Evans: 'We believe in each other'

BROSSARD - Interim head coach Dominique Ducharme spoke with reporters via Zoom before the Canadiens departed for Tampa.

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He was followed by forwards Jake Evans and Corey Perry.
Here are a few highlights from their respective chats:
Ducharme on the penalty-killing work of defensemen Ben Chiarot and Joel Edmundson in Game 4:
They were very important for us, especially with Weber in the penalty box for four minutes. When the game is on the line like that, you have to go with the guys who can get you out of that kind of situation. Both of them are important players for us.

Ducharme on Monday's victory planting some doubt in the Lightning:
A win in Tampa could have that kind of effect. We're going on the road. We wanted the chance to play that game. We want to come back to the Bell Centre to play at home.
Evans on the play of Chiarot and Edmundson in the playoffs:
They're just beasts. When they're out there on the penalty kill, they're smart, they're hard to play against, and they've got good sticks. They're big, strong guys, so you don't want to be in the corners with them. They've been great. All of our defensemen really chipped in last night on the penalty kill. Those two guys, you don't want to be in front of the net with them, you don't want to be anywhere near them. I wouldn't want to be battling against them. They've just been really tough to play against.

Evans on dealing with more adversity in the form of Hurricane Elsa:
It's been a wild year with a lot of unexpected things. But, we've been such a close group. We believe in each other. Whatever we get thrown at us, we're going to battle through it. That's what we've kept doing this whole year.
Perry on the approach to another elimination game:
If you look at the playoffs as a whole, there are ups and downs, peaks and valleys, momentum shifts here and momentum shifts there. You just have to be ready to play that next game. You know they're going to be playing at their best, so you have to come out with energy, you have to be confident, you have to play to win, not to lose. That'll be my message to the guys tomorrow: "It's just hockey. Have fun. Be prepared to work. But, at the end of the day, it's just hockey. Have fun."

Perry on the Canadiens' physicality against Tampa Bay:
We've talked about wearing teams down. It's a long series. You're playing every other night. Guys have been playing a lot of minutes on both sides. We've talked about it since that first game against Toronto. Every night, you have to continue to do the small, little things like putting the puck in deep and banging the body. It takes a toll on guys. That's just our mindset.