George Gwozdecky Quotations

We struggled this weekend. We didn't play with any effort or emotion last night and Princeton took advantage. Tonight, we had better effort but our confidence and execution wasn't good enough.

One of the challenges we have is not allowing our team to look ahead. (Looking ahead) really takes your energy off what you really need to -focus on. We're too experienced to fall for that foolish way of looking at things.

If we did, it wasn't a scoring chance. I'm not disappointed at the loss, I'm disappointed in the way we performed.

Give credit to Minnesota's penalty-kill unit. We didn't execute our power play on either five-minute advantage and Minnesota took advantage. We'll regroup and be ready to go tomorrow night.

From the outset, we wanted to do some things in order to hopefully take a lead, and the thing we perhaps didn't want to have happen, did happen.

Glenn Fisher was awesome tonight. In order to win big games, it starts with goaltending and Fisher was the difference tonight. We felt good about our team before the game and I thought we played pretty well.

He is as competitive as anybody on our team. He gets to pucks very quickly. He's got great grit. That's one of the reasons he's so valuable in the offensive zone. Any time there is a loose puck and Ryan is in the area, you know he's going to come up with it.

When he's on the ice, for the most part he controls play. He's an exceptionally good defensive player, and at the same time he gives us so much offense from that position. He's a terrific captain. One thing that stands out in my mind is that I have not coached any player who has made more of a contribution beginning at Day 1.

Hats off to St. Cloud. They played very well tonight. They took advantage of all the bounces that not only they created, but perhaps some that we created for them.

I think it's developing on this team at this time of year as to how we need to play. How we need to play this year is really different this year than it was last year and probably the year before.

I thought we started well, but by the second period we were over-handling the puck and our offensive timing was nonexistent.

It hurts. It's a very difficult thing to do, to say goodbye and really realize the season is done.

I thought he did well. We didn't put a lot of pressure on him after the first period but he made some big saves.

I think it's surprising to some people, but not the people who know how the system works. We have not played very well outside of our conference. We lost some games that really hurt us.

I think that this time of the year, the athletes are fatigued. They have gone through a long, grueling season already, and I think the home-ice advantage is even more of an edge than it is during the regular season. Especially when you are considering a series and everything that's on the line, I think the home-ice advantage is so much more of a factor now than it is during the regular season.

Our three teams the last three seasons have been remarkably different. We lost nearly half our team from last season, eight players, and we've had to become much more of a three-line team.

I was having a good day, ... until you reminded me of losing my senior players and now Skinner. Do you know that senior class won more games than any in Denver history?

We never recovered after Minnesota's fast start. Our guys battled in the final period, but it was too late. We're a resilient group and we'll bounce back.

(Wisconsin) is a team that made its mark playing great defense. (Friday night) they played solid. But the big difference was Glenn Fisher for us. He kept us in the game in the first period. He played extremely well.

We fought very hard to put ourselves in position to get the second seed, and to not be able to move on and prolong our postseason play is disappointing. Anytime you're eliminated before you want to, it's difficult. But with this team, it's especially difficult considering some of the great play we've seen from this team throughout the year.

We worked hard to create opportunities, then when we had opportunities, we quit working. The result is not a shock as much as the performance is a shock.

We saw it as a high stick. There was no doubt.

We knew their team was better than their record, yet I think perhaps as a team we did not give them the respect they were due.

We will make a thorough search. It won't take six months. It won't take the entire summer. It will be quicker than that.

We wanted to create some good bounces for ourselves, and yet not only do they get the first goal, but two of the first three goals went off us. Those are difficult things to swallow, especially when you're trying as hard as this team has been.

(Tonight), Game 2 of the series, we need it. We need to win that game, and we need to perform better. And I'm very positive that we will.

Throughout the season, Matt's been able to play at a very high level. It's not often that a defenseman is able to be among the top scorers in the league. That tells you how gifted he is offensively. He also is our No. 1 guy matching up with other team's top line. He's extremely valuable to us. Out of all the teams we played, I don't recall seeing a defenseman on the ice better than Matt.

Both Glenn and Peter are the kind of athletes that, after a poor performance, they usually rebound really well.

Earl is their quickest player. He can break a game open.

I use this term a little tongue-in-cheek, but they are finally getting interested. But I think there is some truth to that. Our guys are very aware of what's at stake, and when you can see the end of the regular season coming around and you've put yourself in contention, your heart's not beating if you can't get excited.

No question, these games mean an awful lot to us. Minnesota, Colorado College and North Dakota, those are the three teams we finish with. I don't see any way we can sweep the table. But if we're able to get a win or two...

As I've jokingly said to some of the people out here, some of our veterans are starting to get interested. No question, we're playing our best hockey of the season right now.

That opened some eyes and a sense of urgency took over. I don't think I'd define this as a great team, because we can still struggle at times, but we've improved quite a bit.

They don't have an abundance of ability to create offense but they skate well and defend very well.

They are special players. They have great stick skills, but will learn early how quick the game is and how strong the opposing players are.

I told them, 'Thank you very much. But it sure would be a lot sweeter to celebrate after No. 405,'

It's tough to find any weaknesses and probably even more difficult to expose those weaknesses if you find any. They are a team like every year in the WCHA, where the cream rises to the top. They've gotten strong play from all four of their classes, and they've got a good senior class that has given great leadership.

It's going to be very difficult for anybody to catch them.

Stripping the puck, blocking shots and making quick passes up ice are more the things he brought to our program.

It was a pretty heavy emotional burden to carry before the game. Everyone seemed to sense that this was a game we had to have.

They couldn't score and didn't play as well defensively. But once he got healthy, the ship was righted and they were right back on course again.

Any time you can get one of your regular veteran players back in the lineup, it's bound to help. Especially at that crucial position. Adrian has played a lot of minutes over the years and has made some big-time plays for us. He brings that confidence and that experience and that know-how to our team that we need.

I'm not a friend. But when they graduate, we become friends ? sometimes great friends.

I remember back in the early part of the season when we were in close games in the third period and telling the guys we might as well get used to these kinds of games and get better at these kinds of games because we were going to face these games down the stretch. Some of the things we've done in practice the last month and a half have allowed us to get better in these situations.

His focus and concentration have always been so strong that no matter what is going on around him, he doesn't alter his course. I've always thought that great players always play at the same level, no matter what the situation is. That's what made Matt Carle such an outstanding college hockey player.

I don't see why we're going to change. At this point in time, I think we're going to stay with the same rotation we've had all season long.

I do believe we are good enough get there.

And he's only continued to get better and better. He's a great passer; he has the ability to see people who are open where others don't.