Paul M. Banks interviews Joel Quenneville
Quenneville talked about the team’s recent skid, following the franchise record winning streak that preceeded it…
“I think the whole process is going to be good for us, during that stretch pucks were going in for us left and right, but lately they’re all low scoring affairs and we have to be ready to play that game because that’s what it’s going to be from here on in,” Quenneville said.
He’s also instilled a specific strategy and philosophy for stopping the opposition’s attack.
“Teams win by checking, playing hard defensively and try and prevent. Everybody’s gonna play that way, nobody’s going to try and get into a track meet and exchange chances and think you can win that way in our league. Whether you got a high powered offense or not, the offense comes from how well you check, play positionally and move together,” he stated.
On Hawks first year forward Kris Versteeg, the NHL scoring leader among rookies…
“I think he’s consistent- he sees plays, makes plays, has some confidence with the puck.
He’s a competitive guy that doesn’t get distracted by any of the stuff that goes on during a game: got good quickness, good imagination without the puck.” 
Regarding the Minnesota Wild…
“They’re very good at protecting dangerous ice and boxing out, they’re probably the best team in the league at not letting anything hang around the slot area or passing through those seams, you gotta recognize that.”
Quenneville emphasized the way he motivates scorers in slumps…
“They’re ways you can contribute and feel good, I think everyone loves to score especially scorers and when it’s a little dry you can get some satisfaction by doing other things well and complementing our team game.”
On the sometimes fickleness of Hawks fans…
“I think we should all be appreciative of our fans and the impact they can have on our team and just don’t get distracted and try to get them back on our side.”
His philosophy and outlook for winning the close ones….
“There’s no easy games, look at the 6 games we had on the last road trip, they’re almost all tied or one goal games in the third period. You gotta win in different ways in our league and don’t want to just give them anything to make it easy on the opposition. Get the timely goal and sometimes it doesn’t have to be pretty. I think we’re gonna learn, as we go along that safe and simple, at the right times, is very effective in our game.”
On the rivalry with St. Louis, his former team and why the games are so close…
“They’re improving, they’re a team that plays us hard, all the games have been on the line from start to finish. We know it’s going to be a low-scoring, tight-checking affair. That’s how we’ve got to approach it and we’ve got to find ways to win these kinds of games. They’re a team that prides themselves on playing hard and simple.”