Here are a few highlights from their respective chats as the preparation for the first-round playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs continues:
Anderson on playing alongside Corey Perry and Eric Staal, fellow veterans with tons of postseason experience:
Perry and Staal have been around this game for quite some time. They know what it takes and the pressure of playing in the playoffs. I'm obviously looking forward to playing with those guys. It's going to be a heavy line. Our job is to get on the forecheck as much as we can, frustrate players, and then chip in when we can too.
Anderson on the value of extra practice time:
We've got to take full advantage of it. We've just been working on things that we've been noticing in video throughout the season. We want to be mentally sharp and prepared for when Game 1 starts because we're playing a really good hockey team. It's just about paying attention to details on the ice and trying to limit those mistakes out there because they're very important games and you want to make sure that you're ready to go right from the puck drop.
Anderson on embracing the postseason:
Anytime you get in the playoffs, no matter who you're playing, you have that opportunity to reach your goal, and that's to win a Stanley Cup. That's always in the back of your mind and that's one thing that you're thinking about. Playing the Maple Leafs, that just gives you that extra adrenaline, that motivation, and I can say the same thing for a lot of those guys in the locker room. It's going to be a great series. We're all looking forward to this challenge and this opportunity.
Suzuki on the rivalry with the Maple Leafs, given that he was born and raised in London, ON:
Knowing the history and throughout this whole season, we've had a big battle against them playing them so many times. The whole group is excited to play them. It's going to be a challenge, but we're getting a lot of guys back and we're confident in our group. It's going to be a fun series. The rivalry is something you always dream of, so it's going to be a great series.
Suzuki on right-winger Tyler Toffoli's comments about him in The Players' Tribune:
It was pretty cool for me. He's a guy that I've watched a lot. He won a Stanley Cup. He's done all these great things, and just for a veteran guy like that to say that maybe he wanted to play on my line one day, it's pretty cool. Now, we get to do that together and we've had a lot of success throughout the whole season. Getting to play with him is a ton of fun. He plays the right way, he's always in the right position to shoot and score, so he's definitely a guy I enjoy playing with.
Suzuki on growing up around plenty of Maple Leafs supporters in Southwestern Ontario:
A lot of my buddies back home are Leafs fans. I guess it's the closest team to us. A few of them have messaged me to take it easy on the Leafs and I told them that I can't do that for them. There are a few Habs fans in London, obviously not as many as Toronto. They stay on the low. A lot of my family and friends are Leafs fans, but I've tried to transition them over.
