Matt Fonteyne (1 goal, 1 assist), Kevin Davis (2 assists), and head coach Dennis Williams discuss Game 2 (5-3 Tips defeat to Tri-City):

Matt Fonteyne

“As you get deeper into the playoffs you can’t have those mental lapses. Both games we haven’t played a full 60 minutes. They’ve come out in the second and been more ready than us, and taken over the game. Moving forward we need to focus on one shift at a time. If we go out there and have not a great shift we can’t let it linger. We just have to get on to of our details again and try and get back on the train, so we can’t have those mental lapses. 

On the third period: I think we had some spurts where we got back to our game, back to skating. Not trying too much. I think it’s just that when you get deeper into the playoffs you’re playing tougher teams, and if you have too many mental lapses playing against this team they’re going to capitalize on their chances and take games over. 

On the Americans depth: They have a full team. They work extremely hard. They have a lot of guys that can make you look silly or capitalize on the chances you give them. They have a really strong top two lines but their other two lines are just as tough to play against. They have a really good team so they have to stay on top of it every shift. 

On special teams: It’s nice to get a couple on the power play. Our penalty kill did a good job as well. It just emphasizes that we need to play better five on five moving forward. Special teams is a big thing but if you’re not playing up to pace at 5-on-5 you’re not going to win many games at this stage of the game.”

Kevin Davis

“They have a good team. We have to bear down and play the full 60. In the playoffs, the deeper you go, you just have to play a full 60.

For starters, we have to go into that building and play a full 60 minutes. They’re a good team at home especially, so we have to be prepared for game three on Monday.”

On splitting the first two games: “It’s not a position that we want to be in, but we’ve been here before. We just have to do some video and re-focus for game three.”

On special teams: “Special teams did a good job tonight. It was good to kill their power plays. Our PK did a good job so we just have to get ready for game three.”

On Tri-City’s size: “They’re a big team. They’re a heavy team. They like to play that way. That’s why they’re here in the third round. They’re a good team. It’s tough, they’re a tough team to play against.”

Dennis Williams

On not playing a full 60: “Second period, both nights in a row, were very poor on our part. This time of year you can’t afford to have an off period. Consistency needs to be much better. It’s like a light switch. You can’t keep turning it on and off — they’re too good of a hockey team. We didn’t play enough desperate hockey for 60 minutes. Obviously we know how good they are. They capitalized on their chances and we didn’t capitalize on ours.”

On Tri-City’s third line: “We have to do a better job defending that line. We were getting out-muscled net front, outmanned net front. We were just pushed around in the blue paint and it’s something we have to address and look at how we can adjust that for Monday. It’s just like last night. It’s funny how the game goes. After the first period there was lots of chatter, lots of talk, shots were 20-9. After two, it was a lot quieter. Just like any game, any period, you have to reset and go. We just sat back on our heels and I didn’t think we had enough guys working. We had guys getting a free ride out there on our team. It’s unacceptable this time of year.“

On switching up lines in the third period: “We were only playing three lines there. Some guys got off a little bit later at times. The Fonteyne-Dewar-Pilon line was going so I kept them together. All three of those guys were skating.“

On the quick back and forth goals in the third period: “It is what it is. They’re a team that likes to get up by the net. They’re big and strong and they were driving pucks wide, we weren’t. On that fourth goal. I knew when they scored we were probably going to get a hooking penalty on it as well. We just weren’t ready. Those shifts after goals are so important, and we need to do a better job of consistency of shifts. We have a good shift, one off. Two good shifts, one off. We have to do a better job of being able to roll lines out there and do a much better job with pucks.”

On special teams: “Good power play, our guys did a good job killing those off. On the power play, for our guys to get two of the four there was a confidence booster, and something we can hopefully build off of come Monday.“

Silvertips staff writer Hailey Robinson contributed to this story.