Olli Jokinen Quotes (64 Quotes)

It's a lot more fun to be in the playoff hunt than out of it. This time of year we've usually been 10-12 points out.

It was a big two points. You have to give credit to Washington. They played really hard. Somehow, we've been able to find a way in close games against them.

We have to learn how to play under the rules. We can't blame the refs all the time.

It's been a rough month. You read every day in the newspaper and see the numbers to see what the losing streak is. It's over now. It's a good feeling.

I played the last five games (with the injury) and the doctor was saying I could take the last game off, but there was no reason.

I understand his side, you want to see a commitment. Hopefully my signing will help his decision a little bit, too.

It is a dream final for us. There are five million at home, and everyone will watch this game.

It's very disappointing. I think we played just a great tournament, so many big games, and I thought we deserve this.

Probably it's going to taste a little bit bitter in the next few days. You win the bronze, you win the gold, you lose the silver. As a hockey player you always want to win. It's disappointment right now.

It's good to go home and play, ... because it's been a while since people in South Florida have seen hockey.

Even if we're not able to sign a deal before the trade deadline March 9, if the team keeps going in the right direction and makes a push to be in the playoffs, I don't see a reason to trade a guy.

It's hard to put into words. It's pretty similar to when Canada and the Soviet Union played the Summit Series. It's like that every time for us against them.

They were ready and we weren't. They were the better team and they deserved the two points. Tough loss for us.

He's the best goalie in the league right now. He's been top three in the past few years and he showed everyone tonight that he's the top one. With a goalie like him, we have a chance to win every night. And finally, he's got a team in front of him that can win the games.

When I came here this training camp, the only thing that was the same was the Panthers logo on your jersey. Everything else has been changed here. That's what we definitely needed, a fresh start for our hockey club.

I'll tell you what -- this is my fourth year here and seventh year in the league, and I'm sick and tired of losing. Next time we have a meeting like that, we're going to be out of the playoffs.

He's the greatest to play the game, he and Gretzky. It's tough to see those old guys go. But Mario's smart enough to know when it's time to move on and step away.

The past couple years my name has popped up at the trade deadline, (and) I've been traded a couple of times already. I don't think about that. I just hope we get an agreement, get a deal done, and I can stay here.

We lost to Toronto by something like 8-0 (it was 5-0) the next night and that was pretty much it. It all fell apart after that.

It's a dream final. We've got five, six million people in our country, and I'll bet there's going to be every single one watching the game on TV. For our country, we've got a lot of bad memories playing against Sweden, but we're here to change that.

I think overall the past couple games we've tried to play good defense. With Luongo in the net, he gives you a chance to win every night. It's nice to end the trip with a win.

Finally we were able to score the power-play goal and get a lead. Then, we played solid hockey for 60 minutes and shut them down.

We can't control how the other teams play. But it was a big two points.

The first three games against this team we didn't show up and we didn't play hard enough for. We wanted to show them we can beat them and it feels good. I can't remember when we got a victory against New Jersey.

It was a wake-up call for us tonight, definitely. We can't take nights off. We have to play hard every single night. And we didn't do it. We have a good record at home. But we have to be a lot better. I have to give them credit. They're a lot better club than their record.

We have to learn from this. They showed why they were the Stanley Cup Champions two years ago. Good teams never quit.

I'm really happy to get the deal done. All year I've been saying I wanted to stay here. This team can be a playoff team, even this year. It was an easy choice for me.

We got a penalty every time we tried to take a puck off them. In the new NHL, special teams will win or lose you games. For a while it looked the other way around for us, but we bounced back.

We were able to do damage every time they turned over the puck.

We have to mentally ready to play every night, and tonight we weren't.

We've got 5-6 million people in our country and I'll bet every single one will watch the game on TV.

Our lineup looked pretty good early in the year, but obviously we haven't played at the level we're capable of doing. The past few weeks we've been the team we should have been every single night.

For our country, it was a big win. It gives us some confidence. It's a good thing that we won our group, but when the quarterfinals start that's when it all matters.

It's been pretty tough the past two weeks, with everyone asking questions about what's going to happen and not knowing about the future. Now it's time to focus.

It's a disappointing way to lose. We played pretty solid, but mistakes cost us.

The ice is so bad you can't even try to make a move, because there's a chance you'll just lose the puck. It's better to just shoot, so you don't embarrass yourself.

This will probably taste a little better in a few days but you win the bronze and the gold medals, you lose the silver.

The first 10 minutes we played really good hockey and then they came back. We weren't able to hold the lead, in my mind we gave them two points. At least we got one point.

The fact is we need to get a deal done before the deadline. There's a chance ... if I haven't been signed, obviously Florida's not going to take the risk of me going somewhere else in the summer. Hopefully we can work things out and I can sign before the trade deadline.

We really didn't test that guy. It was an easy night for him. We made him look good.

We can't watch how the other teams are playing. We can't expect to get any help from other teams because it's not just one team we're trying to catch. There are a couple of teams between us and the playoffs.

It doesn't matter who scores the goals. As long as we win, that's the key. If you play power play and you're on the first or second line, you're going to get your points.

It happened so quickly. I was able to get the puck toward the back door. But he robbed me and made a nice save. That's what winning goalies are able to do.

Both goalies seem to be in the right place at the right time. He played really well.

He's a proven goalie in Europe, but we played 50 minutes of hockey and had 13 shots. We can't give him credit. He's probably happy he got his first shutout in the NHL, but we made him look good. We really didn't test that guy.

We need those two points. There are no other options today.

We got a two-goal lead and they got power play after power play. That's how they got back in the game - they scored pretty much every power play.

I've been here six years and Roberto and I are the only two guys left. Scott Mellanby, Pavel Bure, older guys were here then. All gone. We're the older guys now. It's been a little tough. That's a lot of change over the years.

If it was a win and I didn't score any goals, I would be happy.

We have to enjoy our time right now. The next Olympics are going to be 2010. We've got a few more games left, and it's a good feeling to be playing for a medal and be in the semifinals.