Thursday, November 27, 2008

Doing the right things and doing them first

Before Anaheim's game against Colorado the other night, someone had written something on the locker room's white board:

"If you ain't first, you're last."

The team's coaching staff had emphasized the importance of collecting "firsts" during the game.

According to Ducks coach Randy Carlyle (pictured here), whose team has struggled at home this season, "You have to have a good start. You have to get the first shot on goal. You have to draw the first penalty. You have to create the first scoring chance. All those things are important."

Said one Anaheim player after the Ducks beat the Avalanche:

"We wanted to do the right things, and we wanted to do them first."