Griffins Power Play with Coach Dan Watson

The Griffins are down 2-0 in the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs. Head Coach Dan Watson joins us as the team prepares to hit the road for game 3. 

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Griffins quest for the Calder Cup in Round one
switches to Texas. This is West Michigan's Morning News. Steve, Kelly, Brett, Bikita,
and Laurence Smith. Head coach of the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Dan Watson on the liveline, Coach, thanks for doing this today, Hey.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
No problem, no problem at all. I would love to
be sitting here up to oversus down two, but the
calendar switched days and we got another opportunity here to
play another game.

Speaker 3 (00:29):
Coach I mentioned before you came on, I said, Dan
knows this stat but I have to say it because
it's unbelievable, and you've even referenced it. Whatever it is,
playing on the road, maybe compared to plane at home,
but one hundred and sixty four plus minutes of action
in the playoffs without a goal. Doing the math for everybody,
it's over eight periods. Now, you finally snapped that that

(00:52):
was a good thing last night, but just crazy. Have
you ever experienced anything like that before?

Speaker 2 (00:57):
No, not in my coaching career anyways. It's just you know, again,
I think the level of play, everyone raises their level
of play, and the goaltender we're facing right now, is
very good. You know last year Milwaukee, their goaltender pitched
a shutout against US at the end of the year.
He was very good. Again, it's just it's the focus
that teams have and the experienced teams have, and we've

(01:20):
run into a couple of really good goaltenders and the
chances we get they're right there. But I feel like
we shoot in the middle of the net, we hit
a pad, we you know, a shot gets blocked. Just
things aren't balancing our way.

Speaker 3 (01:30):
Is it something because these guys are professionals, they know it,
you know, whether you've got rookies all the way to
seasoned veterans who have played in the NHL and HL
that you talk about in the locker room, or is
it something that's just kind of you know, these guys
know they're professional hockey players. You just got to move on.
And it's crazy because of the time between games, right
that kind of makes it tougher.

Speaker 2 (01:50):
Yeah, the schedule has been has been crazy. I don't
think anyone in this locker room is has faced any
quite like that. But no, like you mentioned, they are professionals.
As hard as it is to move on, you really
do you really have to turn the page and the
sole focus now becomes winning one game. You know, you
still have to win three to win a series. Obviously

(02:12):
Texas is in a really good spot. But again, we
have to win one game, and I'm worry about winning
the next game. But it is I'm glad we broke
the seal. We got two goals on pooryer to score
the last two, so hopefully we can continue that trend
and get off to better I don't say better starts,
but we need to get We need get that first
goal to get us feeling the right way.

Speaker 3 (02:32):
Coach Well was crazy about the first game. You guys
lose four nothing, but as you know, and to your point,
like you said, I mean you were zero three on
the power play. They only had two power plays, so
you guys stayed out of the penalty box. I think
they had one extra shot than you did. Thirty to
twenty nine. It was a little bit different story last
night thirty one to nineteen. But what do you guys
need to do. What's the biggest thing you need to
show up in game three? Is it just not giving

(02:53):
up as many shots?

Speaker 2 (02:54):
Yeah, it's our puck battles. We're you know right now?
I think we're we're a little weak on those. And
with that said, when we do have the puck, we're
making it too easy for them to get it back,
whether we're exposing it and it's a stick lift and
they're gone, whether it's defensive zone, it's it's a turnover.
Because of our breakout turnover and now they're attacking the net,

(03:14):
they don't need any free offense. And at times right
now we're giving them free offense. We're giving them easy
looks and and their team that's going to capitalize, and
we really do have to focus on our puck management
and focus on how we attack them, Griffin said.

Speaker 3 (03:27):
Coach Dan Watson has joined us throughout the season. He's
been so kind of along with the players that we
love having fun with him. Coach, I got to ask
you this one to end. Are you personally superstitious at all?

Speaker 2 (03:37):
Yeah? I do. I do have some superstitions for sure.
I think as a former athlete and everything, Yeah, I
definitely have some superstitions there.

Speaker 3 (03:45):
So I got to ask you, like Bull Durham, you
need a live chicken or anything. I mean, what do
you need?

Speaker 2 (03:51):
Yeah? No, no, no major league no major league references
there and all that kind of stuff. But you know what,
it's how you get dressed at times as a player.
It was how I got dressed now at certain ties,
you know, lucky ties and all that kind of stuff
does play a role, and you look back and like, oh,

(04:11):
we had a good game that game, that's what I
was wearing. I'm going to probably wear that again. So
I'll be looking through the archives and looking at pictures
of past games of maybe what I wore to try
to bring that wardrobe with me.

Speaker 1 (04:24):
I do remember you have one games after talking to
us the morning before, so this could be a good
omen too.

Speaker 2 (04:31):
Hey, I love it. We can get one more after
talking guys. You guys better be on the phone selling.

Speaker 1 (04:36):
Where there are morning Grand Rapids Griffin's head coach Dan
Watson A pleasure as always, best wishes for the next one.

Speaker 2 (04:43):
Absolutely all right, thanks for having me on, guys,