Players and coaches weigh in as the Blue Jackets once again falter in overtime against the Penguins, fueling season-long concerns.
The Columbus Blue Jackets were back in action last night against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Unfortunately, things have carried forward from their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs and they blew a lead and lost it in overtime. This has been a problem that is haunting this team over the first quarter of the season.
With that, that let's take a look at some of the quotes from the players and coaches from the game.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Dean Evason: Head Coach
- Felt the start of the third by the Penguins had a huge impact on the game
- Felt the team was overthinking heading into the third
- Felt the team made some mistakes in the game
- But also thinks the team didn't get rewarded for chances that they had
- Mentioned that the team is making crucial mistakes that are costing them
- As a coach in this situation, you have to be patient and let things fix itself
- Doesn't feel they have changed their game at all
- Team is thinking too much about moving forward rather than playing defense
- Coaching staff tried to match up against the Penguins in OT
- Is going to watch tape but mentioned that his team could be "cheating" to try and score rather than focusing on defense late in games
- Doesn't remember experiencing anything like this before - team has blown a lot of leads in the third
Charlie Coyle:
- Felt the Penguins' third period goal shouldn't have been that big of a deal
- "We were still in the driving seat"
- Felt that the teams needs to make the necessary adjustments to win games
- Feels the team needs to have the belief to get the job done
- Did mention that he has experienced this a lot over his 14 year career
- Adversity is good for teams pushing for a playoff spot
- Feels the team needs to change and get better, quickly
Sean Monahan:
- Tough to handle losing like that "losing sucks"
- When you go into the third with a lead, they need to find a way to bring it home
- Believes it is on those in the room to figure it out
- Felt the team didn't react well to the Penguins' early third period goal
- Team needs to do the little things to keep the puck out of their net
- Mentioned that their mindset should be, every time you step on the ice, you play to win the game
Zach Werenski:
- Team needs to find a way to win
- Team needs to be more prepared "teams are going to push when they are down"
- Doesn't think the team should have a "here we do again" mindset
- Mentioned it is frustrating but there are nothing more to say
- At the end of the day, they need to find a way to get a win
- Feels this will make them a stronger team overall
- Mentioned that Charlie Coyle has helped a lot trying to reassure this is what good teams need to go through to become stronger
Pittsburgh Penguins
Dan Muse: Head Coach
- Very proud of the group for finding a way to win the game
- Felt that Sidney Crosby's goal was massive
- Felt that the team was putting multiple shifts together
- Relieved they finally got their first OT win of the season
- Praised Bryan Rust for giving everything he has every shift
- Thought the team was off in the second, but had a stronger third
- Battle level was down in the second
- Felt they got back to their system in the third
Tristan Jarry:
- Felt good to get the job done in OT
- Felt that his team worked hard to get back in the game
- Thought that the key to the win was crashing the net
- Mentioned just how special it is to watch Crosby on a nightly basis
- These types of wins build confidence and can build momentum
Kris Letang:
- Happy about getting the win because it wasn't a full 60 minutes for them
- Mentioned that the team was not thrilled with their second period
- They addressed it in the second intermission and came out stronger in the third
- Credited Rust for helping them build momentum with his goal
Bryan Rust:
- Happy they won, but thought they needed to be better throughout the game
- Loves to watch Crosby score goals
- He felt that his goal put him on their toes and allowed the Penguins to play smarter
- Message in the second intermission was "we need to be better"
Up Next: The Blue Jackets' home stand continues as they face off against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night.
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