Terry Ruskowski Quotations

This was a huge game for us and it really gives us home ice advantage. We have to concentrate and play disciplined hockey and drive hard to the net, and play a little better defense. It makes the trip back a lot better, I'll tell you that.

This was a great hockey game. Both teams played hard the entire 60 minutes and you couldn't rest for one shift.

It was one of those games that everything went right for us and everything went wrong for Rio. That's only one game. We have to go back (Tuesday) and play in there. We know it's going to be a different story going back there.

It could have gone either way. You don't understand. It's just like King Kong dropped off my back. I can actually walk without him off my back. It's been a war.

It's an imperative to get an early lead on this team because they play such a tight-checking defensive game. It's nice to score the way we did and to take them out of their game plan. We haven't seen the end of them, I know we haven't. I know they're going to come out and play a lot harder (Saturday) so we have to be prepared for them.

There's about three or four other guys I wouldn't mind picking from that team. I really like the team down in Rio. I know the players selected will be very good players.

We don't make any excuses. We have to play the game with him or without him. We can't dwell on him not playing. We've played without him before. Once he's back, it's a plus. You have to grab the bull by the horns and have somebody step up and be accounted for. There better be somebody to step up and be accounted for.

The thing that bothers me is I can see the playoff players, and I can see the guys that are not coming out to play playoff hockey. That really bothers me.

Serge has been contributing to our success for the past four years. He is a very important part of our success. Serge is a leader and is well deserving of this award. I am very proud of his efforts and accomplishments.

Even though he is not a veteran, Paul plays like a vet. He is cool and calm under pressure. We can trust him to do the job and do it well. He is the type of guy I depend on a lot in special team's situations. He can skate well and he moves the puck well. I am hoping he can help the young kids out that we have coming into camp.