«We're one of a handful of teams that have what it takes to play deep into the playoffs, and that'll be our goal,» McCrimmon said. «Last year was a challenge for a lot of people and for a lot of different reasons. It definitely impacted the sports world and the National Hockey League. We're really optimistic that this is going to feel a lot more like a normal NHL season.»
On slimmed-down goalie Robin Lehner: «Robin looks good. We're really encouraged with his preparation for the season.»
On the complexion of the fourth line: «I believe our forwards as a group are better than they've been at any point in our existence. I think there's some first-year players that are going to challenge and show that they're ready to play. Over a couple of months, that's one of the things I'm really interested to see how it plays out.»
� On the complexion of the fourth line: «I believe our forwards as a group are better than they've been at any point in our existence. I think there's some first-year players that are going to challenge and show that they're ready to play. Over a couple of months, that's one of the things I'm really interested to see how it plays out.»