I am not going to get into comparing one team to the other. I said from Day 1 this team will form its own identity and it will be good within itself. I think the kids have stuck on the program.

He's a heart and soul guy and when you have a team that is perhaps lacking some experience at the national level, which obviously we are, you need a real strong character and real strong person mentally that's totally committed to the way we want to play. He's probably a huge reflection of myself.

I have to disagree with the Russian coach. We would not have changed our game plan if the Russians had scored one goal.

I haven't seen anything that's surprised me, ... I saw him a lot before we drafted him. He's an impressive young man and an impressive young player. He's got a long way to go, but he's going to play in the NHL for a long time one day.

I just like his mindset, his attitude. Nothing seems to bother him and he's a got a little strut that goes with it.

In our dressing room, we knew we have good goaltending.

If you get too caught up in what the opposition is going to do, it really affects the way you play. We're not going to change as far as our philosophy and the way we need to play. We play a certain way and we're going to play that way. We'll make some adjustments, but we have to stick to our game plan and our identity and the way we need to play. It has gotten us this far ? we're not going to go a different route.

I'm assuming that's the way it's going to be from here on in. That's what we've been told. I'm assuming it's going to carry on like (Saturday) and I know that's what the IIHF wants, too.

I'm not worried at all about our intensity and emotional level.

I never questioned that he'd do it. I'd seen him so many times this year do it and Justin was the guy everybody fed off.