Practice Day Quotes: April 9, 2018

The Colorado Avalanche began preparations for its first-round series versus the Nashville Predators on Monday, as the team returned to the practice ice following its playoff-clinching victory over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday.
Here is what some of the Avs players and head coach Jared Bednar had to say about the matchup following the on-ice session.

Left Wing Gabriel Landeskog

On the challenges of facing Nashville:
"Division rival, we know what they're all about. They have a really deep lineup that is good and obviously (goaltender Pekka) Rinne is playing real well. He might win the Vezina (Trophy, best goalie) this year. Their D-core is real active. We know that they'll be jumping up the ice all the time and try to create a lot of offense from the backend. It's going to be a real fun challenge. Obviously that building is one heck of a building, a place to play in the playoffs. We're excited. It's a good place to play in the regular season, let alone the playoffs."
On the playoff atmosphere at Pepsi Center:
"I think we saw a taste of it in Game 82 against St. Louis. Some of these guys wouldn't really believe me earlier in the year when I said just wait until it gets down to (late in the season) or to the playoffs. They're going to get a taste of it next week. It's going to be really exciting."
On his previous playoff experience:
"I think it is a different team now. It's a different season. We're the underdogs now. Back then we won the division, had home ice. I think of anything, it's a different team. It's a new season. We were the 2-seed going into that series, and they (Minnesota Wild) were the 7-seed. It just goes to show that they beat us in Game 7. They took care of their home games, and we took care of ours and ended up losing in OT in Game 7. It's a new season. It doesn't matter what you're going in there with or what ranking or whatever, it's happened before. It's a new series. It's going to be a lot of fun."
On the benefit of having played in the playoffs previously:
"A little bit, in the back of my mind, maybe, but it's been awhile. You remember how exciting it was and how the city of Denver came together and supported us, no doubt. I think if anything, being in some of the younger guys' ears about what to expect and things like that. But guys also have to experience it on their own and figure it out. It's going to be a lot of fun. I'm really excited."
On the team bouncing back after a tough season in 2016-17:
"At the end of the day, you have to believe in yourself. You have to find that inner confidence and just kind of believe that you can do it and that you are good and you are doing the right things and stick with it. Standing here after a season, I think you can look around the room and say that everybody had a bounce-back season. Whether it was production or just the way we played or whatever. Ultimately, everybody in this room helped this team get to the playoffs and now we're going to keep working."

Center Colin Wilson

On facing his former team in Nashville:
"It's exciting. I'm really excited that we're getting to play Nashville. I spent eight years of my life there, and I know quite a bit of that team. It's going to be exciting."
On similarities between this year's Avalanche team and last year's Predators that went to the Stanley Cup Final:
"Last year, we were the last wild-card spot and made it to the finals. We're in the same situation. We were a young team last year and we're a young team now this year on the Avs. I think a lot of guys are going to being using their speed and ramped for the games."
On his previous playoff experience:
"This is my seventh year of playoffs and each one is exciting, and you learn from it each year. I'll definitely be talking to the team about the highs and lows; there is so much that can happen in a seven-game series and just stay even-keeled and stick with the process."
On being part of Nashville's postseason run last year:
"It just goes to show you, I know what it takes to win in the playoffs. I think last year was so disappointing to go all that way and losing Game 6. It just drives me and makes me a little more hungry."
On having momentum after beating the Blues in the final game of the season:
"I think so. Our game against St. Louis was great. I think that was the best game we played all year. I think we're going to continue that and everyone is going to step up their game for the playoffs."

Defenseman Nikita Zadorov

On why the team is so close:
"I think the ages. We're the youngest team in the NHL, right? So all the guys are close in ages. We do the same things. We're playing video games together, we're getting dinner together. We have the same things we talk about. We have fun together, that is the biggest part."
On his opinions of catfish:
"I tried it once in San Francisco on the last road trip. They're going to throw it on the ice, I guess. It's OK. It's their thing. We'll find something that is ours."
On playing in the playoffs:
"I've never played playoffs in the NHL before. It's been five years in the league and never had a sniff of it. I don't know what to expect, I've never been there, you know. It's fun. I've been in a good mood for the past two days after we won the St. Louis game and everything, and it's just keep going and keep getting better. I'm looking forward to stepping on the ice and feel that playoff atmosphere."
On the belief of the team:
"I don't think we have pressure. There is no pressure. We go out there and play hockey. We compete, we enjoy it, we work hard. I just don't see the reason why we cannot beat those guys."

Head Coach Jared Bednar

On Nathan MacKinnon not practicing:
"He's good. Just giving him a day of rest. He's eating lots of minutes and he's going to continue to do so, so we just kept him off the ice today."
On the challenges the Predators present:
"There's a lot. Nashville finished the season 117 points and won the Presidents' Trophy there and they're a deep team. They're a fast team. They probably have the best defensive core in the league and a goalie that will be in consideration for an award at the end of the year as well. They're deep. Playing in what I consider the toughest division all year, they finished first. We finished with 95 points in the division where the sixth place team had 92 points. It's not the regular season anymore, so this turns into a series. Our guys are up for the challenge. There are a lot of difficulties that come playing Nashville, especially in Nashville. Our guys will be up to the challenge."
On not being happy of just being there:
"That is an initial concern until you talk to our group. Like I said the other night, I don't feel like our guys are satisfied just to have been in the contention to get in the playoffs or just satisfied to be in the playoffs. They're a hungry group and they want more. They're enjoy playing hockey with each other right now, and I think that you start talking with guys around the room and you start seeing the enthusiasm that we have and the excitement we have to go and play Nashville. I think that they're going to come and compete, and we are playing to win."
On the Avalanche defensemen that were picked up on waivers needing a change of scenery:
"I think that is accurate, and you got to give a lot of credit to our pro scouts, the guys that are out on the road all year long, looking at other teams and possible guys that may need that change of scenery. Then you got to give credit to those players. They've come in and they've done what we've asked them to do at a high level in all those cases for me, and stepped up and elevated their game and fit into our system became real good team guys. They all have different strengths and weaknesses, but I think that those guys all provide us with a lot of good options back there. They've been playing well and elevating their game. They're enjoying having the opportunity to play more here than they have in their other situations, and that's always a positive thing for me."

On being surprised by his team:
"I'll say this, our guys as individuals and as a group surprise me all the time. That is why they are so much fun to coach because it's a good group of guys that continue to try and push and get better. I feel like we've done that as individuals and as a group all year. That game against St. Louis the other night, on a big stage, was probably our best of the year in both creating scoring chances and keeping scoring chances off the board. The excitement and energy in our building with our fans had a lot to do with it. The guys were charged up and ready to play and I expect the playoffs to be similar."
On Samuel Girard:
"To be fair, he's been getting better and better, especially down the stretch run. I have been really pleased with the way he has been playing. Sometimes you forget that he's only 19 years old. It's crazy the way he can skate and move the puck and the poise he has with the puck. That is the strength of his game, and he's been building on that strength since he's got here. The game's he's played this year and the experience he's got, some ups and downs a little bit, he's elevating his game at the right time. This guy has a high ceiling. For him, a little extra motivation going into Nashville, along with a couple other guys."
On injuries:
"We don't have any other injuries except for the two long term guys we talked about and there is nothing new to report there in Varly and E.J."
On leaning on players who used to play for the Predators:
"We already did this morning. We had a meeting, a quick meeting, wasn't long, just going through their personnel. We're going to try and prepare the same way as we have all year, as close to that as we can. We have a couple extra days so we can dig in a little bit more, some new things, tactical things, things that we look at on where we had success and where other teams have had success against Nashville and vice-versa. Where their strengths are and how we can keep them at bay in certain areas. Going through their personnel today, Wilson, Girard, Bourque, they all had good things to say about their personnel and their strengths and weaknesses and some of the things they do habitually. Also on some systematic stuff, some things that we may not know that they talk about as a group that you don't pick up on video. We already got a lot of input from those guys, and we'll continue to throughout the course of the series."
On his turning point for the season:
"I go back to that homestand where we didn't go a very good job, lost four out of five on that homestand. That was a turning point for us last year, we kind of fell off the cliff with a couple injuries. Listening to our leaders and talking to our leaders, watching them in the media at that point, there was a lot of doubters in the city of Denver, in the media, questions that you expect to be asked because of what happened the previous year. I think the way they handled that and then responded there and shortly after we go on a 10-game streak and the guys in the room start making me a believer. At that point, it became pretty clear that we weren't the same group and that we were going to push to the end of this thing."
On who his top three Hart Trophy (NHL MVP) nominees would be:
"Nathan MacKinnon, No. 1. I know what he's done for us and that's hard to do, very consistent all year long. I think you have to look at Taylor Hall because it was similar in his situation in Jersey. The third one is hard. It's so close. I don't think you can discount what a guy like (Tampa Bay Lightning's Nikita) Kucherov has done. It was consistent from start to finish. There are a lot of close guys in my opinion probably for that third spot."
On being the underdog in the series:
"I think we're the underdog. I don't mind being the underdog. I think it is a good spot for our team. We've been kind of feeling that way all year long that we were an underdog to get into the playoffs and we're here, so that for me is fine. I just want our guys to play like they did the other night against St. Louis. I want to see us put our best foot forward. I believe that will be good enough. If it's not, it's not, but I think that if we do that then we give ourselves our best chance. I want our guys to have fun, embrace it, enjoy it, but I want us to dig in and be highly competitive and that's the way we were the other night."