CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. --Colin White got the party started on Thursday.
Netting the first goal for the Florida Panthers in an eventual 9-5 win over the Montreal Canadiens at FLA Live Arena, the 26-year-old forward made it a 1-1 game less than three minutes into the first period when he beat Jake Allen with a laser of a shot from the slot.
"We know he's got a good release," head coach Paul Maurice said. "He scores an awful lot of goals in practice glove-side. If you get him into the hole [like that], he's going to beat the goalie."
Following Friday's practice at the Panthers IceDen, I had a chance to sit down with White to chat about the craziness of last night's win, the thrill of the playoff race and much more.
Q&A: White on wild win over Montreal, hunt for the playoffs & more!
OLIVE: How do you even begin to sum up a game like the one you guys played last night?
WHITE:Just craziness [laughs]. It was a pretty wild game. I don't think that's how we want to play every game, but sometimes that's what it takes. Our offense was definitely rolling, but at the end of the day we can't give up five [goals]. It was a big win.
OLIVE: After the Canadiens took a 1-0 lead just 16 seconds into the first period, your goal wiped the slate clean and made it 1-1 just a few minutes later. What did it mean for your line to make an impact like that right away in such a big game?
WHITE: Yeah, first shift of the game. It was a great play by Cuzzy (Nick Cousins) there, what a pass. Big Staaler (Marc Staal) kept it in there, and it hit off the other Staaler's (Eric Staal) stick right to Cuzzy. Then he made a great pass to me. It was just a great play.
OLIVE: After the goal, I saw that Nick Cousins kind of skated off on his own for a bit.
WHITE:[Laughs]. Yeah, he thought the pass was nicer [than the goal] and went on his twirl there.
OLIVE: At what point did you start to feel like it was going to be such a wild game?
WHITE: I think after just the first 10 minutes or so. It was 4-3 or 5-3. We were just talking on the bench about it. That was one of the nights where you feel like any puck can go in, so we started throwing a lot of pucks on net and it worked out.
OLIVE: What did it feel like carrying a 7-3 lead into the first intermission?
WHITE: It felt like a summer hockey league game. It was just kind of craziness. I don't think any of us had ever played in a game like that. We just wanted to settle it back down after that.
OLIVE: In the end, you and 14 of your teammates earned at least one point in the win. How much of a confidence booster is it for the entire team when so many guys get on the scoresheet?
WHITE:It definitely helps with confidence and things like that, but it's going to be a much tougher game tomorrow night [against New Jersey]. I think we all know that.
OLIVE: It seems like you've really found a home on that fourth line with Nick Cousins and Eric Staal. What do you like about playing with those two guys?
WHITE:Yeah, it's awesome. They're great guys to play with. They're really good on the forecheck and our positioning is pretty good together. Hopefully we can keep it rolling.
OLIVE: There's not many guys in the NHL with the amount of experience that Eric Staal has. What have you been able to learn from him?
WHITE:He's a stud. He's always talking and trying to help you. He's such a big role model for us young guys. Getting to learn from him and learning how to be a pro every day is great.
OLIVE: You're now up to eight goals on the season. What do you think has been the biggest key for yourself in terms of carving out an important everyday role in the bottom-six?
WHITE: I think, for me, it was just keep working hard and knowing that it'll eventually pay off. I'm playing better and it's paying off.
OLIVE: Looking around the locker room, what's the collective mindset during this playoff race?
WHITE: We know what we have to do. Everybody is so focused on that. It brings you closer as a team, too. If you win a game, it's awesome. If you lose, which we can do much of now, I think everybody just knows how much more the next game means.
OLIVE: You played in one playoff game as a rookie with the Ottawa Senators during the 2016-17 season. After getting that taste, how much are you itching to get back to the postseason?
WHITE:That was still one of the coolest moments of my NHL career. I was along for that whole ride [to the Eastern Conference Final] with the team the whole time. I got to see day in, day out what it takes to get that far. Things like that are definitely what you want to be a part of.
OLIVE: After playing with Brady Tkachuk in Ottawa, you're now playing with Matthew here in South Florida. What sort of similarities or differences do you notice between the two brothers?
WHITE: They're both such amazing players. It's such a great family, too. Their play speaks for itself on the ice. Off the ice, they're also great people. Not even just in the locker room, but in the community and things like that, too. It's been really awesome to get to play with both of them.
OLIVE: After putting up four points against the Canadiens last night, Tkachuk is now up to 91 points on the season. What's it been like watching him cook out there every game?
WHITE:It's pretty insane. He's such a good player. The way he does it is so special. Honestly, he probably has the best stick in the NHL.
OLIVE: For yourself, how's it been just being in South Florida this season?
WHITE: It's awesome, especially these last few weeks getting to be at home a lot and play in these big games. It's great to have some time to also go to the beach and spend some time here with my girlfriend and the dogs. We're loving it.
OLIVE: How many dogs do you have?
WHITE: We have a black lab, an aussiedoodle and a goldendoodle - Razor, Maverick and Baloo.
OLIVE: What's it like getting back home after a game and being greeted by those three?
WHITE: It's awesome. Even if you're having a bad day, it's the best day ever to them.
OLIVE: Do you have any favorite places to grab a bite in Fort Lauderdale?
WHITE: There's a lot. Timpano is good. Louise Bossi's is good. Takato is probably my favorite restaurant now. I like going down there and being on the water. There are so many good spots.
OLIVE: Any plans for St. Patrick's Day?
WHITE: Nah, just getting ready for tomorrow. Our focus here is to win games. I'll probably just cook dinner and watch some basketball.
