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March 1, 2014
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: Game Day
Q. Could you just talk a little bit about tomorrow's lineup and what possible changes you might make?
PAUL MACLEAN: Craig Anderson will be the goaltender, and Patrick Wiercioch will play and Jared Cowen will come out, Corvo won't play, and Matt Kassian will not.
Q. What was the experience like for you and what is the sense that your players gave you?
PAUL MACLEAN: Everyone's pretty excited about the new coats, the new jacket. I think it's been a lot of excitement. I think it's been very good for our team, they're energized, and I think they're really enjoying themselves out there with their friends and families. A chance to skate and participate in something like the Heritage Classic is a real privilege for them. For a lot of them, it's the first time they've done it, and so far it's been a great experience.
Q. Can you give us the reasons that led you to take Jared out at this moment?
PAUL MACLEAN: At this point in time we felt that he struggled defensively, and Patrick has played very well for us. We need to‑‑ we have to play our best team and what we feel is our best team. We feel like right now Patrick gives us a better opportunity.
Q. Can you talk about, as much fun as it was out there, how important these two points are for you guys tomorrow?
PAUL MACLEAN: Well, I think every game we play now is important, so this one is no different than the last one. So we're trying not to look past or make it bigger than it is. We know we have to win games if we want to get ‑‑ to continue to be in the playoff hunt, and this is the next one we have to play. So let's not try to make it bigger than it is, but let's make sure we come out and we compete.
Q. How nice is it to have the families here with you and to share this experience with them?
PAUL MACLEAN: I think it's tremendous for them. Like I said, they're out there having a really wonderful time. A lot of their wives and their girlfriends are here with them. It's a great experience for them to see exactly how we really do travel and the things that we have to put up with whether it's good or bad. But at the same time, it's a great experience, we believe, for the whole group, for the team, as a group, to get to share this type of an opportunity with their loved ones.
Q. As important as it is to get these wins, how much can you build on the defensive effort? Where have you seen the team need to get better as a whole on the defensive side of the puck?
PAUL MACLEAN: Well, we have to stop turning over the puck. We've had this bugaboo with our team a lot earlier in the season, we haven't had it lately. But when we started against Detroit the other night, the game was kind of going along pretty good, and we ended up all of a sudden at 4‑0. We turned the puck over three times in a row. Took a penalty they scored on. In this league, we understand and know good teams are going to make you pay or every team's going to make you pay. Taking care of the puck has been something that we've focused on a lot at the start of the year, and it's something we continue to do. We have to make sure that we do it tomorrow.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
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