Playoffs Quotations | Page 6

The playoffs will still be on our mind until we are mathematically eliminated. We're trying to sneak in there. We still have a lot of the season ahead of us. We'll see what happens.

The playoffs start on March 10 and the top eight teams get first-round byes, so we're looking pretty good right now.

The playoffs have been going on for us for awhile.

The playoffs get underway very quickly and we'll make sure we let everyone know when.

The playoffs are very challenging and we have a long road ahead of us. We are not guaranteed that we will win anything so the girls know we have to practice and work hard if we want to advance in the playoffs.

The playoffs are tough. Nothing is going to be given to you. Tonight, we played like we expected that something would be given to us.

The playoffs are the last thing on our mind right now. We just want to come out, play every night and give 100 percent for out fans and just for ourselves.

The playoffs are the best time of the year. The sun is shining. The plants are budding, and playoff hockey is in the air.

The playoffs are such a step up from the regular season. Every team will have a full line up and the boys should come out flying.

The playoffs are something new to a lot of our guys. We got off to a slow start, but once they got on us 1-0, the guys stepped up and fought back.

(The playoffs are) not going to be something we?re going to shoot for. But we?re going to come out and try and play hard every game and win as many games as possible and get things going in the right direction.

The playoffs are fun. That's what you play for as a player and as a coach, and what the fans wait all season for. So the fun begins.

(The playoffs are) a road you have to follow if you want to be considered among the great ones, because it demonstrates that you're either making the players around you better or management is putting better players around you in order to showcase your talent longer into the playoffs.

The playoffs are all about starting over, ... (The championship series) gives us what we've wanted for a long time, a culminating end to our season. If we do anything approaching any other sports, it's a huge impact on our overall television position, and it helps carry our audience into the fall.

The playoffs are a different mindset and a different season. Our main goal is to go in healthy and we'll be alright.

The players want to get in the playoffs and win a championship for Bob. We still are very committed to his vision. The foundation of this team happened through Bob.

There are always goals that you try to meet every year. In terms of points, it's been good. But it all ends (this week), and the playoffs are a new year.

When you look at the grand scheme of things, you can't expect to win every game. There's going to be speed bumps along the way. We've been gearing up for the playoffs all year and we think we're ready for it, regardless. Anything that happened tonight will be a distant memory come the playoffs.

With our schedule, it'll be hard to predict how we'll do. But I'd be disappointed if we're not back in contention for the playoffs again.

We are excited about being in the playoffs and the kids are looking forward to Tuesday.

Two things can happen. We can make the playoffs and beat our cross-town rivals.

The reason we have seen so many penalties in the playoffs is they (referees) started calling everything again. They were not calling everything in the last 10, 15, 20 (regular-season) games.

Finishing off 12-4 is our goal. I don't want to say the intensity, but the importance of the playoffs starts this week. So we're in playoff mode starting now, and we'll continue going into next week. So you can look for us to actually be playing like it's our first playoff game.

Finishing 3-1 on our part was really good. I think we are definitely passing much better. Our offense is definitely working, and we are learning a new defensive system and still working the kinks out. It's our goal to make it to the playoffs and these things are stepping stones to do that.

Experience only gets you so far. We were in the playoffs two years ago without any experience at all, and we ended up in the Super Bowl. Playoff experience is overrated.

We've been playing some games here for a while now that haven't really meant anything standing-wise. Now everything's over and done with. The playoffs are coming.

We've been playing like we're in the playoffs since the last month of the season. We had to win.

We seem to be getting better in the playoffs which is the right time. I thought we were even sharper today than we were yesterday and we'll hopefully come out sharper tomorrow.

We've been looking forward to the playoffs since the end of last season.

We've been kind of a high-profile team the last two years. That experience of going through the playoffs has been important.

We've been chased for a long time. We know what kind of beast these playoffs are. We will be prepared for everything and we will go into every single game ready to fight for our lives.

We've been chased for a long time, so it doesn't change for us. We've still got to come out and do what we do. We've been here before, we know what type of situations we've been in and we know what type of beast the playoffs bring. You've got to be prepared for everything.

We need to get sharper on the attack and the final third, because when it comes closer to the playoffs and obviously the Open Cup game next week, the difference is going to be one play here or there - being able to finish that one chance or making that big play on the defensive end that keeps us in the game.

We wanted this game so we had a chance to go into the playoffs and so we could get a home playoff game.

We've had talks, ... I know that I would like to come back, especially after how close we came to making the playoffs this season.

We've had such a great year and we don't want to give it away. Why? It just happened. We're not happy with the way we played. We have to play better in the playoffs and we have two games to go to get us there.

We've had some personnel changes there, and as much as anything, we're hoping we can get a spark. We need to start winning some games if we're going to make the playoffs there.

We've got a couple of seniors who are three-year starters who are giving us leadership, but we're still very young. I think we can make the playoffs if we keep getting a little better each game.

Well, if we won out through the playoffs and got to the Joe (Louis Arena for the CCHA championships), we could be gone that long. We had to consider that possibility.

We're taking playoffs out of our vocabulary. We need to win this one game. That's all we need to worry about.

This season is going to be a learning experience but we have the same goals that we have every year. We want to make the playoffs and the girls expect to do that. We are going to keep the expectations high but we have an uphill battle.

We all knew coming into this building it would be a hard-fought game. It was a big boost for us going into the playoffs to win a big game like that.

The reason in the playoffs that defensive-oriented teams are successful is because the longer you play someone, you become more comfortable with how guys are getting their shots and what they're doing. You have the ability to lock down more from a defensive standpoint.

We've got a lot of great players - experienced guys. They know how to play hard and how to win, so we can make this final push and be in the playoffs for the first time.

To advance in the playoffs you need experience on the bench. I wanted to get my bench in there in the fourth quarter and let them play man defense.

Those were big, clutch hits. That's exactly what we haven't gotten in the playoffs the last couple of years.

Those three seniors have been here all four years, and we've made it past the first round of the playoffs each year. That's their legacy. The players who stay here will have to live up to that legacy.

This team made a good run, showed a lot of character, a lot of heart. We'll finish up the season, but the opportunity of making the playoffs is gone and that's disappointing.

This team has been on a mission from the first game of the season. The scoring droughts that they may have had in past playoffs will not happen in Flip Saunders' offense, and I believe that they want to prove that they can win a title without Larry Brown. Also, the East is so weak that they should have an easy ride, at least to the conference finals.

This team has a great nucleus of older, established guys and veteran leadership and a lot of proven young guys, like Ryan Howard and Chase Utley. They bring energy to the game. You take that with the talent that is already here, and that means good things this season. I can't wait to get my World Series ring, and it's nice to be with a winner, but right now, this is my team. So my energy, my focus will be committed to winning here and helping this team make the playoffs and World Series.

This was playoffs personified. This felt like the Eastern Conference Finals last year (with Miami).

This was our three-peat so we can get that up there that we were undefeated for three years. That was our goal this year, but that's not the only goal. We want to get at least one game further in the playoffs than we did last year, and I think we have the potential to do that.

This was a big relief. My sophomore year, we made the playoffs but didn't win. Last year, we outplayed Brentwood but we lost. I think it helped that South Side Beaver beat us before. They're good. Their record is deceptive.

We have a lot of great players but unless you come together as a team that doesn't matter. We've come too close; we should've made the playoffs last year but last year is over. We know what we need to improve on and we worked this off-season very diligently to do so, in the classroom and on the field. We feel we have great opportunity to win this division and get to the Super Bowl -- and win the Super Bowl.

We got a real good shot at making the playoffs and we got to continue to bring our 'A' game. We can't afford to take a night off.

We go over the video to look for tendencies, but you can't teach that (clutch scoring). It's not always the guys you expect who score. I remember playing with John Druce (with the Washington Capitals). He scored more goals in the playoffs than he did in the regular season. That stuff happens. We gave ourselves a chance in the third period and we got the break.

We had a lead. We need to find a way to close it out. We both need points. Both teams are on the outside of the playoffs looking in.

We had a lead in that game and we blew it. We have to learn to pull those games out. ... We're trying to make the playoffs and every point counts. If you miss it by one point, you probably look back at this game.

We want to go into the playoffs on a little bit of a run. We don't want to be going in playing sloppy hockey, getting careless, and losing games.

We want to go into the playoffs on a high, playing the style of basketball Coach expects us to play.

(We want to) give the fans something to look forward to next year. We're going to be a much better team, and we are going to be scratching and clawing our way into the playoffs next year.

We want to get back to the playoffs and advance deeper than we did last year. But overall, the program has definitely turned around. The school is very supportive. We're bringing a lot of fans to the game. We had a good group of freshmen come into the program this year. We have a good balance on the team.

We just don't take chances with the playoffs being here. But he should be fine.

We knew it was an important game for us. On the other side for them, too, it's a big game. They're trying to make the playoffs and we're trying to stay in first.

We knew coming into the playoffs that our pitching staff was our strength.

Turnovers. That's the name of the game. We know that no matter what happens out there on the field if we get a turnover they can't score. . . . But it's always the teams that are plus in the turnover ratio that go to the playoffs and hopefully have a chance to win.

You guys know better than anybody that there are good days and there are bad days, ... I'm not saying we're going to the playoffs this year. But it sure is nice to win the first one.

You have to get it done in the playoffs before people talk about what you accomplished.

This year it's our turn to get back into the playoffs again. I hope things are going to work out this week but we've got to make some shots.

We've put ourselves behind the 8-ball as far as the playoffs go. I think we've got to win all four of our games left.

We were on the attack from the get-go. We didn't make a whole lot of mistakes. I was very pleased with the effort. The players played as though they were on a mission. They realize that the only conceivable way to qualify for the 2005 VIS playoffs is to win out for the remainder of the season.

What came out of the (Class A) playoffs was our lack of experience as a team. We've tried to challenge ourselves by adding teams that have had success and traditionally strong programs. It's all part of a learning process, and we hope to learn this year.

We're playing against teams that are fighting for the playoffs and we're going to make every effort to get after it as hard as we can, ... My goal is not to let anybody clinch while we're on the field with them.

We tried to make it like a playoff game knowing that Amity was already in the playoffs and the kids remembered losing to them early so this was a huge game for us. We really stressed tightening up our defense and for the most part we did but we still have a lot of work to do.

We just want to have momentum before the playoffs start. We've just got to have everybody here. Kenyon and Marcus, because they dominated us tonight.

We just want to get ourselves ready for the playoffs and come out and play good hockey the rest of the way.

We just wanted to give ourselves every opportunity to win games. Guys came out ready to play with a lot of energy but the playoffs is a whole different beast. This game won't mean anything for that. Everybody knows teams step up their game once the playoffs start.

We just wanna worry about winning this last game and going into the playoffs with some momentum.

We just gotta try to continue to build on what's been a pretty good week of basketball and we've got one more opportunity before the playoffs start and it's important for us.

We were pretty much in the playoffs until this last week.

We lost in double-overtime, but we were down 18 at the half. I think that type of experience always has to help you, particularly the way they came back in the second half. Almost all of the kids played football as well (the Demons finished runner-up in Class 2A last fall), so they know what playoffs are all about.

We lose two seniors who were tremendous in their roles. We'll miss them, but we had a lot of young people playing in the playoffs and we'll learn from this.

We had the lead and we blew it. We're trying to make the playoffs and every point counts. If you miss it by one, you'll probably look back at this game, look at all the games we blew, and we've got to stop doing that. We've got to pull them out.

We fell short because we didn't have these types of players. So, now it's our job to get into the playoffs with these types of players and the guys we've had. We can have success.

We felt we were really ready for a long playoff run. We came out flat in this series and we are very disappointed. This franchise is built on winning in the playoffs and this is just a bad way to end.

We felt the like the playoffs are our second chance, and guys played like it really meant something to them. My hat is off to them.

We got our first goal, and that was to make the playoffs. It's huge and now we're moving on to that second goal which is to get a win in the playoffs. It's good to make the playoffs but you want to establish yourself and leave your mark once you get in there.

We hit the ball hard and played good defense. It's great to know that we are in the playoffs again because the girls worked hard after our slow start.

We hit a lot of balls out of bounds today. That's not really like us. I hope we get settled down by the time the playoffs start.

We controlled our own fate and we won two very important games. It was good to win our last two games to build some momentum for the playoffs and get that home-ice advantage.

We are trying to peak at the right time and go into the playoffs with a lot of confidence. I could care less who we play.

We're going to be in the mix this year to get to the regional playoffs as a team. We've got a great core of guys and the whole group is fun to work with. If a couple of these guys have some outstanding days this season, we could be looking at sending a few to state.

We're going into the playoffs with an edge because we really had to be sharp the last 10 games. It's a whole new season, but hopefully that'll help us.

We're very aware of the situation. We need to jump on teams who are tired from playing the night before. We need to take advantage of teams out of the playoffs by getting a jump on them and demoralizing them to end up not competing as hard as they would if they were battling for a playoff position.

We feel like we can control the boards and therefore we can run when we want or slow it down and then pound the ball inside. It's worked so far for us in the playoffs and I think we can have some success inside against Oconee.

You go out and you try to do a little too much instead of playing within yourself and playing within the system. The thing this year is to try not to make mistakes you made last year. (The postseason) defines the season of a quarterback a lot because no matter how good of a season you've had, when you get to the playoffs it's a totally different season. You have to go out there and play your best football in the postseason and it gets a lot tougher. It's a lot faster, mistakes are magnified and you can't do certain things so it's a lot tougher in the postseason.

You give us two or three days in the playoffs to prepare for a team, study them and break them down, and we'll see. That's what he lives for. That's what the system is all about.

You get to the playoffs you got to win 11 games. In the regular season, you win 99 and go to the wire and almost lose. The way we played all year long it was like a playoff game every day. ... I talked to the guys. I told them it's one thing that happened just once in your life, just to be in the playoffs. Some people play a lot of years in this game and never have this opportunity.

To be honest nobody expected us to do what we did this year. Our staff felt if we could get five wins, maybe six and sneak into the playoffs as the fourth seed, it would be a phenomenal year.

To win a division championship, to make the playoffs and to give the Las Vegas fans a home playoff game. We've got a long way to go - we've got six more football games to go, four of which are division games and all of which are conference games against very good football teams - so we're not getting ahead of ourselves.