NHL Game Notebook: Devils vs. Hurricanes

The following interviews took place after the February 9, 2008 game between the New Jersey Devils and Carolina Hurricanes.  The Devils won, 6-1.

Martin Brodeur:

Scott: “As a fellow goaltender, Cam’s (Ward) started in ten straight games now.  Does that do anything for you, tired him out a little today. “

Martin: “You know, I’m the wrong guy to ask because I play a lot.  It is what it is; you know, sometimes your team starts a certain way.  Sometimes when you get chances and you’re able to whether that storm you’re fine, but I don’t think fatigue has anything to do with it because I don’t think he could have done much with the goals he got scored on.”

Scott: “It’s back-to-back games now.  It was a tough loss last night, but today it was an all-around great contribution from everyone, the offensive and defensive side of things, that’s what you need, right?”

Martin: “Yea, you know, we looked at the scoreboard and saw the Rangers won, Pittsburgh won, we need to get back on top of our division somehow.  We slipped a lot of points so us coming back shows a lot of character today after a tough loss.”

Scott: “Were you watching the scoreboard when you were you there on the ice?”

Martin: “They played in the afternoon so we knew they won.”

Scott: “True, but with a 6-1 lead, you might be peering around.”

Martin: “(Laughs) I always look around anyway.”

Brent Sutter:

Scott: “At one point you guys had six goals in 20 shots.  That’s a pretty good percentage to take in.”

Brent: “Well, we threw pucks on net and we had guys go to the net.  You know, their goaltender, Cam (Ward), he never seen some of the shots either and that’s important and can make it difficult for goaltenders to make saves and stop the net.  We discuss quiet often with our players and tonight they did a good job of it.”

Colin White:

Scott: “Six goals at one point in only 20 shots at one point.  That’s a pretty good ratio in a hockey game, isn’t it?”

Colin: “Oh yea.  We got bounces tonight, but we also worked for them.  That’s usually how it goes; the team that works for the bounces gets them.”

Scott: “I know you’ve watched tape on these guys, are you kind of surprised with the way they played?”

Colin: “Oh, definitely.  We know they’re a better team than they played tonight.  They didn’t have their best game, but we did what we had to do and that’s our focus is what we have to do as a team, not what the opponent has to do.”

Scott: “And you play them another two times in the next eight games.”

Colin: “And they’re a good team.  You know it.  We know they didn’t have their best game.  Like I said, we just have to focus on what this team’s doing and get ourselves ready and we can’t be worried about what other teams are going to do.”

Johnny Oduya:

Scott: “You guys play them two more times in the next nine games.  With a win like this, what do you expect from them the next time out?”

Johnny: “I don’t think… every game is a new game.  They’re a good team.  You can’t really expect anything.  Obviously it feels good that we can play good about them and beat them.  Other than that, I think it’s a new game we play the next time and they’re probably going to come out even harder so it’s going to be a tougher game.”

Scott: “At one point it was six goals on 20 shots.  That’s a pretty good ratio to have in one night, right?”

Johnny: “Yea, we had a good night, a couple of goals there, early on.  We kept building on it.  So it’s always nice to get that good start and keep on going.  That’s what we wanted, what we talked about earlier, that we wanted to get that good start and that’s what we kept to.”

Paul Martin:

Scott: “At one point you guys had six goals in 20 shots.  That’s a pretty good ratio to have.”

Paul: “That is a good ratio.  Yea, sometimes it just finds the back of the net.  On a couple of them they were screens.  I don’t even think (Cam) Ward even saw the puck.  One went off a defenseman’s stick, one of their D’s stick.  So it’s tough for a goalie when you have traffic in front and a deflection.   Sometimes when it’s going to go in, it’s going to go in.”

Scott: “You’ve obviously been playing for a long time.  Do you like back-to-back games?”

Paul: “Yea, I don’t think there’s nothing wrong with them.  I think you get that first one then you come back the second night.  Obviously you’re right back into it, you don’t get those days off to think, you just go out there and play again.  You’re already lose from the night before.  Obviously sometimes it’s better than others.  I think we had something to prove as far as our disappointing loss last night to come out and give ourselves a good outing.”

(The following interviews are archived from “Scott Stanchak Exclusives” on ScottStanchak.com)