John Gruden after the Leafs prospects' 4-1 win over Montreal: "[Vyacheslav Peksa] looked really comfortable in the net... We wouldn't have won without him"
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John Gruden after the Leafs prospects' 4-1 win over Montreal: "[Vyacheslav Peksa] looked really comfortable in the net... We wouldn't have won without him"
"Man, he looked really comfortable in the net. He made some really big saves. Every time we got hemmed in our own end, we bent, but we didn't break. He had a lot to do with that. He was making some big saves, and he looked like he was under control. We wouldn't have been able to win the game without him."
"The urgency was really good. We knew it was going to be a great environment. It is fun for these guys to get in front of 18,000 people and play. It gives them that excitement and a taste of what it is like to play in an NHL rink. It was a great environment. I thought we stuck together as a unit - all five guys - when there was any type of scrum going on."
"In his first year, he had a lot of injuries. He missed camp last year. For a second-year pro to miss all of that training and not be able to get stronger during the summer, it really affects your season. He is stronger. He looks bigger and stronger. He was huge for us today. He played in all situations. He played inside. He was good on the forecheck. It's great that he can participate and is healthy again."
Vyacheslav Peksa delivered a composed, game-saving performance in net, making several big saves that preserved leads and enabled the 4-1 victory. The team displayed strong urgency and embraced the large arena environment, feeding off the excitement of playing in front of 18,000 fans and experiencing NHL-rink conditions. Five-man unit cohesion emerged during scrums, with players blocking shots and standing up for teammates. Ryan Tverberg returned from injuries looking bigger and stronger, contributing two goals while playing all situations and excelling on the forecheck. Tyler Hopkins provided sound positional play and displayed a high hockey IQ, fitting in comfortably during his first prospects tournament.
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