Jack Capuano:
On the turnaround: “I didn’t even go in (the locker room) between the second and third. We were flat, and we started to come around in the second a little bit. We had guys that for whatever reason, didn’t start on time. Third period we made a push and fortunately for us, we got two points.”
On Clutterbuck’s big goals this season: “That’s what we preach, that’s the way we need to play… That’s our identity. We have to play to our identity and if we don’t we have no chance of winning. Fortunately, in the third, we did some good things and got some good bounces.”
On using this game as a spark: “I want them to realize that’s the way we need to play- the attention to detail, the intangibles, the little things… In the third, we played to our identity.
On Thomas Greiss: “He was big for us. Even late in the game we had a strong-side pinch and they come down with an odd-man rush. That was a big save for us. We had just tied the game so with a 2-2 game, that was a huge save. Even with the goalie pulled, they got a bounce off the wall and came up big for us. Again, it’s about special teams, goaltending, health, and luck along the way. We’ve got a few of those things and we’ll have to continue.””
Kyle Okposo:
On the game: “I think after the first we had a little bit of a wake up call. We wanted to get going and obviously it didn’t happen in the second period. There wasn’t much that needed to be said going into the third, we knew we were going to lose the hockey game if we didn’t change the way we were playing. I thought we did a good job and just tilted the ice and took it to them.”
On getting the win: “It was a huge win for us after only getting one point the last couple games. Everybody around us is seemingly getting points every night so it was a huge win for us. It was a huge two points. We’re fighting for home ice right now, we’re fighting to get into the playoffs and tonight was big.”
Cal Clutterbuck:
On the GWG: “Not the way you draw it up but that third period was good. It’s two points, terrible start, moving on.”
On what was said between periods: “It’s not about the things being said I don’t think, we’re not that type of group. We’re the type of team that I think everyone kinda knows. I don’t think it takes a rocket scientist to figure it out, the first 35 minutes were some of our worst minutes. With that said, good third period.”
Gerard Gallant (Panthers Coach):
On the game: Great 40 minutes. We played real good, as good as you can play on the road against a real good team. We let them skate in the third period and it caught up to us in the last seven or eight minutes.”
On the effort in the first 40 minutes: “The Islanders are a good team. They create a lot and we didn’t give them much at all. After that , they were upset and they came out and started to skate. They started to play their game and they took it to us. For whatever reason we changed out game.”
Nick Bjugstad (Panthers Forward):
On the loss: “It was such a high the first two periods, that what we gotta learn. Things can be going great then it can change quickly in this league. With the players they got we know they’re a skilled team and we knew they weren’t gonna shut down after a 2-0 lead. It’s definitely very disappointing. One of the most disappointing this season. We got a back-to-back (series) and we’re gonna have to learn from that and come out hard tomorrow.”
