The Columbus Blue Jackets ended 2017 on a sour note, falling 5-0 to the Tampa Bay Lightning at Nationwide Arena.
After a scoreless first period, the Blue Jackets let a one-goal deficit compound, and found themselves trailing 4-0 after 40 minutes of play. The final frame wasn't much better, and Tampa added to their cushion, with Steven Stamkos tallying a power play goal to make it 5-0.
Here's what was said in the CBJ locker room after the game.
John Tortorella
On his team's inability to respond to Tampa's pace: "Well, when you lose a game like that, it's always a concern. I think coaches are always concerned no matter what. We're just going to go about our business, and it's not going to be throw our hands up in the air, and kick, and scream, and whine... certainly understand momentum, try to improve in that part. I think that's been a little bit of a problem for us during this little setback, but we're going to try to just work it out. It's a humbling league. Nobody's going to feel sorry for you."
On his team's solid first period: "I thought we grabbed a hold of ourselves in tonight's first period. That's a period I'm hoping to focus on with the team. They can do it, it's just a matter of getting some consistency, and we certainly didn't have it there in the second period tonight."
On Joonas Korpisalo: "I thought we played really well in front of him. Really didn't have any chances against in that first period, quite honestly there wasn't much there. And I think their first goal is their first chance of the game, and then it piles on us. We have to learn from it. We talk about it all the time, it's momentum swings. It's how you've got to get it back, and we couldn't."
Nick Foligno
On the loss: "I don't feel sorry for ourselves. I don't think we should. We're a team that's got to grow from this. It just starts with that mentality of who we are as a team. Right now we're just not playing that way."
On the defensive zone: "You can't allow a team with that skill they have to have a field day in your end. I mean, it's not fair to Korpi, not fair to our "D"."
Seth Jones
On Tampa: "They're the best team with the best record in the league for a reason. They capitalize on chances that other team's give them."
On the lead getting away from them: "That next goal in a 2-0 game is so important. If we score it, it's a hockey team. If they score, it's that much further out of reach. We've just got to learn from it."
