Alain Vigneault met with the media on Thursday before heading to Detroit and said (NYR):
- On the Chris Kreider situation, "the only thing that I know is that just before the first period he felt some swelling in his arm. The docs checked him out and didn't see anything out of the ordinary and then in-between the first and second it got to a point where this was out of the ordinary so they sent him to the hospital and found out."
- They did an MRI, "I'm not exactly sure what they did there but they had him checked out and that is what is happening right now."
- Did he stay in the hospital, "I don't know if he stayed, I know he is going through some other tests today."
- On losing Kreider, "it's part of the game, stuff happens, other opportunities for other guys to get a bigger role and more ice time. Someone has to step up to the plate. I'm thinking of Jimmy Vesey, he's been wanting more ice time, left winger like Kreids. Because of the injury to Quickie, Vinni Lettieri gets a chance to come up and play. Right handed shot, which we don't have a lot of, speed, and a good shooter. He's going to get an opportunity to play."
- On the reports on Lettieri from Hartford, "he's been playing well, young guy, came in, I think everyone remembers the skillset and speed during training camp. He's had some very good moments in Hartford, is a young player and our coaches and scouts there feel he is a good prospect and he will get his first look at the NHL."
- "all teams go through this, every team gets asked for their depth at some point during the season and we are getting our part as far as our forwards."
- On Lettieri being a righty and the PP, "I think the combo of him being a right hander that likes to shoot the puck, we don't have a lot of those on our team as far as guys with a right handed possibility. He's been doing it in Hartford, I've tried some other guys and I want to try Vinni. It's as simple as that."
- On limiting the Caps, "we gotta continue in the same frame of mine. Yesterday we did a good job of D to D, quick up and getting pucks in their end quickly. We need to go into Detroit with the same mindset. They just played against the Devils, I watched part of it, they played a real good game. We need to play well, need to play well on the road, since I have been here we have always been a good road team and that is because we are, in my mind, try to play the right way wherever we play. Tomorrow is another opportunity and we will go out and focus on that game."
- On Paul Carey, "Paul came in and you could tell right away, good skater and that speed enabled him to get in on the forecheck, he was good in his puck battles one on one. He got an opportunity to play and in that opportunity he has found a way to contribute. He's gotta continue, depending on the game he is getting pretty good minutes and we need him just like we need the rest of our crew to find ways to contribute, whether that be on the score sheet, blocking shots, on the forecheck, getting pucks out. Paul is no different and getting a good and more consistent opportunity than he probably has had on other teams and we need him to step up."
- Does this team need a player that shoots the puck, "I think it would be an asset. We have a lot of guys, and that has been part of our strength, we have been able to score a good percentage on a low ratio of shots. You don't want to take that instinct, because the game happens so quick, you don't wanna take that away. We got a lot of guys that think pass first, probably if you would ask the coaches and some of the players, the coaches would like to see them shoot more and have a bit more of a shoot first mentality but at the same time you are always walking that fine line. In Vinni's case, from my understanding and what I remember of him in camp and talking to the coaches in Hartford, he has a shoot first mentality. Since we don't have any right shots on the second PP unit it's something that I feel we need to see and see what he can do."
- What do you mean by walking a fine line, "I feel that it's our obligation to give them the percentages, you are on a bad angle, throwing pucks into the blender, like we like to call it, the goalies pads, and puck spits out, that to me is as good as direct pass. Sometimes guys see -- how many times have we seen Mats Zuccarello put the puck through someones feet to a guy on the other side with an open net. Sometimes when we are watching the play as coaches we are thinking throw it in there and those guys see plays. You gotta walk that line and our scoring percentage has been one of the better ones as far as finding the back of the net. Always finding ways to improve."
- On Mika, "I thought he was a little bit better, I'd like him to be better in our end with how he handles the puck, making the right plays, but his line last night played extremely well. Maybe they didn't get on the scoresheet but Nash finished checks, Mats made some plays, Mika got in there and found his two linemates, I thought it was a better game and a step in the right direction, they had good energy and I want them to follow it up tomorrow."
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