"In the first period, they carried the play. They had the pace. We didn't. They won more battles than us. They were on their toes, and we weren't. We got behind the eight ball pretty early. We made a push in the second period and got back in the game. We had 10 or 11 minutes of that period that were really good. We played the way we wanted to start the game."
"In the third period, we have to be better. We have to make a bigger push than that. It is a one-goal game. I didn't like the power play at the end. I didn't like the play on the fifth goal at the end. We just made mistakes there. We have to have more. For me, the standard has to be better and higher. We are at home, and we are not playing consistently enough with the urgency that is needed."
"That probably bothers me more than anything. We got the momentum, but it doesn't look like we carried the momentum into the third period. That is what I am talking about. This team played last night in Boston. We have an opportunity to really put the pressure on them in the third period and carry the play for 20 minutes."
The team lost 6-3, dropping to 24-18-9. The opponent dominated early, setting the pace and winning more battles, leaving the team behind early. A strong 10-11 minute stretch in the second period brought the team back into the game and matched the desired style of play. The third period lacked sustained pressure and saw costly mistakes, including on the late power play and the fifth goal. Home performance has been inconsistent compared with earlier success, with similar issues appearing after the last road trip. The team must improve detail, simplicity, and urgency and fix the carryover into the final period.
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