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Gulls Practice Update - May 6, 2019

May 6, 2019

The Gulls returned home with a 2-0 series lead in their Pacific Division Finals matchup agains tthe Bakersfield Condors. Monday the Gulls had a day of rest and recuperation that saw only a handful of players skate at THE RINKS - Poway ICE.

 

Head Coach Dallas Eakins

On the 2-0 series lead

All is good. Obviously, a good weekend for us, but lots of work to be done yet.

 

On the focus going into Game 3

The biggest thing now is rest. That was a lot of hockey and a lot of load on these men’s bodies. That’s what we’re really focusing on right now, make sure we’re resting very well and eating and drinking clean and trying to fuel our bodies up correctly for Wednesday.

 

On communicating preparedness to players

We don’t have to do a whole lot of preaching about it now, because as soon as you walk into our locker room here on day one of training camp, you’re going to get a full dose of it. It basically doesn’t stop and eventually the guys’ habits get very good. They’re usually a really easy buy in. I’ve always said to the guys, I started the season off with it, ‘we’re going to train to play 18 minutes a night if you’re a forward or maybe you’re a 20-minute guy on defense.’ We’re going to train for you get into the payoffs and you’re in double overtime or triple overtime, whatever it’s going to be, that we have enough gas in the tank to handle that. The way it ended up this weekend with it obviously being a very long game and having to play right again, I thought our guys were really prepared.

 

On preparing for Game 2 during Game 1 overtime

No, always win first. We’ll deal with whatever comes the next day then. I was running out of things to say though. When you get to that, the game is firmly in the players’ hands.

 

On Max Comtois scoring both game-winning goals

I’m not sure we expected that, but he’s been a very dominant force in junior hockey. Earned his way to start the year with the Anaheim Ducks, spent a little bit of time here with us. He was at the World Junior Championships, he was captain of Team Canada, and he’s had a lot of different experiences this year. It’s great to see him come in and be invested with us right away and to get that success early has been very good. For not only him, but for our team as well.

 

Changes heading into Game 3

It’s going to be a lot of the same things. They’re not going to change much, I don’t think. Both teams are here by playing a certain brand of hockey. I don’t see any reason to suddenly change what we’ve done over this season.

 

On Gulls fans at Pechanga Arena

Always good, from day one when I got here. Playing at home has been such a great privilege to play in front of fans like that. I’ve said it a thousand times, they’re like an extra skater out there for us. They support us when we’re down and they keep pushing us when we’re up. I know our guys love playing at home and it doesn’t matter what night of the week it is at our arena, it’s always rocking.

 

On Gulls' fan support on the road

It’s been incredible. It’s happened not only in the playoffs, but in the regular season as well. In places that are even further away. I can remember being in Colorado this year and a big bunch of fans there. I remember being in Ontario this year and we had at least a whole section of them there. To see them in Bakersfield again, I know our staff appreciates it, but our players truly love our fans. Giving them a quick salute in Bakersfield, always acknowledging them. It’s such a great relationship to see between our fans and our players.

 

Jeff Glass

 

 

On playing 120-plus minutes in Game 1

Looking back on it now, it probably was a pretty long time, but in the moment you’re doing whatever you can to help your team win. I mentioned it after the game, it was just one save at a time for me. I know that’s cliché, but I really was just trying to come up with the next save. You know that if you do your part, the guys will have their part. Eventually we’ll come out, if it meant four overtimes later, it is what it is. You only really became tired after the game, during the game it was just part of the deal.

 

On being ready to come in during Game 2

Anytime you’re in the lineup, you have to be ready to play. I felt bad seeing (Kevin Boyle) go down like that, but you just have to look at it as a chance to go in and help your team win. We have a group of guys here that really rallies around each other and it has been said a few times that we have some high-character guys in here that are willing to do whatever it takes. That was another example of it, just guys stepping up for each other and it was fun to be a part of the win.

 

On the focus going into Game 3

It’s good. It’s a long ways away from where we want to be still. We’re going to continue to work. It really is our mindset right now, the way we approach the game, the way we come to the rink every day. Guys really take a lot of pride coming to the rink and wearing this jersey right now. A lot can be said of that, when you go out and do whatever it takes to win and I really think that we’re doing that right now.

 

On facing a desperate Condors team

The good thing is that it’s back in our rink, we do have the home-ice advantage now. I think we’re going to approach it the same way we did the first two and we’ll make a few minor changes, but we won’t change too much. I think we like the way we played the first two games.

 

On Gulls fans

I’ve played in a few places and this is one of the best, if not, I truly think the best atmosphere to play in the American Hockey League. I’m thrilled. I’m excited to get out there on Wednesday and then again on Friday and make some noise.

 

Max Comtois

On recovering from back-to-back games in Bakersfield

Yesterday, we had the day off. Today was a recovery day also. We’re on the right track to recover from that huge weekend that we had there. We just have to be ready to go on Wednesday.

 

On his overtime-winning goal in Game 1

It was great. Every time you play in overtime, when you win, it’s easier to recover from that game. We played a really good weekend, we had legs on Saturday night too. We were happy the way we played, but we can improve and be better. It’s going to be a huge game on Wednesday so we have to be ready.

 

On what to improve on

Just our overall game, fix things up defensively. Play the right way offensively, put pucks to the net, create more chances. We did a good job, but we just have to improve on that.

 

On generating offense

You need to put pucks to the net, but you also have bodies to the net. Every time you crash the net, if you get those second or third chances, you have more chances to score. We just have to do that a little bit more in Game 3.

 

On the third period of Game 2

It was good. We had two good periods to set up for the third in a good spot. We found a way to close it out. (Kevin Boyle) got a little bit injured in the third period and (Jeff Glass) came in and made some huge stops. It just gave us confidence. We played the right way, we found a way to shut them down and get some goals to close it out.

 

On scoring in back-to-back games

I have a good line. I have good chemistry with (Isac) Lundestrom and (Kevin) Roy in the first game and (Adam Cracknell in Game 2). We work hard, we try to create chances on the forecheck and we use our speed and put pucks to the net. Good things happen so far.

 

On the veteran presence of Adam Cracknell

It’s awesome. He’s a big veteran on our team and he’s a leader here. He just helps me and (Isac Lundestrom) to know what we’re doing on the ice and to make sure we’re staying focused and staying in the moment to make some plays. Me and (Cracknell) have a bit of the same style so we try to put the pucks in the end of (Isac Lundestrom). He can create some plays, he’s a good playmaker and he has a good shot too, he proved that. We had an instant chemistry and it’s all about communication on that line.

 

On the feeling after his overtime-winning goal

We didn’t celebrate very hard because we were very tired. We were happy that it went on our side. Getting that goal to get some momentum in that series, we fought our way to win and it was a good feeling.

 

Isac Lundestrom

On recovering from back-to-back games in Bakersfield

A little bit sore in my body, but it’s fun to play hockey.

 

On recovery as a young player

I’m pretty young so I don’t feel it too much after the games. Just try to do my things after the games, take it a little bit easy and prepare for the next games.

 

On carrying momentum to Game 3

We have a home game now. It’s big to get two games away and now we come home to our arena. We’re going to show them how tough we are in our home arena so that’s going to be a lot of fun.

 

On Gulls fans

They are awesome. I’ve watched a little bit when (the team) posts on Twitter and stuff like that. I was here for some regular season games, but not in the playoffs. I heard it’s going to be a very loud arena so it’s going to be nice.

 

On the advantage of having a loud arena

It’s like a sixth player out there. They help you to push forward and do as best as you can so it really helps.

 

On the veteran presence of Adam Cracknell

He’s a really good player. Off the ice also he helps and talks in the locker room. That’s the kind of guy you need to be around both on the ice and off the ice. He’s a good guy.

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