On general impressions of the game:
"The first period is always a concern when you haven't played in a couple of weeks and we were a step behind, we didn't give up that much. But in the pace of the game we were a step behind so to be down, we would have preferred to have been even it up but being down one nothing is not a bad thing and I think during the course of the second period the thing that kind of got us going was that hit by Sexton and then right after that we had some really nice offense. So we lost the first and won the second period and we go into the third focusing on things that you needed to do and we did some good things and there were things that needed to be shored up. But in the end we go to a shootout and Mr. Besse scores and Matt saves it. It feels like a win for us and I think we have to look at it like that with this young group and anything that gives us a puff of wind in our sails we are going to take advantage of."
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On the Sexton hit:
"It was a spark. Paddy, that's his very first game that he played at Ferris State. His first shift he stepped into a young a man and said 'hello' and that raises the emotion on the bench and it's funny how a physical play like that can help your teammates relax and just play. It seemed after that play we got some momentum and did some really nice things on some line rushes for and scored some goals."
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On Denver scoring three goals in a row:
We were there but weren't there so it's a continuing process of having the players do that in games. We do it fairly well in practice but at the end of the day we have to do those same things and it's about not only being there but having a stick on the guy and having his coverage and we just played soft. We were there but we weren't there and that's an area where we need to continue to work on and get better at."
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On postgame mood feeling more win-like:
"Absolutely. I think it was the way that we presented it as a coaching staff. Why wouldn't we present it. We went into a shootout and we won the shootout which we recognize it goes down as a tie but we're going to look at it in a very positive light as a puff of wind in our sails going to keep us moving forward."
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On the mood in the locker room post-game:
"That's a good team. Obviously getting the shootout win—it counts as a tie—but we take this as moving in the right direction. I think that's the ninth-ranked team in the nation. Yeah, we had a 3-1 lead but they (Denver) had a lead as well and we fought back, put a few in. Then they got some chances, as well. I don't think we had too sour of a taste in our mouths. Obviously we would've liked to get the win but to get a shootout win, going down as a tie, against the No. 9 ranked team in the nation is a sign we're moving in the right direction and we'll try to get the win tomorrow."
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On what Sexton's hit did emotionally to the team:
"That was huge. It was a great, clean hit. Anything like that can really change momentum in the game and I think we did. That was early in the second period and for the first part of the second period there we had them (Denver) on their heels for a long time, so it definitely got the team going."
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On what the team saw defensively:
"Games are won and lost in front of the net and in the corners, so I think that's something we need to clean up. Like you said, all three of their goals were scrums in front of our net so we need to do a better job of picking up bodies and sticks and not worrying so much about the puck. I think we'll clear that up."
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On what happened on his goal:
"Just a good play from my linemates. (Grant) Besse got it (the puck) in and got it over to (Cameron) Hughes there. He gave it to me and I just shot it on net and it went in. So it was just a good play by them and we're just getting pucks to the net there."
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On back-and-forth play throughout the game:
"Two good teams out there so momentum is going to swing like that. But I thought we did a good job sticking to our system and doing the things we needed to do to be successful. We're just going to grow from that and take the good things from that game and move on."
