This game was hyped up as an air-tight goaltender's duel between two of the NHL's best, and it did not disappoint.
Artemi Panarin banged home his first goal and the Blue Jackets (3-1-0) came out on top, 3-1. Here is the reaction from inside the locker room following the game.
John Tortorella
On avoiding frustration and wearing down the Rangers: "Our first two periods I thought we were chasing the game. I thought they were quicker, I thought they won a lot of the 50/50 pucks. Third period, I thought we played one of our best periods of the short season so far. That's when we were around their net, that's when we had some speed. But [Sergei Bobrovsky] gives us a chance. That game could have been out of sight before the third period even starts if we don't have the goaltending we had tonight."
On what was said and/or changed at the second intermission: "The way I explained it to them is it's a great situation for us. Early in the year, we play in Carolina. It's a hard checking game by both teams. We turn one over, we blow the lead at the end, we find a way to win that game. You have to find a way to win these types of games, because we're gonna do this again sometime. You just don't play well all the time in the year."
On Seth Jones overcoming the turnover and scoring the game-tying goal: "It was brutal. Forget about the turnover, he struggled. But after he scored the goal, he played much better in the third period."
On the play of the Atkinson, Panarin, and Wennberg line: "It's been a little bit of a struggle. I told you guys I was gonna keep 'em together. I fought like hell to keep 'em together in my mind. And I wanted to give 'em as much ice time [as possible], I was just gonna keep on playing 'em. You could see some shifts coming to in the second period, Cam [Atkinson] had a couple chances, shot the puck wide a lot tonight. But in the third period I thought they played really well. And [plays like Panarin's goal], that's a dynamic play. Make something out of nothing."
Lukas Sedlak
On his game-sealing goal: "I think it was just lucky. The [defenseman] on the blue line, he didn't see me coming out of the box, so he was holding the puck a little longer than he should. And then turnover, I get a puck, and it was easy after that."
On New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist: "He played really good tonight. We had 40 shots or something like that... I still think we can get better scoring chances, some better chances in the slot. We put pucks [on] net, but from a long distance."
Matt Calvert
On the way the team fought: "I thought we were a little sloppy the first two periods. I thought we did some good things, they did some good things. It was kind of one of those games like the Carolina game again. Tight checking, two fast teams, two skilled teams, not really really giving up much. But third period we just came out with the energy, I thought we had way more energy than them. We executed, we made plays. We just kept pushin', pushin', and we got a big win."
On what was behind the third period push: "It was growing as a team. I know we talked about [in the locker room], there was no panic, there was no frustration, [John Tortorella] kind of just sent the message. Two periods that we weren't that happy with, you go out there, you chip away, you try to get a lead."
On watching Artemi Panarin score a goal like the one he scored tonight: "It's unbelievable. It was right at the end of the shift, I think I was calling his name, before he wound up, to change. I was taking him off the ice. He dances through a few guys."
"It was an unbelievable move and an unbelievable finish, and that's the type of guy he is and he's gonna be huge for us."
Zach Werenski
On the ups and downs the team faced in the first two periods: "I think we just had to work harder. I don't think we were working hard enough in the first two periods."
On what he was thinking when he saw Panarin winding up: "He's gonna score."
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