Seth Appert Post Skate | 02.12.24
So uh yeah this weekend you guys have G four points but two nothing lead in last uh I mean yeah I mean you don’t want to have a lead and give it up but at the same point in time you know we know how good Syracuse is and you know
That you know that’s just not going to be enough right so they hardfought games both games had a real you know there’s a lot violence it was it was Heavy it was mean both sides physical physical games um you’d like to find a way to win uh
And get or get the extra point in overtime but I like a lot of what we did um that’s that’s a game on Saturday especially that um you know we probably weren’t capable of of keeping that 2 to2 uh 25 games ago and I just like the
Groups uh they were really pushing after they tied it physical they were leaning on us you’re on the road tough building big crowd and uh I liked our push back um played hard physically Mason yaps ran ran you know Philipe Meers one of their best players over with a massive hit
That was that was a big Turning Point um and and I liked our third period we we all played them in the third and had a lot of chances to win still I it’s February you can still make keep right so the team you have to learn all the time you
Game you got you have to get better in the playoffs like are we we believed we were getting better series to Series in the playoffs last year if you stay the same other teams are going to go past it because there there isn’t staying the same staying the same means you’re
Getting worse because other teams are improving so um yeah always trying to get better you’re always trying to improve um you know I think both games you’re not you can’t sit and hold a two nothing lead and nor did we try to um I thought that both games if you can get a
Third goal now that makes them more uncomfortable um now you’re up three nothing or three to one maybe and it makes them have to chase the game a little bit um they’re really good when they play in structure and slow it down and kind of grind on you with their size
And physicality um if we get a third goal that that pulls them out of that a little bit Only he was really strong both games um liked his play liked his presence liked his competitiveness um looked in control in the net uh really it was a good challenge you know you you play at home go to overtime got to go on the road tough building tough place to play
That’s his first time in that building and uh and perform extremely well um haven’t asked them I think most goalies would say that though um I think most goalies would probably prefer 10 to 15 in the first period now you prefer 10 to 15 from good spots not not one-timers
And two on- ones and things like that but you know goalies get 10 or 15 in the first period they get in the Rhythm obviously our our defensive num have improved dramatically so the games he’s played of late have been less shot volume Saturdays was was a little higher
Um and and it didn’t seem to affect him at all Mro really good together what do you see well I think um brro and rusek have been you know all three of them have been some of our best players if not our best players all season but it’s been really interesting of late that Brett Murray seems to be an
Igniter or a catalyst on whatever line he’s going to um you know Murray and Joe St noev were really good together Murray and yst and MCH were really good together like so starting to see a pattern that that uh Brett Murray’s consistency of play uh over the last 15
Games has been incredibly high and his his his bad game right now is like a bb+ um and then he’s had some Aames in there goal assist Four Points you know things like that as well so um as a threesome they’re doing a lot of good
Things but but I did want to point out how how effective Murray has been with his consistency of play in the last month or so one of things this Al still dayto day um he’s he’s back better um you know I’d say he’s probable for Wednesday but
Um right now you know you know we want to make sure we still have 29 games left or whatever it is and um we got a lot of important playoff style games ahead and obviously he’s had a incredible volume of play over the last 15 16 months so we
Just want to be smart about it prob day to day day to day one of things just talking about that strch so Wednesday start seven games in 11 next week play five and seven I think how do you kind of look at this stretch from afar be pretty tough yeah
You know it’s funny I thought it was seven and 10 until like a week ago so I found out we got an extra rest day in there so 7 11 seems a lot better than seven and 10 um you know we’re going to need our whole lineup that that’s huge
You know somewhere in these stretch of games we’re going to need all three goalies we’re going to need uh all seven healthy defenseman and hopefully Stillman uh comes back at some point in the stretch of games uh we’re going to need all 14 15 forwards that are healthy
Like everybody’s going to need to play because the the volume of game and the turnaround of the game and the timing of of such is just going to be so high that guys are going to have to come in and out um you’re not gonna you know you
Don’t usually go on like a seven game Run in these types of stretches but you need to you need to win it you need to find a way to come out on the positive side of this seven game stretch uh and have more wins than losses so that we
Keep uh Pace W with the standings of how tight the north division is do you have not for me no Katon what do you got buddy am I an intense coach that’s a good question um I think it’s probably a better question for brro uh or the
Players um I think I’m probably a passionate energetic coach um I think I definitely have an intensity to me uh but at the same time I try to make the rink uh a very fun place to be for our players because I think when the players
Are having fun and they want to be here they get better from that else good decisions I teaching our players good this season well the fans might be able to answer that one better um some games yes some games no um I think that uh we
Have we have a a way of play and a style of practice that we believe in um and I think over the last number of years including this year how much better our players have gotten like that’s my goal as a coach and our goal
As a coaching staff is we want to make our players careers better uh some of those guys that’s to get to the NHL like so many guys in the past few years and other guys it’s just to continue to have great careers here or get big contracts
When they go over to Europe uh but that’s our goal is to make all of our players better uh so it makes their life and their career better how long have you been aach how long have I been a coach uh I’ve been a coach for a long time fortunately I wasn’t
That good as a player um so my career ended right after college um so I started coaching 21 years old um so I think now it’s been I think this is 29 or 30 years um I think this is year 29 uh 20 of them in college hockey and
Then uh and then like almost four at the US national team and then and then here any other questions Katon thanks for coming today buddy
