"We battled back from 20 points down. The guys were hustling, working and playing together. They had some energy. The game was right there. All we had to do was finish it and we didn't finish it."

"There's no excuse for playing that poorly in the first half, ... But it is two halves."

"They win a lot of close games, that's what they do."

"I think Ellis is an explosive athlete."

"The other area is certainly an area for debate. We'll just have to see it plays out. I understand both sides of the argument."

"I thought we were better on defense, and it allowed us to get out on the break more consistently. I think it was important for us to get a split just so the kids will get some confidence in themselves and what we're doing."

"It's got us all frustrated. The first part of the game we couldn't get back on defense. Then in the second half, we couldn't guard them when they were in front of us."

"We get back ahead get control of the game but we can't sustain it. Yao is a problem for us and no matter what we did we were in trouble."

"It's hard. The teams we are playing are all vying for playoff spots. They all have incentives."

"Everybody on our team sure liked Matt. He works hard and he makes open shots and it seems to me like he's playing with more confidence."

"He's a steadying influence, ... He just keeps the ball in his hands and guys know that he'll be able to get them the ball."

"It's a cumulative thing. The last how many games, how many was there a shot to win at the end? And we didn't get any of them. I think these kids deserve a win. It's discouraging and doesn't feel very good. These guys deserve a win."

"I think our players deserved that win. We've been through so many games where at the end we haven't made a play and now Jason steps up and hits a huge shot."

"At practice yesterday we could barely get 94 feet we were so tired. We just couldn't run and it carried over to today. The break really took its tool on us and Jason (Richardson) is a little under the weather. Troy is coming back from about 2 1/2 weeks of not being able to do anything."

"He's been well coached having Roy Williams and Bill Self. They put him in position where he understands how to do things. But again, coming in here with some pretty good players and being able to hold his own like he has, it's pretty impressive. He's not backed off. He's been tough. He's shown leadership."

"I think we were desperate. That's the way we've got to play every night. We don't have much margin for error."

"That's good for his confidence, ... Not only the game, but the shootout."

"Since the beginning, I always loved the game. When you grow up in Montreal, one day you want to be a professional hockey player. When I was six or seven, I knew that was what I wanted."

"It's up to the community now to decide if they want to keep this team."

"Maybe he just turned 18, but look how he played in our last [exhibition] game. He was one of the best players on the ice, making plays, with his skating and his strength, handling the puck. Give this kid a couple of years, he's going to do some damage."

"They're trying to put the best team together, so experience is going to be a factor over there -- I think that had to do with the way they picked the team."

"The chances are there, it's going to come, ... One of these games, we are going to explode for a few goals and get our confidence back. I think the guys are a little uptight right now."

"It's going to be tough. For us to get in the playoffs, we have to win 10 or 12 games in a row and get back in it. That's the only way we can do it."

"Maybe he just turned 18, but look how he played in our last (preseason) game, ... He was one of the best players on the ice, making plays, with his skating and his strength, handling the puck. Give this kid a couple of years, he's going to do some damage."