Here's what the Pens were saying in the locker room heading into their game against Toronto…
ON THE LEAFS
Murray: "They're dangerous. They're the kind of team where you give them half a step and they're by you and they're making plays and they have speed, they have good shooters and they have good playmakers, so they can beat you a lot of different ways. So I think you've got to be on your toes against a team like that and really try to play in their face and not give them that time and space to potentially make you pay. They're a dangerous team and we've got to be prepared for it."
Maatta: "Lots of skill, big up front and they've got four lines that can really score. You have to be aware the whole time. The biggest thing for us is that we can't worry too much about what they're going to do, we have to make sure we bring our best and play the game the right way."
Kessel: "They're doing well. I have some good friends there. They're having a good year. We'll see how they end up."
ON HOW TO BEAT FREDERIK ANDERSEN
Crosby: "We just have to be ready to compete for second and third opportunities. Make sure we're shooting the puck. You don't want that to stop you from shooting the puck if a goalie's playing well. You've just got to do what's given you success in the past. I think for us, that's just getting pucks there and making sure we compete around the net and understand that you're going to have a goalie that you're facing that's going to compete for those second and third opportunities too. I think it's just a mindset."
ON NOT GETTING INTO A TRACK MEET WITH TORONTO
Crosby: "It's just going to be who does a better job of getting out of their own end. I think both teams try to forecheck well and spend time in the offensive zone, so for us, we're going to have to try to get out of our zone quick and play in their end and that'll be a big challenge."
Sheahan: "I think we've just got to do the same sort of thing that we've been doing. Just limit the turnovers. If we turn the puck over at our blue line or their blue line, they're going to capitalize on those chances. I think we've just got to do a good job in the O-zone cycling around, using our skill and then when we get opportunities to go on the rush, we've got to make sure we reload and backtrack well."
Sullivan: "We're going to play a team tonight that has as good of a transition game as there is in the league. We need to make sure we make good decisions with the puck coming through the neutral zone so we don't give them an opportunity to transition and play three quarters of the rink on us. It's important to make them play goal line to goal line."
ON PREPARING FOR DIFFERENT OPPONENTS
Sullivan: "I don't think it's more difficult, it's just a different challenge. We're familiar with Toronto, we know what their identity is, what their strengths are. We have to try and dictate the terms out there. When you play teams like Toronto that have a pretty dynamic offense and a really good transition game like they do we have to make sure we don't get lured into a track race, we need to manage the puck and defend when the time is called upon to defend. When the opportunities present themselves to make plays we have to try to make the plays that are there."
Maatta: "If we're on the same page and play the game the right way, we're a good enough team that we can beat anybody. We need to make sure we bring our A-game because these aren't easy games."
ON THE TEAM'S IMPROVEMENT
Sheahan: "We're pretty happy with the way we've put together games. It's not a reason for us to step back, though. We've still got room to improve and we're comfortable with what we've got in the locker room. Just got to keep it going and look at the things that we're not doing very well and improve off them and try to put together our whole game."
Maatta: "We didn't start well and we were out of the playoffs for a bit and that brought back the urgency. We started bringing that to every game and we have to keep doing that. It's tight. Anybody can be in the playoffs, anybody can be out of the playoffs, so every point matters."
ODDS AND ENDS
Murray, on his level of play: "I feel okay. I felt pretty good the last few games, but I made a lot of mistakes too and been lucky a few times. I never like to think of streaks or feeling like I'm a groove or any sort of thing like that, it's just about taking things one shot at a time. I'm just trying to get a little better every day and that's all you can do. You never want to get too far ahead of yourself. You never want to get too high or too low. The best thing you can do is try to find that balance and again, just try to keep getting better every day."
Crosby, on if players like Matthews motivate him: "I think I'm pretty motivated regardless of whether a guy's young or older than me. I think you're always motivated. I didn't really worry about age when I was 18, I'm not going to worry about it when I'm 30. I think once you get out there it doesn't matter how old you are, I think everyone's trying to go out there and be their best."
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