Hischier Q&A
Nico, early going is here for you guys. Just wondering how you're kind of feeling about the progress that's being made, regardless of results right now for this group coming together, particularly knowing that every forward line seems to have a new guy on it, right?
Yeah. I mean, obviously, I think we're putting the work in. Even in those two days here, you could see we come in here to try to get better, and I think that's the main thing at the end. On such a long season, you just got to come in and try to get better and try to play better as a group, as an individual, and I think that's what I see right now, especially in these two days here.
You talk about the practice habits and all that, but in the game, what are the most encouraging things that you're seeing right now from this group?
Like, we have good segments in pretty much every game, but then we also have the bad ones. So, we just got to limit those, and then we give ourself more chance to win a hockey game.
And then what is it going to take for this group to sort of jump out to a lead, right? Like, three games, you guys haven't had a lead yet in any of the games, and how much does that really change things?
I mean, obviously it would help for sure, but it's also like we're talking about that too. Even if you're not scoring first, it should not let you bother too much. It should not make you change anything. You just got to keep playing, and like we talk about too, that process. Can't get off grid, then you just got to keep going. It doesn't even matter if you have the lead or not. And you do that for 60 minutes, and then you see where you are at the end. But results, if you score first or not score first, it should not bother you too much.
Is that a tricky thing because it's more the mental side of things?
One hundred percent. It's easier said than done. But we're working on that, and I think, yeah, I mean, obviously when you're down, sometimes it gives you a little extra edge to be a little more grittier, but it shouldn't. You should always be that way. But then on the other side too, when you're up, I think the other team is trying to have a little bit more grit. But I think that's just also just sport in general. But yeah, it's obviously easier said than done, but that's why we're trying to focus.
At the end of practice, you guys looked like you were focused on getting pucks deep and going to get them. Do you think that is something that the group as a whole has to commit to more when the kind of high-flying transition game gets shut down, mucking it up a little bit, and getting back to dump and chase?
One hundred percent, yeah. If teams sit back and take our rush game away, then yeah, we got to earn our offense, and sometimes it's not the pretty way, and you got to put it in and go to work.
Seems like you guys were working on the power play a bit. What do you want to see from the unit to turn it back into a strength?
Yeah, we are obviously, yeah, we need to get better there. I think everybody knows that, and that's why you're trying to put the work in. Feel good here and then come out, play with confidence, and put pucks on that. I think that's mainly when power play's not really doing that well. I think it just helps when you try to pepper the goalie and just get pucks there, and then things will open up.
