Say What - 'We're Going To Build Off That Third Period'

Zary on his first NHL game:

"I did what I wanted to do, I was able to showcase myself a little bit. First period, was a little nervous, had to get the butterflies out, but it kind of just became another hockey game once the second started. I think it’s a little harder to enjoy when you don’t get the win. We pushed hard in the third, and I think the third period is how this team wants to play. If you keep playing that way, you’re going to get wins, but at the end of the day, it was pretty special to play in my first NHL game."

On overcoming early nerves:

"Biggest game of my life, it’s something I’ve dreamed of my whole entire life and something I’ve worked so hard for, I was just kind of a little caught up in the moment, just thinking about my parents, my grandparents and everything everyone’s done for me. I think once I got comfortable in the game, it was just hockey. To be honest, when our line got scored on, I was kind of like ‘oh, ok let’s play hockey here, I don’t want to get scored on again.’”

On scoring his first NHL goal:

"To be honest, I remember it hitting me, I remember just trying to find it, it dropped down in front of me, I put it in, but after that, I don’t remember. I just remember looking around, happy as can be, screaming. It was pretty cool, kind of just hugging the guys, and all the guys coming over and tapping me was pretty special."

Weegar on the positives from tonight:

"When we skate like that, and get pucks to the net, get inside guys and forecheck the D hard, it’s pretty simple. We get the puck back, we get our chances, but we’ve got to play like that for a full 60."

On learning from the second period:

"When we get a big goal, the next shift has to be big. Maybe even if we get scored on, the next shift has to be big for us. I thought Marky made some big saves for us, but I thought in the second period, there was about a 10-minute span where we were kind of tough."

On trying to maintain a positive attitude:

"I think you’ve just got to reinforce the positivity, maybe you go and watch your good shifts, the things that you’ve done well, but I think you’ve got to move on quick. If you get frustrated, you get down on yourself in this league, it’ll eat you right up and spit you out. You’ve got to stay positive, you’ve got to stick with it. There’s a great leadership group, a great group of guys in this room and when times are tough, we’ve got to rally with each other, we’ve got to care for each other, build confidence for the guys that might not be feeling it."

Kadri on building off the third period:

"I think if we continue to play the way we did in that third period, this is a group that’s capable of winning a few in a row, playing like that. We’ve just got to build off it. Throughout this stretch, I’ve felt there was maybe a couple games that could have went our way, but they didn’t. It’s our responsibility to fight through it."

On Zary's NHL debut:

"I liked the way he played, I’m sure he was really nervous. You know, I tried to make him feel as comfortable as possible, try to be a good influence for him. I was proud of the way he played today, the way he battled, the confidence he had. That’s the challenge with young players, to continue to do it, but really happy for him. He deserves it."

On coming close against the Stars:

"They’re considered a top team, and you know we could have easily came up with a win. At the end of the day, we didn’t, and this is a business and a game of results, and you’d like to see those results. Hockey’s a funny game; sometimes you feel like you’re playing well and you’ve got nothing to show for, and sometimes it’s the complete opposite, where you feel like you’re not playing so well and you still find ways to get wins. We’re going to build off that third period."

Huska on the effort versus the Stars:

"It was better, I liked the resolve in the third period. We had a lull in the second period which cost us the night, but there was pushback in the third and it looked like we were starting to get our game going a little bit."

On Zary's first NHL game:

"I thought Connor was excellent tonight. He played with confidence, he played with courage, and he was one of our better forwards tonight, for sure."

On what influenced his decision to put Zary on the ice late in the contest:

"He had an impact tonight, when he was on the ice, there was impact. There were a few things on the defensive side of the puck we can work with him on, but I thought when he was on the ice, he skated, he wanted the puck, and he made plays when he had it and he didn’t do it in a risky or an unreliable way."