Quotes of the day: Petry, Danault, Romanov & Julien

EDMONTON – The Canadiens practiced at Downtown Community Arena on Friday.

Following the on-ice session, defensemen Jeff Petry and Alexander Romanov met the media, along with forward Phillip Danault.

They were followed by head coach Claude Julien.

Here are a few highlights from their Zoom-based Q&A with reporters:

When asked to reflect on Romanov’s NHL debut earlier this week against the Maple Leafs, Petry offered up a glowing evaluation:

He had poise, and if you were to be watching the game not knowing anything about him, you wouldn’t say that was his first NHL game. He looked like a guy that was playing with confidence and I think down the line – he skates well, he plays physical and he’s a guy that’s comfortable with the puck on his stick. Especially as time goes on and he gets more and more comfortable, he’s going to be a very good D man for us this year and moving forward.

Video: Jeff Petry on making improvements to the penalty kill

With respect to the penalty kill, Petry pointed to a few aspects that need improvement heading Saturday night’s matchup against Edmonton:

We practice it at home. I guess getting the experience and just making sure that we’re all on the same page together. If one guy’s a half a step late, our penalty kill’s not as effective. I think just making sure that we’re on the same page and when we’re pressuring we have to all be in sync and not – like I said – if one guy’s slow then the next guy’s slow and that’s when breakdowns happen.

Danault, meanwhile, discussed the challenge that Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl present when facing the Oilers:

That’s a big offensive machine. They’re a two-headed monster. We know that they have a ton of speed. The only way to counter them is to play as a team.

Video: Phillip Danault on his faceoff acumen

Danault was also asked to recall his first NHL game and compare his performance with that of Romanov:

I’d say he was a lot more confident than I was. He has a really good role. He knows the reasons why he’s here. He has good confidence. He’s a good passer and a good shooter. He’s a big addition to the team. He’s very important for us.

During his first media availability of the season, Romanov described his emotions before hitting the ice at Scotiabank Arena:

I think more excitement because it’s my first game. And a little bit nervous, a little bit nervous because I didn’t know what the NHL is like in real life. But it was okay, it was good.

Video: Alexander Romanov on his NHL debut

Fortunately, the nerves didn’t last long and it was smooth sailing for the 21-year-old Russian blueliner as the game continued:

I think it was the first shift because I didn’t understand where I was, like it was so fast. I was nervous a little bit, but the next shift it was better, better and better.

As for Julien’s message to Romanov heading into the season opener, the veteran bench boss kept things simple:

We told him to be comfortable and have fun, remember your first game as a good memory. Like we told Romanov, we have confidence in his abilities, he just has to use them well. If there are adjustments that need to be made, the coaches are going to make them. We didn’t want him to think too much on the ice. We wanted him to play his style of game. We’ll make the necessary adjustments as we move along.

Video: Claude Julien on covering McDavid and Draisaitl

Julien also shed some light on what his group must do to keep McDavid and Draisaitl at bay: 

It’s so tough to defend against him. If you get to close to him, he’ll beat you with his speed. You also don’t want to give him too much space. It takes smart players to force him into the corners of the rink so he can do the least damage possible. When you see McDavid and Draisaitl together, whether on the power play or on the same line, they’re always looking for each other. Not only are they looking for each other, but they’re finding each other, too. That isn’t easy to defend against. Our players must be alert when they’re on the ice. We have to cut the passing lanes and take away space out there.