Latest news with #Zadorov
Boston Globe
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
In Season 1, Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov provided the Bruins little return on their investment
As for return on investment, both players fell significantly short of the dollars stuffed in pockets, which is not to say their underperformances were the sole reason the Bruins missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Yet they were presented as the fix, the perceived stabilizing forces — Lindholm to drive the offense and Zadorov to bring spine to the backline — and it's now a roster unable to prevent another DNQ next season if the second verse of those two proves to be the same as the first. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'In both cases,' noted Sweeney, 'the conditioning, and the way training camp went, I'm not particularly happy with, so we're going to address it.' Advertisement If unclear if that's GM talk for, 'Show up here in shape for September training camp and be prepared to earn your dough.' That's about as blunt with the working help as managers or coaches dare get these days. Bruce Cassidy , during his successful tenure as the Black and Gold coach, was said to be much closer to the bone with his criticism, particularly when conversing face to face with his players. He was, by far, the most refreshingly honest coach in Bruins history when it came to answering media questions about the performance of individual players. Advertisement To that latter point, too much honesty (yep, that's a thing in pro sports) with his players likely played a factor in why Cassidy abruptly was canned three years ago, after initially being told, yep, he was good to go here for 2022-23. Beware the expression 'good to go.' Related : 'ROI for it, yeah, it's got to go up,' said Sweeney, addressing the short-changed return on investment on Lindholm and Zadorov. 'Ultimately, when you integrate those guys in here, you want immediate impact, for certain. But they started to grow into their roles, and understanding how they're going to impact our team going forward, and we need to do a better job surrounding them.' In the case of both hires, their play did improve as the season unfolded, though Lindholm's come-to-the-offense meeting came when the season already was kaput. Sweeney now hopes both return for training camp in better shape and can build on the momentum they eventually established. Zadorov on opening night lined up on the No. 3 defense pairing. That was, shall we say, curious. He was wildly undisciplined in the opening weeks, overzealous perhaps in his eagerness to justify his $30 million deal. He settled his game down eventually and better identified times and ways to make a physical impact. Advertisement Much to his credit, as underscored by Sweeney on Wednesday, Zadorov (the New Z) repeatedly stuck up for teammates, an ingredient achingly absent in the years since Zdeno Chara's (the Old Z) departure. Nonetheless, Zadorov still finished with a league-leading 145 penalty minutes, on a team that could ill afford a PIM imbalance on the game sheet. Lindholm, who disclosed on locker cleanout day that he was hindered much of the season by a back he injured in August, was of virtually no use on offense pretty much up to the March 7 trade deadline, By midseason, interim coach Joe Sacco regularly, and justifiably, used him as the No. 3 center. Who saw that in the fine print of his $54.25 million deal? 'I think we were all struggling in the beginning, couldn't find our game,' noted Lindholm. 'Tough with coaching changes, things like that, a lot of stuff going on, but in the beginning, for myself, I wasn't good enough, and I think a lot of guys could say the same thing. Overall, we've got to be better at the start of next year.' Lindholm added that 'he takes a lot of responsibility' within that collective failure and hopes to build on late-season success he had pivoting a potent line with Morgan Geekie to his left and David Pastrnak to his right. Lindholm finished 6-9–15 over the last 17 games. Specific to Zadorov's case, Sweeney is hopeful that the return to the lineup of fellow blue liners Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindhom will square the pairings, setting up Zadorov with a regular partner and defined job description. Nikita Zadorov (right) is 30. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff 'He played with every different partner known to man this year that we put on the roster,' said Sweeney, who played a chunk of his career riding aside Hall of Famer Ray Bourque . 'And that didn't help him. It didn't help him settle his game down at times, certainly. Advertisement 'Could he get better? Absolutely. Do we expect both of them to get better and impact our team? Absolutely.' Sweeney again will be spending, perhaps liberally, when the UFA market opens at noon on July 1. More than once on autopsy day he noted the need to add at wing, in part because of the deadline departures of Trent Frederic , Brad Marchand , and Charlie Coyle , as well as the uncertainty as to whether Sweeney can bang out an extension with Geekie (RFA, career-high 33 goals). Notably, Sweeney did not say center was a point of concern, which points to a 2025-26 reset that includes a top-six forward group anchored by Elias Lindholm, Pavel Zacha , and likely Casey Mittelstadt . Is there an offensive rainmaker among those three? Debatable. The lead candidate, of course, will be Lindholm. If so, it will have to be the Lindholm we saw the last five weeks of the season. TOP 10 LIST Wins, losses early in draft The Bruins will pick no lower than No. 7 in the NHL Draft on June 27, with their spot to be locked in on May 5, the night of the lottery. They finished the regular season holding the No. 5 spot but could move up to No. 1 or 2, or remain at 5, or fall to 6 or 7. Apologies if you were told there would be no math. Joe Thornton , their last No. 1 overall pick (1997), ultimately played up to his franchise billing, though not until he was wheeled to the Sharks. The Bruins also nabbed Sergei Samsonov at No. 8 in the same draft, and the Magical Muscovite was named the 1997-98 Rookie of the Year. Advertisement Samsonov's career wasn't nearly as productive as Thornton's, but he was a solid, effective choice. Marian Hossa (No. 12, Ottawa) might have changed the fortunes of the franchise had he been chosen to be Jumbo Joe's right winger. Oh, to dream. Related : Beginning with that 1997 draft, the Bruins have made seven picks in the top 10 and twice selected players who turned out to be busts — Lars Jonsson , D, (No. 7 in 2000) and Zach Hamill , F, (No. 8 in 2007). Both were the biggest misses of their draft classes. Painful miscalculations. Their other three picks in the top 10 all turned out to be primo choices: Phil Kessel (No. 5, 2006), Tyler Seguin (No. 2, 2010), and Dougie Hamilton (No. 9, 2011) Not a single one of the five picks in the top 10 who made it spent their full careers in Black and Gold. Samsonov, who wore the Spoked-B for 514 games, was the lone pick who actually ended up playing the majority of his career as a Bruin. The five other Original Six franchises, dating to 1997, totaled 44 picks in the top 10, with the Blackhawks topping the pack with a dozen. Only five of those 44 were No. 1 overall picks: Patrick Kane , Chicago, 2007; Auston Matthews , Toronto, 2016; Alexis Lafreniere , NY Rangers, 2020; Juraj Slafkovsky , Montreal, 2022; and Connor Bedard , Chicago, 2023. As for who made the most hay from their high picks, that barroom debate looks like a tossup between the Blackhawks with their dozen and the Maple Leafs with their seven. Advertisement Chicago, with the third pick in 2006, selected franchise center Jonathan Toews . With Kane coming aboard the next year at No. 1, the Blackhawks went on to win the Stanley Cup three times (2010, '13, and '15) with Toews and Kane their offensive kingpins. In the same timeframe, the Maple Leafs connected on all seven of their top-10 picks: Nik Antropov (No. 10, 1998), Luke Schenn (No. 5, 2008), Nazem Kadri (No. 7, 2009), Morgan Rielly (No. 5, 2012), William Nylander (No. 8, 2014), Mitch Marner (No. 4, 2015), and Matthews. Nice piece of hitting, 7 for 7. Antropov retired after logging 788 games. The other six remain active. Career games for all seven to date: 5,689. ETC. This plus/minus tough to defend Among the most important tasks awaiting the Bruins' bench boss in 2025-26: untangle the train wreck that was Mason Lohrei's defensive game. A fluid and bold skater when wheeling through open ice, and perpetually shot-ready, Lohrei tops the organization's short list of emerging young talents. He's big (6 feet 5 inches, 220 pounds), eager to jump into opportunities on offense, and, oh, did I mention he likes to shoot? But then there's this: Lohrei's minus-43 plus/minus. Ouchamagoucha. It not only was the worst plus/minus among all Original 32 skaters, it was by far the worst on his own team, the most important lens through which to view plus/minus. Of all the other skaters with the Bruins from the season's October puck drop, the next worst was Andrew Peeke's minus-10. By comparison, Peeke looked like a Norris Trophy candidate. Related : While we're on this subject, Casey Mittlestadt played 18 games in Black and Gold after his March 7 acquisition from the Avalanche and rolled up a minus-17. That's a pins-in-the-eyes pace of minus-77. If he's going to be a regular pivot in the top-six rotation, and that appears to be on the fall menu, then Coach TBD will need to sketch out some basic rules of defensive engagement and spacial awareness. Or at least arrange for Mittelstadt to have a long lunch with Patrice Bergeron . Now, the asterisk that must be attached to Lohrei's minus-43 pertains to the protracted absences of fellow defensemen Hampus Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy . Because those two were out of the mix for a combined 97 games, the coaching staff for most of the season didn't have the luxury of easing Lohrei into more favorable matchups and easier minutes of work. He was force-fed an average 19:32 of ice time, amounting to an extra, say, 8-10 shifts per game that too often led him to the invisible fourth zone on the ice — the Twilight Zone. Lohrei's game upon return will be best suited for third-pairing minutes and in relief duty at the power-play point. Above all, he needs to sharpen his read-and-react time in the defensive zone — unfortunately, that processing skill is something that cannot be tuned up in the offseason. 'Obviously, it's a learning experience,' said Lohrei, reflecting on the overall season and the added time he received. 'Getting those minutes in this league and playing with that kind of responsibility, there's ups and downs to that. So, learn from it, continue to grow, and get better. Mason Lohrei (left) is 24. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff 'You can work on all the different intangibles that might help you with doing it,' he added, when asked what it will take to improve his defensive structure. 'But at the end of the day, it's just about doing it, and, you know, in the summer there's not a lot [of that] you can focus on. I want to be more consistent in it. I think I can defend, and [have] shown that I can defend against really good players, but it's about 82 games and going out there and doing it every night and not having any lapses. It's frustrating when you do.' Cronin a person of interest for Bruins' job Bruins general manager Don Sweeney's list of prospective coaching candidates remains hermetically sealed. Meanwhile, one of the finalists in Sweeney's coaching search in 2022, Greg Cronin , was abruptly dismissed last Saturday two years into his Anaheim tour, despite adding eight wins and 21 points to the Ducks' totals of last season. Proof again, success doesn't always breed job security. There could be coaches out there reluctant to take on the rebuild and resurrection of the Spoked-B brand, but the Arlington-born-and-raised Cronin is decidedly not one of them. 'Hey, I'm a coach, right?' said Cronin, 61, reached late in the week by telephone. 'All these openings, I'll throw my hat in and see what comes back. I mean, heck, I'd be doing handsprings and jumping over rainbows if I got the Bruins' job. I'm a Boston guy, and for a Boston guy, that's hitting the lottery times 10!' Related : Interim boss Joe Sacco , another Boston guy, remains on the list. Boston guys John Tortorella , Peter Laviolette , and David Quinn (qualified under Comm. Ave. birthright citizenship) also are expected to submit résumés. Loose pucks Bruins CEO Charlie Jacobs remained resolute Wednesday when asked if he would consider rescinding the 4 percent blended price bump for 2025-26 season tickets. Nope. Rising costs, he said, necessitate the increase, even after the 9 percent bump imposed a year earlier. Look, we get it, ticket pricing is a pure supply-demand play, and the price will keep bumping up as long as the demand remains in lockstep. The much smarter play would have been a year ago, presenting 9 percent as a three-year price fix through 2026-27 (average 4.33 percent per annum). A 13 percent wallop over these two years, especially now with the DNQ cross-check smacked across the fans' backs, might just be the one that shoots down the box office's Black and Golden goose … Average distance (air miles) between the four playoff series in the East: 326. In the West: 1,042. Yep, they travel in luxury, no question, but the 3:1 ratio underscores that the hockey life out West is a long haul. The shortest one-way hop in Round 1: Tampa to Sunrise (183 miles). Longest: Edmonton to Los Angeles (1,366 miles) … Amid his back-and-forth defense Wednesday of Bruins draft choices through the years, Cam Neely revealed he wished there'd been more time taken, more scrutiny by front office and scouts at the draft table, in 2015 after the club opted not to deal higher in the draft (likely to land Boston College defenseman Noah Hanifin at No. 5). 'What we should have done, looking back,' noted Neely, 'we should have taken some time out and said, 'Look, guys, let's regroup here. We didn't move up, we have three picks in row [Nos. 13, 14, 15).' I think it was very new for everybody. We stood backstage for those three picks. What we should have done was get back to our table and said, 'Are we OK with our list?' These are things you try to learn from.' Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Nikita Zadorov Sends Clear Warning to Boston Bruins Front Office
With all of the talent on the Boston Bruins' roster, few would have expected them to turn in a 33-39-10 season in 2024, missing out on the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2015. But that's exactly the situation the Bruins find themselves in one season after winning 47 games and making it to the second round of the playoffs. Advertisement And while some of the team's lack of success was because of poor play (and the struggles of goaltender Jeremy Swayman), a lot of it can be chalked up to having to overcome devastating injuries to star defensemen Hampus Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy, who missed a combined 97 games due to a fractured patella and AC joint injuries (plus a staph infection), respectively. But as the Bruins cleaned out their lockers following a 5-4 overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils in their regular-season finale, there seemed to be an overwhelming sense that the players won't let this kind of failure happen again. So when star defenseman Nikita Zadorov spoke to reporters, he intimated that with the core that's already in place, Boston's front office needs to add the right pieces in the offseason because the Bruins are in their win-now window. 'I mean, what — are they going to be wasting (David Pastrnak) Pasta's years?' Zadorov scoffed. 'I mean, I don't have many years left. Both Lindys [Hampus and Elias Lindholm] C-Mac [Charlie McAvoy]. So obviously, it's a win or nothing in here.' Boston Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov (91) looks on against the Philadelphia Flyers in the first period at Wells Fargo Ross-Imagn Images Attracting premium free agents has never been an issue for the Bruins. Advertisement Typically among the NHL's leaders in wins and points, Boston is known for fielding gritty, tenacious, competitive teams that can score goals just as easily as it can send opposing skaters into the boards. And though general manager Don Sweeney likely doesn't need any help selling his organization to potential free agents, Zadorov helped him out with a pretty convincing sales pitch. 'Why would they not want to come here?' Zadorov asked. 'I mean, it's an Original Six team. It's a great city to play in. We have one of the best players in the world (Pastrnak). We have one of the best goalies in the world. We have two really good defensemen who were out pretty much for a whole year. We have all the pieces for the future. '… And that was a clear message today. So I think…it's going to be an exciting summer, and it's going to be exciting for us to see our new teammates, whoever is going to come and join us.' Related: Avalanche HC Makes Major Gabriel Landeskog Announcement Ahead of Playoffs
Boston Globe
12-04-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Bruins talk about the benefits of going through the drill
'That's an angle drill that we work on frequently with our guys just to try to work on proper angling techniques, trying to stay skating forwards as much as possible. Keep the player to the outside and not let him grab inside ice,' said coach Joe Sacco . 'It brings out some competitiveness in the players and a little mocking going on back and forth with each other.' The work helps forwards work on burst, cutting, and maintaining possession, while the defenders can sharpen their reach and body position. Advertisement 'The drill serves a good purpose, especially with younger guys coming into the league now, adjusting to the speed and the pace of the game and making sure that they have the proper technique angle on players and trying to keep them and force them to the outside as much as possible,' said Sacco. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up It's a favorite of defenseman Nikita Zadorov , who at 6 feet 6 inches and 255 pounds, can be quite intimidating to go against mano-a-mano. 'I like that drill. We did it a lot in Colorado. [Coach] Jared Bednar was a really big fan of that drill, and I think it's really helped the defensive system as the F three and the D man, when you lose the puck in the O zone and you need to take an angle to close play on the blue line,' said Zadorov. 'And the same thing for D. You close on your blue line like this, taking a better angle so nobody cuts middle on you. I think it's a really productive drill. I'm enjoying that for sure.' Advertisement Zadorov relishes the competition and also the extracurricular commentary from the spectators. 'If you take somebody wide, you can chirp the guy over there,' said Zadorov. 'Everybody's watching at the same time. It's only two guys going, everybody else watching. So, I think it's pretty competitive and a cool drill for sure.' The drill creates a buzz, which has been a Zadorov specialty. 'He brings energy to the rink. He brings energy to the practices and the locker room,' said Sacco. 'Obviously, we need some of that. We've needed it during the year because the group at times when you lose some guys that have been here a long time, voices that carry a lot of weight in the room, you need other guys to pick up that part of the leadership and he's trying to do his part in that area too.' Awards handed out Some housekeeping items: The Bruins handed out their annual awards Thursday with David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie double dipping. Pastrnak earned the Dufresne Trophy as the club's top performer on home ice. He was also 98.5 The Sports Hub's First Star ... Geekie took home the Eddie Shore Award for 'exceptional hustle and determination.' He also was named 98.5's Third Star ... The Second Star went to goaltender Jeremy Swayman ... Parker Wotherspoon won the John P. Bucyk Award for 'exceptional off-ice charitable contributions ... The Seventh Player Award will be announced at the home finale Tuesday ... Thayer Academy's Morgan McGathey and Kyle O'Leary of Noble & Greenough were awarded the John Carlton Memorial Trophies. The award is handed out annually by the team to Massachusetts's most outstanding high school senior girls and boys hockey player. McGathey had 39 goals and 58 points in 28 games. She will attend Harvard. O'Leary put up 24 goals and 59 points in 27 games. He is Yale-bound. The award is named in honor of Carlton, the late Bruins scout. ... It's been a hot start for Dans Locmelis at Providence. The winger, who recently wrapped up a two-year stint at UMass, collected 1 goal and 5 points in his first five games with the Baby Bs ... The Bruins finish their road schedule with a Sunday matinee against the Penguins. Advertisement Jim McBride can be reached at
Boston Globe
26-03-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov, given time to reflect, regrets comments made about teammate Jeremy Swayman
'Is that what that was? I don't know,' said Zadorov. 'No comment.' Upon reflection, Zadorov walked those sentiments back following practice at the Honda Center Tuesday afternoon. 'After a 7-2 loss, the players are frustrated. So obviously the time I was frustrated and whatever I said it wasn't towards Sway,' the defenseman said. 'It was just I didn't expect that question and sometimes you've got to understand the situation we are at and everything. You're [ticked after] the game.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Related : Advertisement Zadorov's postgame words were odd at the time because he's been one of several Bruins who have dropped the gloves to protect and/or stand up for teammates. 'Obviously we appreciate in this room guys stepping in for each other, and that's a culture that was here before I came here and I'm trying to follow it as a guy who stepped in for teammates,' said Zadorov. 'We've got [Jakub Lauko, Pavel Zacha], we've got everybody, Swayman . . . We're going to step up for each other and that's the main part for us. So, I think it wasn't even thinking coming towards Sway or anything like this.' Zadorov said he called Swayman after he made the comments to clear the air and prevent any misinterpretations. 'Obviously he's a huge part of our team. He signed for the next eight years and I'm here for five years, the next five years,' said Zadorov. 'So, we're going to be together for a long time and [there's] going to be a lot of success with this team and back in the playoff hockey and hopefully win the [Stanley] Cup in here.' Advertisement Incidentally, Zadorov flew back to Boston Wednesday to tend to a family matter and coach Joe Sacco said he was unsure when the defenseman would rejoin the team. *** It was a bit of a homecoming for Sacco, who played four-plus seasons in Anaheim for the expansion franchise that was known then as the Mighty Ducks. 'The good thing about coming here that first year, it was an opportunity for myself and all the other guys that were on the team to establish themselves as full-time NHL players,' said Sacco, who collected 62 goals and 130 points in 333 games with Anaheim. 'We were all let go by teams or left unclaimed by teams for that expansion draft that summer. So, the guys that got picked up there, we felt like we had something to prove to ourselves and to the teams that let us go. We had a great room that year. It was a lot of fun.' Sacco has the distinction of attempting the first penalty shot in franchise history, Nov. 12, 1997, against the Canadiens. 'Did I score?' Sacco asked following the club's morning skate. Informed that he did, Sacco smiled and said, 'All right, so that's a good sign. I think it was Jocelyn Thibault, who was the goalie back then. So, I didn't score many, but I scored on that one.' *** Advertisement Jim McBride can be reached at
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Can win vs. Panthers, Zadorov's fight with Bennett spark Bruins?
Can win vs. Panthers, Zadorov's fight with Bennett spark Bruins? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston Even though it's been a very disappointing 2024-25 NHL season for the Boston Bruins, they have earned a few really good wins — the types of victories that made you think the team was about to go on a real run and string together a bunch of positive results. But too often this season, the B's have been unable to sustain that momentum. One step forward and then two steps back, essentially. Could Tuesday's impressive win over the Florida Panthers finally provide the spark the Bruins need to make a push for the Stanley Cup Playoffs? The Bruins were trailing the Panthers 2-0 in the third period, then they made a remarkable comeback to tie the score at 2-2. Mason Lohrei, who is clearly relishing his increased role, scored a nice goal on Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky to even the score. The young defenseman showed tremendous patience before firing his shot. Silky stuff there, 6️⃣ — Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) March 12, 2025 David Pastrnak has been league's best player since Jan. 1 with a league-leading 44 points (20 goals, 24 assists) over that span, and he added two more points Tuesday with a goal to get the B's on the board and the primary assist on Pavel Zacha's go-ahead tally with 3:17 left in regulation, which ended up being the game-winner. PAVEL ZACHA IN THE CLUTCH!! 🐻 — Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 12, 2025 But the real highlight of the night was Nikita Zadorov demolishing Sam Bennett in the final minute of the game. The Bruins defenseman had enough of the Panthers forward's antics and took care of business with an entertaining fight. BENNETT AND ZADOROV DROP THE GLOVES IN THE FINAL SECONDS — Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 12, 2025 This is part of the reason why the B's signed Zadorov to a six-year, $30 million deal in free agency last July. His energy is contagious. He sets a physical tone. He stands up for his teammates. He drags his teammates into the fight, both literally and metaphorically. He also picked up an assist, tallied five hits and blocked two shots in a team-leading 22:48 of ice time. So, what are the chances the Bruins actually make a push for the playoffs? They've just beaten two of the hottest teams in the league — the Lightning and Panthers — in their two games since dealing away a bunch of veterans, including captain Brad Marchand, before last Friday's trade deadline. After getting rid of a bunch of good players, the Bruins were not expected to play this well, especially offensively. But they've scored seven goals in the last two games against two top-tier opponents. But the key to whether the B's remain in the playoff mix through the end of the regular season is Jeremy Swayman. It's no secret the 26-year-old goalie has played well below expectations this season. It didn't help that he missed all of training camp and the preseason because of a contract dispute, which ended just before Opening Night when he signed one of the richest goalie contracts (eight years, $66 million) in league history. If Swayman can play at a top 10 goalie level, which he's been at for much of his career prior to this season, then the Bruins will have a chance to get into the postseason. Entering Wednesday, the B's trail the Ottawa Senators by five points for the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. They trail the Columbus Blue Jackets by two points for the second wild card spot. Boston has played two more games than both Ottawa and Columbus. One factor worth considering is that three of the four teams ahead of the Bruins in the wild card race — Senators, Blue Jackets and Montreal Canadiens — have very little experience playing meaningful games this late in the season. How will they handle the pressure? The Bruins, meanwhile, have a lot of experience playing meaningful games, given their league-best eight-season playoff appearance streak. The Bruins also will have plenty of chances to pick up points over the final 16 games. They have the sixth-easiest remaining schedule of any team, per Tankathon. The Bruins are still a long shot to make the playoffs. MoneyPuck's analytics model give the B's just an 8.5 percent chance to get into the postseason. But if Tuesday's comeback win was any indication, this Bruins team isn't going to go down without a fight. They are going to give everything they have until the final game. Whether that'll be enough to make the playoffs remains to be seen, but it's an encouraging sign for the organization that the players are still pushing to achieve one of their biggest goals. 'All the guys since Friday have been showing up ready to work, ready to work their balls off, and play for the crest,' Zadorov told reporters postgame. 'There's no quit in this team. We're going to keep pushing until the end. We're just trying to build the momentum we haven't had all year. I think you get a couple wins, you start feeling great, you feel confidence inside the group, I think that's a good thing. Something is brewing, for sure.'
