I thought we picked it up pretty well in the second.

(On recent run of success at home) Everyone’s contributing I think. You have to have good goaltending to go on a streak like that. Wardo was big again tonight, had a few breakaway stops. We don’t want to give them as many grade-A’s as we gave them tonight, but he was there when we needed him. PK did a good job I think.

(On Buffalo’s physicality) That was good, I think. We’ve been in a few of those games before. We’re fine playing in those games. The guys did a good job sticking up for each other. I think when teams want to play that way, we can take advantage of our speed.

Justin Faulk:

(On Skinner) When you’ve got the team on your back, it gets a little tiring I think (laughs), you should ask him. He’s playing good, I mean he had more chances throughout the game. That’s the way he is... especially if you need a goal or something, he’s always around the net and getting a lot of pucks.

(On play at home) We’re a young group, so early on... we had a lot of struggles I think, just kind of getting in a groove together. Understanding when the right time is to do something within the system, and take chances and what not. You could kinda see when we were losing those two, three goal leads in the third period and other teams were coming back, whereas now, even if they do get a goal, we’re still foot on the gas. We’re not sitting back playing like we’re not wanting to lose... I guess the guys really don’t like the road (laughs), I don’t mind it... It’s nice. You always want to be good at home.

(On taking home success out to the road) We’ve just got to get off to some good starts, and now that we have maybe a little bit more confidence with this little bit of a stretch at home here we’ve had again, we should be alright I think... We’re getting there I think, to be able to turn this over and just roll it out on the road and be comfortable anywhere.

Game Notes

• Cam Ward’s 600th NHL game was a successful one. He stopped 36 of 38 shots he faced in his 17th consecutive start.
• Jeff Skinner earned his 300th NHL point on his first goal in the second period. He later received a big ovation from the crowd in congratulations.
• Brock McGinn scored two in what was the first multi-goal game of his NHL career. His role on his line is to assert himself physically and capitalize on the opportunities that his linemates, Jordan Staal and Elias Lindholm, create for him. He did that perfectly tonight, as his positioning and finish were outstanding on both of his goals.
• Justin Faulk recorded an assist tonight for the second consecutive game, both of those games coming directly after he was named an all-star for the third straight season.