Michigan State Hockey Postgame Quotes
3/14/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
March 14, 2008
Michigan State Head Coach Rick Comley
Thoughts on the game...
I thought we played very well. The big glove save by Jeff (Lerg) at 1-1 just kind of bought us time, and then we got the second one, and then Nick (Suckarski) had a great goal for the third goal. I thought we really wore them down physically in cycling the puck, and I thought they (Northern Michigan) looked a little bit tired; maybe it was that three-game series last weekend. They've been in this position before, so they'll be back tomorrow.
On the team's reaction after winning big...
We have a lot of veterans and they've been through it. I think they know that they played okay, and they got a win, and that's what they've focused on. Our concern was how we would start after being off for two weeks. It was good early and we knew that it was going to be a tight game. They're a very good team. We killed penalties very well tonight, and we got some power-play goals. We put lots of pressure on their goalie.
On how the team played after having two weeks off...
I was worried about the flow of the game. They (Northern Michigan) played so well a month ago up there and we played so poorly. I thought for having time off and then coming in, we played a very controlled, playoff-type game, and I thought it was a good effort.
On how Northern Michigan will react going into game two...
He (NMU head coach Walt Kyle) changed goalies so that there wasn't going to be any more damage. He'll come back with Stewart tomorrow for sure. Anytime I've ever lost the first game, everybody knows it's two out of three. It's not like the regular season, where you're trying to get a split. I think he'll get them ready to go tomorrow, and it'll be a good game.
On what he liked the most from the team...
I thought we played with really good control. I don't think it was a great game for us and I think we can play a lot better. We got some big goals when we needed them and we had our top guys - all our upperclassmen basically - when we needed to score, they scored. Jeff was so good controlling the puck tonight; he smothered everything, where at their end on every shot there was traffic and rebounds, and they were fighting for their life a little bit. We didn't have to do that.
Michigan State Goaltender Jeff Lerg
On the glove save in the first period...
That one in the first, that's going to be something I'll have to look back on. It was one of those games I just felt like I was really controlling the rebounds well; I felt comfortable out there. It just seemed like every shot they were getting was a good opportunity so that was the thing that kind of got me back in the game after we had already given up that one shorthanded goal. So that was a nice confidence booster there and we never looked back after that play and we just started playing good hockey and getting pressure on them.
On the determination of this team right now with the time off...
Yeah that week off is good rest, but then again, it's also a week where you're not playing any game action and a team like Northern Michigan, they had a full weekend of hockey last weekend, so they were already in game mode. But definitely we are a real determined team. In the past, the last few national championship teams haven't made the NCAA Tournament so that's something to look at. And you never know what's going to happen with all these postseason tournaments right now, whose going to get bids and all that, so we got to keep on winning and make a statement for that. And also some of the guys were talking about how it felt to win that CCHA Championship my freshman year and how fun that was so we are definitely determined to put together a good season. We've had a good regular season up until now but a couple games can really put it all in the dumps, so we're just excited to get going and hoping to finish this thing up tomorrow night and get to the Joe.
On the big guys (Justin Abdelkader, Tim Kennedy, etc.) stepping up...
Yeah with those game-breaking guys there, you know big players got to play in big games as they did tonight. They made some real nice plays and put the game away for us. That second goal was probably one of the prettier goals you're going to see all year from our team; just a tick-tack-toe play. That's what we put those guys out there on the power-play to do. They did their job and they all played great tonight. That's one of those things where you're going to need those guys with experience in playoff hockey, you know those guys have NCAA Tournament experience and we need all those guys to step up in the post season because we are hungry for another championship. It starts this weekend and we hope it keeps on building.
Northern Michigan Head Coach Walt Kyle
On the Northern Michigan's penalty kill...
It starts before that, because we had to takes penalties since they had the puck the whole time. I think they did a great job and they outplayed us completely. If you give them that many chances, they're going to pick you apart.
On the play of goaltender Brian Stewart...
I thought he was fine. I pulled him at the end there just to rest him. (Derek) Janzen has sat on the bench for us the entire year I thought that I would give him some experience.
On being only down one heading into the third period...
We weren't in the game really. We were in the game score-wise, but they really controlled the play. Then we got out there and they did a great job killing a penalty. Then they came back and put it way.
On Michigan State...
This was, quite honestly for a young team (Northern Michigan), a good experience. These guys (Michigan State) are an experienced playoff team and they're the champions. They're not going to go down easy. We got a good lesson in that tonight.
Northern Michigan Goaltender Brian Stewart
On what Michigan State did tonight to take Northern Michigan out of the game...
They were cycling the puck down the corners. They made our defensemen tired. They were just making plays out of the corner.
On Michigan State scoring three goals on the power play...
I think, on our part, it was mental errors. We know what they do. They like to have two guys up on the side boards for the one-timers like Bryan Lerg, Justin Abdelkader and Tim Kennedy. They were generally good plays, but I think it was mental errors on our part. We were playing them too weak, we were getting in front of the puck, blocking and on one of their goals it hit one of our guys and slowly went by my leg. Kind of bad bounces, but I think they were on their game.
On the next game...
We have to play with more desperation. It's not a good thing, but I think it will help our team. We have nothing to lose so we are going to go into that game coming out hard.
