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NHL STADIUM SERIES: CAPITALS VS MAPLE LEAFS

March 3, 2018

Barry Trotz

United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland

Capitals - 5, Maple Leafs - 2

COACH TROTZ: Before you ask me a question, I just want to thank the Navy, the NHL, and special thanks to all the guys who are working on the rink. The conditions were excellent considering the wind and all that the last few days.

And I know I ran into a couple of guys at the hotel and they did an excellent job. NHL and the Navy, you see how special this campus is. So want to put that out there. Those guys worked hard.

Q. This is the team's best performance in a few weeks now. Is this a game that you think you can build on going forward?
COACH TROTZ: Well, I think it's one of the games. I mean, I can go back to a game in Minnesota I thought was our top game of the year. This is a good game.

It was a big game, big stage, obviously, against a very good team that's probably the hottest team since I think probably the All-Star break.

And I thought we did the right things. We were skating. We were putting pressure on the puck. We had people in the right areas and we were committed in the right area.

So it was a good performance, because we had a couple that we probably could say wouldn't be our best.

Q. When your top players are performing like they did today early on in their game, making a statement, how much of a ripple effect does that have on the rest of the guys?
COACH TROTZ: You follow your top guys, and I thought tonight you look at Backstrom, Ovechkin and Wilson, that line led, and Kuznetsov followed that. And on the back end, I thought our defense core as a group were really solid. And I thought Holts had a real good response, especially in the second period he had a couple of big saves for us.

So every team follows their leaders, and when your leaders are dialed in, I thought they were dialed in tonight. I thought they just pulled the rest of the group.

Q. Obviously memorable week for you and the players. Going into the California trip next week, are there going to be any particular memories that stand out that are going to help the team and help you whether they're something technical from tonight's game or something sentimental?
COACH TROTZ: I think this is one of those games where it was special just because of the setting and the presentation that was there. But I think you can see when you're all dialed in and you're playing the right way, you get a little bit of that joy back in our game. And I thought we had some joy in our game. We had a few chuckles on the bench.

It was good. It was a good vibe on our bench. And usually when that's a good vibe on our bench then we're usually a pretty good hockey team.

Q. For Vrana to score his first goal in two-plus months or whatever it's been on this stage, what does that do for his confidence going forward?
COACH TROTZ: I think he would be tremendous on the bench. I said you got the monkey off your back. He had the biggest smile. He looked up and I know he's been playing real good hockey for us, just hasn't gotten the results.

He's a young guy, with a big goal like that is huge for him and his confidence. And I think he'll hopefully have a good streak here.

Q. You mentioned it was a good soundtrack for Holtby, for him -- how much do you think, I guess, this past stretch of six losses -- was it just some bad bounces? Where have you seen his game go to have you be encouraged to stick with him?
COACH TROTZ: I think it was all of the above. But over the course of three-plus years, he's won 120 games roughly for us. And just like any player, you know, early in the year Gruby couldn't get a win, playing really well, getting wins, and you play, you sort of doubt yourself and your play sort of falls off and then you have to go steal one.

I thought Holts really responded well. The first time you go through things. Holts hasn't lost a lot of games in a row since I've been here anyways.

And it's difficult because you're going into unchartered waters and you're wondering if it's you, if it's the team. You're looking for answers and sometimes the answers are just right there. You've got to just dial yourself in, don't doubt yourself and also just go out and almost steal one.

But didn't have to. I thought the team responded real well in front of him. And I thought on this stage, you know, he's a guy that has a lot of, I'll say, has experience in this, but they didn't practice on the ice.

We didn't get a chance to do a lot of things that you usually do in these events, just because of the weather. And I thought he responded really well.

So I think the experience factor for Holts probably was a major factor in him bouncing back and having a good game tonight.

Q. As great as the game was, all the guys performed well. It's hard to find thing that didn't go well. If you were looking for a coaching moment, what is the one thing you can --
COACH TROTZ: Well, the coaching moment for me was just being in this event. I mean, right at the start the anthem and the planes going over and seeing some of our service people, obviously all the Midshipmen all around the rink, and you're looking at these young men who serve us and give us the privilege to do what we get to do, the freedoms that we have.

And today my coaching moment was actually not on the ice but underneath when I was running into some of those Midshipmen and asking where they were or where they're from, what they were -- what areas of the Navy they were sort of focused in on.

That was probably my greatest moment today is meeting some of the young people who are serving our country.

MODERATOR: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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