Kevin Rooney and Barclay Goodrow didn’t practice with what the team called a maintenance day. Greg McKegg continued to miss practice with what the team is calling a “COVID-19 protocol-related absence.” (NYR)
Gerard Gallant spoke after practice and said some of (NYR):
- Did Goodrow get stitches, “Yea, he got some. I don’t know how many, but he’ll be fine tomorrow. I’m sure the eye will be closed a bit…”
- On not having an extra forward right now, “I don’t know if we can’t call anyone up, I think we can call someone up, I think. I don’t know the rules, but I think so. Check with someone else, but as far as I know we can.”
- Would you go with 11 forwards and seven defensemen, “I don’t know. We’ll leave K’Andre where he is. Tinordi or Libor can go up in the forward position, if it happens.”
- Nemeth said he can’t play LW, “Nemo is staying back there (laugh)”
- “….last night wasn’t perfect, but we were never really in danger of losing that game last night, that was the good part of it. We felt we didn’t play our best in the second period, but we were never really in danger.”
- Should Chytil be the leader on that line, “Well, I’m happy with all three of them, to be honest with you. Laffy would like more goals, every one of them would like more goals, Panarin wants more goals and that is a good thing for your team. I like the way they played last night. Again, we took a step back for whatever reason, it wasn’t as good a game as the Boston game or prior, but I’m happy with the way our team is playing right now and Fil is a big part of that group, for sure. We’re happy with him, we like him, he’s playing good solid hockey and sometimes when you don’t have your best and you are still wining it’s the sign of a good team and that is what we want to be.”
- Do you look at Chytil as the veteran on that line, “I look at them, Kid line is a good line for me. I like kids bringing energy to your team, there is nothing more I like any better. I like seeing those guys out there being young players and playing the way they are playing and maturing, getting more ice time and confidence and more confidence from me, but confidence in themselves and I like them going out there and smiling and having fun.”
- Does Chytil lose confidence when his great chances are stopped, “I hope not. I played the game a long time ago and as long as you are getting chances you feel like you are going to score. Fil is getting opportunities and playing good hockey, I’m sure he isn’t coming home and saying ‘I have to score tonight or I want to score for our team to win, that is the biggest thing and those guys are pushing it, they want the goals in the net as many as they can get, but I hope not because we are happy with how he’s played.”
- On Kreider, “being around the net, that is the biggest thing with Kreids. He’s got great speed and he gets those opportunities and they are going in for him. You just talked about Fil, sometimes they don’t go in and you keep with it and they are going to go in the back of the net. Kreids is getting his opportunities and burying the puck. He’s got 16 goals now, continue to play the way he’s playing and shoot the puck and PP and he’s an important player for us, obviously.”
- On the goaltenders for this weekend, “they are probably going to play each a game, I’m not going to tell you who is going tomorrow.”
- Could the goalie from the first game play the second, “he could, but there is a good chance it’s not going to happen like that.”
- So who is going first, “I’m not telling you who is going first, if it was 5PM tomorrow night I’d tell you, but I’m not going to tell you the morning of the game or the day before. At 5PM I’ll give you those, because I’m not going to do the other team’s work, sometimes they have to find out which goalie is playing themselves, that is why I tell you at 5PM.”
- On the difference between playing a team from the West, “It’s easier when you are playing the division teams, you are seeing those guys more. We do our pre-scout and the guys will pay a little bit more attention because they don’t know those players as much, even the coaching staff, we don’t know their team as well, but you do your work, do your pre-scout and it will be the same for them, they haven’t played us a lot. You just prepare the same way and I think you just get a little bit more guys paying attention to pre-scouts and making sure they are aware of what this team does and who their top players are because, let’s face it, the guys don’t watch a whole lot of Western Conference games late at night, they are more worried about our team, but it’s our coaches job to prepare them and hopefully get them ready for San Jose and Chicago that they don’t see a lot.”