John Tortorella Last Quotations

We're just trying to get points. Obviously we wanted two and wanted to win in regulation, but you know the way we played the last two periods I think we're very fortunate to get two points.

He needs to be a big part of the team as we go into the last quarter of the season. The way he plays, that's the type of hockey we are going to have to play, the battles. If he gets recharged a little bit during the break I think he will be a big part of the club.

I think it's the maturity level of our club. I think we've shown that the last little while. We've stayed with it. We haven't turned into individuals, we've just tried to keep banging away.

Our team had a great season last year. But to be considered a great organization, you have to do it again and again. That's the difficult thing. To be considered a great organization, we still have some steps to go.

Our best players have to be better, and they know that. You can guys write it, I'm saying it and I'm not saying it in a negative way. They know the real world. Our best players have to be better for us to do the things we need to do in the last three games here.

We'll do it the best way possible to make sure guys are physically able to go in this last quarter (of the season).

We just froze. Atlanta has some good offensive people and we couldn't change the momentum. The way we played the last two periods, we're fortunate to get two points.

Everybody is chipping in and we're playing very well at this point in time as a team. That's the most important thing. To win consistently in this league, you need to play as a team and that's the way we've been doing it the last little bit.

As with 29 other teams, defense is always a concern. I know Jay is looking. We do have a budget, as all of the teams do, and we have to find the right piece. It may come up to the last day of the preseason to see if something is there. Maybe it doesn't. All we can do as a coaching staff and as a team is whoever is here when we open up against Boston, we are going to try to play under a strict team concept and do the best we can.

It's a win, it's two points, but more important is how we did it. It's not what you do last year, it's what you do right now. That's what I think we re-established for tonight's game.

It's an important goal because I thought we stunk in the first period. I think we watched them. I thought we lost a lot of battles. To get that goal in the last minute of any period, it's always tough for the team that's scored on.

The last few games we played them, a turn here or a turn there would have changed the result.