Detroit Red Wings at Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets Head Coach Ken Hitchcock

Commenting on the game …
"I know you try to win and lose as a team, but our captain tried to carry us on his back and he didn't have enough people going with him. He tried to win the game by himself - he tried to drag as many people into the fight as he could. We didn’t have enough people dragged in."

"Even at 2-1, we didn't have enough people playing their best – that's what we have to have to beat Detroit."

"When you play a team three times, it's psychological. It's believing that you can beat the team."

Commenting on the playoffs…
"We have to win out. The winning out point total is within one of what it's going to take."

Commenting on Rick Nash…
"Rick was tremendous toady, he just need more help. We needed more people to play at his emotional level."

Player Quotes

Columbus Blue Jackets Left Wing Rick Nash

Commenting on the Blue Jackets' slow start…
"The first period was brutal. We're not playing as desperate as we should be."

Commenting on where the team goes coming off a loss…
"It's just going to make it that much more harder, we're already in a hole. We're pretty much going to have to win out. We can't be losing anymore games; we have to play desperate with a lot more energy. If we want to do this we have to believe in ourselves."

Columbus Blue Jackets Defenseman Rostislav Klesla

Commenting on the start…
"We didn't start off like we wanted to, we didn't play good enough, but we still had a chance in the third (period)."

Commenting on tonight's game…
"Today was a really big game and this loss puts us in a bigger hole. There are still many games to play and we want to win the most so we know we're not quitting here. We just have to go game after game. We'll see where that takes us."

Visiting Head Coach Quotes

Detroit Red Wings Head Coach Mike Babcock

Commenting on the Red Wings third-consecutive 50-win season…
"It's impressive. It speaks to a couple things. Everyone talks about it every year but they built a program here with good players. I'm fortunate enough to be the coach, I'm proud to be the coach."

Commenting tonight's game…
"The first year I was here Pavel (Datsyuk) was a great offensive player and Z (Henrik Zetterberg) was a good two-way player but not nearly as dynamical offensively. It's interesting now because Pavel's way better defensively and Z is way better offensively. It's as good of a one-two punch as there is in hockey."

Commenting on the team's play down the stretch…
"We can't even get on NBC or TSN anymore, we must not be very good. This is what I know, if you prepare hard and get lucky, lucky means healthy. We have a shot and all you can ask for is a shot."