They Said It…
Rod Brind’Amour following the victory…
“Everybody out there was giving it all they had. That’s what you saw. (There) was not a lot of room and everybody was fighting for everything.”
Taylor Hall giving his thoughts on Game 1…
“We played hard. They played hard. I think both teams have a lot to be proud of tonight with that effort. The first game of the playoffs is always fast and physical, and there’s not a lot of time out there. That was the case tonight.”
Rod Brind’Amour giving his thoughts on his Captain dropping the gloves on the opening puck drop…
“He never ceases to keep impressing. He was obviously great tonight, as well. It’s pretty much every night. When does he not do his thing? Give him a lot of credit.”
Jordan Staal on his game-opening fight during the first intermission on ESPN…
“When he asks you to, you kind of expect it. [He’s] a physical player who is ready to roll, and so am I. And so is this group. It’s part of the gig, and we’re not backing down from anyone. We’re ready to roll.”
Frederik Andersen praising Jordan Staal…
“Look at every single game. He does it one way, every time, and that’s the right way. He’s very in tune with the way he’s being asked to play, and I think he executed that on a nightly basis… You guys that are here all year see it, in and out, and the way he comes ready to go every single night.”
Rod Brind’Amour on not giving up a lot to Ottawa…
“We were on our game. They were too, they played really well. It felt like most of their opportunities were on their power plays. The goalies really had to shine. Both goalies played great. The turning point is the save on the penalty kill from Freddie. I mean, that’s a game-changer…”
Taylor Hall describing Frederik Andersen’s night…
“It gives us energy. It gives us a win, really. We don’t want to have him tested as much as he was. Their power play started to figure us out by the end of the game, but he was there. If you look at his games at the end of the regular season, he was really trending in the right direction. He’s a guy that, at least I saw last year, when the lights are brightest, he’s going to stand tall.”
Frederik Andersen on the energy inside Lenovo Center…
“It’s pretty mind-blowing how loud it gets and how fun it is to play here. You saw it right away with the fight. The whole night, they were on their feet and very loud. It’s the best time of the year.”
