After a 5-2 loss to Minnesota, head coach Jim Hiller discussed the mindset of the team amid a five-game losing streak, the breakdown on Matt Boldy’s game-winning goal, Gavin McKenna’s low ice time, and whether he saw progress from John Tavares and William Nylander.
Hiller on the team’s performance:
I think it’s been like three of the last four or five where we probably played well enough, but it’s not good enough, clearly. We can’t take moral victories in playing close and being there and losing. We’ve done that too many times.
Sometimes you can win a few and you can say, “Hey, you know what? We played good. The puck didn’t bounce for you.” Can’t do that. Just got to come back. But effort, sure. Mistakes, miscues — you saw them. They were pretty easy to see.
Hiller on the breakdown that led to Matt Boldy’s winning goal:
We screwed that up in the neutral zone, to be honest with you. It shouldn’t have got to that point. Once it got to that point, it makes it hard, but we should have cleaned that up earlier. There was a chance to clean that up earlier. I’ll just leave it at that.
Hiller on managing the frustration of five straight losses at home:
That’s what we’ll talk about in the morning. Right now, you talk to those guys, and you can imagine how we all feel. If we were to try to solve that right now, we probably wouldn’t do a very good job of it because everybody’s emotional and angry and all those things.
So, take a deep breath, watch the video, try to come up with a strategy, and be better. That’s just it. Like I said, I think we’ve been all right, but it’s not good enough. All right is not enough against this group of teams that we’ve been playing. It’s just not good enough.
Listen, we’ve had tough losses. How did we come out and start the game tonight? We had two breakaways in the first six minutes or so. We came out ready to play. That’s the answer. Now you’ve got to solve some of the issues during the play so you’re not giving up four or five goals a game.
Hiller on where he sees sources of hope for the team:
I see lots of hope. I see lots of hope. Where do I see it? I see it all over the place. I really do.
Hiller on what he wants to see from Gavin McKenna (10:38) to earn more ice time:
Just be a good all-around player. Be dangerous when you have the puck, and I thought he was a few times tonight. Take care of the puck when you don’t have a play to make, and fight through.
It’s a grind. It’s a grind for a young player — any young player. We’re 20 games in now, and it’s a grind. He doesn’t have to play all those minutes every night. There’ll be times he plays more, and times he plays less.
Hiller on the fourth line’s continued contributions:
Since we put them together, they’ve had a couple of off nights, but for the most part, they’ve been one of the drivers of the team as a line.
We talk about hope… Hey, these guys are playing outstanding. If we can bolster them, and get a little bit more somewhere else, that’s pretty exciting to have a fourth line like that.
There are reasons for optimism, without a doubt, and we’ll get there. Doesn’t feel like it right now, I know. Feels lousy. Again, I’ve said it: We all own it, but we’ve got lots in there.
Hiller on whether John Tavares and William Nylander showed progress in tonight’s game:
I thought it was better tonight. I thought tonight was John’s best game coming back. I thought Willy was skating tonight. He was dangerous. Yeah, there’s progress.
Hiller on Anthony Stolarz’s early saves in the game:
Yeah, always, you need that. Especially where we’re at right now, you need something, when we do break down, to backstop it. Let us get one. We’re all probably a little bit tight with the stick and tight with the reads, so you need some of that just to keep you pushing forward until you can get a couple.
