Mike Barnett
Mike Barnett
active bringing felt needed obviously players primary reduced scoring three trading
Trading three NHL players and bringing back one that's going to play on our roster at this point, we reduced our roster by two players. We're now down to 23 active players with two on IR. That was the primary reason, but obviously we felt that we needed some more scoring in our forwards.
actively along balance burned capable good hit hits league opponent opportunity percent physical potential punishing seize solid themselves
Most of the big, physical defensemen in the league are capable of punishing an opponent along the wall, ... The good ones hit with balance and don't overextend themselves . . . . But of the many solid defensemen in the NHL that do that on a nightly basis, there's probably only 10 percent that actively look for open-ice hits because there's a lot more potential to get burned if you don't seize the right opportunity and, secondly, execute. Gauthier's one of those players.
act aggressive best class community competitor fierce great help three wish
I can only say that he's a great professional on and off the ice. He's a class act in the community and an aggressive and fierce competitor on the ice, and we wish him the very best in the future. I think all three of them will help Columbus.
both competition expect handed minutes welcome
They both welcome the competition for minutes and don't expect to have anything handed to them.
expect ice monday
We expect he'll be back on the ice by the weekend, Monday by the latest.
backs best building captain critical ideal leadership night players role seized seriously situation takes team year
Doan seized upon the opportunity. The ideal situation is when you have a captain who not only takes on the off-ice leadership role seriously as he has, but backs it up each and every night on the ice. And he and our two goaltenders have been our best players all year long. The accountability they have to each other is really something big that is building every week, and it's critical if you are going to have any team success.
backs best building captain critical ideal leadership night players role seized seriously situation takes team year
Doan seized upon the opportunity, ... The ideal situation is when you have a captain who not only takes on the off-ice leadership role seriously as he has, but backs it up each and every night on the ice. And he and our two goaltenders have been our best players all year long. The accountability they have to each other is really something big that is building every week, and it's critical if you are going to have any team success.
gretzky head interested last obviously spoke step wayne
I spoke with Wayne Gretzky last night. There's obviously speculation that he will step in and be our head coach. I know he's still very interested in the position.
hurrying injury position type
That type of injury at that position is one you don't even think about hurrying along.
bouncing good
You're bouncing around way too good out there.
bird great job philosophy plane playing reflected style talking team wayne
On the plane home, Wayne went to great lengths talking about how great a job Bird was doing, and about how the team was playing a style that reflected his own philosophy as a player,
achieving alone attention aware brian confidence deflect entire four front guys hard needed paying positions remarkably scoring seeing style success taking team
Now we're really seeing even the byproduct of the style that he's comfortable with and the confidence that comes from winning. We're achieving the success as a team that comes from 23 guys paying attention to team defense. We're not taking anything from what Brian has remarkably been able to accomplish, because it's extraordinarily hard to get a shutout, period, let alone to think of four in a row. But it really is an entire roster sacrificing anything and everything needed to get in front of pucks or deflect pucks or controlling positions defensively to be aware of taking away scoring opportunities.
bona brian confident doubt leading playoff role seeing
There was never any doubt that we wanted Brian back in the fold. We feel confident that Brian can play an important and leading role in seeing us become a bona fide playoff club.
blue cut game help line past puck traffic
There isn't a better goaltender in the game right now. Period. And from my perspective, there hasn't been for the past two years. He's just very, very comfortable with his game and now he's getting the help from our blue line to cut down on the traffic and to let him see the puck as often as possible.