The Colorado Avalanche defeated the Detroit Red Wings 4-0 on Saturday, November 7, at Ball Arena in Denver.
After the win, head coach Jared Bednar and several players spoke to the media to break down what happened.
Among the players at the press conference was center Martin Necas, who made a clear statement about what helped the Avalanche defeat the Red Wings.
According to Necas, special teams played a major role in Colorado’s victory, explaining that scoring at five-on-five is difficult at the highest level of competition in the NHL.
Below is the transcript of Necas’ postgame press conference.
Martin Necas: Avalanche ‘Hard to Beat’ When Defense-First Mentality Kicks In
Answer (Question inaudible): Recovering the puck, and then teams playing against us get a little tired, and the game opens up.
Question: Tell me a little bit more about how that unfolds, just generally, with the communication.
A: Yeah, obviously, we try to talk about all that stuff, especially on the power play, to kind of know the patterns and know where to be when certain guys move. And, you know, especially with the kill that goes now, we always have an advantage at the net, and that’s what happened today.
Q: Is that encouraging to play kind of lower there because of what Nate is communicating?
A: Yeah, I feel like you just got to read the game a little bit, and you see them pressuring up high. You can get it in the net, you know. I just had an easy tap-in there.
Q: You talked this morning about that passion and energy to play better in that area. You guys are harder to stop. Where did that come from in the middle of the game?
A: I don’t know. I think special teams and these little things get us going. You know, it’s hard to score five-on-five in this league all the time, so you need to understand how important the power play is. And then, you know, it brings momentum to your side.
Q: How would you assess the team’s defense and what goes into supporting your goaltender in earning a shutout?
A: Yeah, I think a defense-first mentality always helps. We know we’re dynamic offensively, but if we shut it down defensively and Blacky helps us out, then it’s hard to beat us.
Martin Necas Makes Clear Statement on What Drove Avalanche Past Red Wings