Carlo is a defenseman for the Saint Louis Blues.
Check out audio clips from my interview with Carlo on Hockey Independent!
Q: What was the key over the weekend to getting back on track against Ottawa and New Jersey?
A: I think it helped us just being at home. Obviously, this year we have been a really good team at home and basically getting back to the style of play that made us really successful for the first handful of games this season…We made it clear to ourselves that we can’t be making excuses and we still have a good enough team and good enough players to win hockey games.
Q: What are going to be the keys to keeping this momentum going heading into this next stretch of games?
A: Well, I think we’re going to have to continue to do things the right way. We need to do things that have helped us win hockey games. Obviously, being really good defensively, getting strong goaltending, draw powerplays, start scoring goals again, and when you’re missing guys out of your line up you gotta get those opportunities and take advantage of those opportunities when you get them. You know, we’re not going to win too many hockey games when we try to run and gun with teams, I think. Our record shows a lot of the wins we have, we’ve been winning a lot of close games and low scoring games, so I think we have to continue that trend.
Q: Andy Strickland told me and he has written that you are the key to the team’s powerplay being successful. In each game since you’ve been back, the team has tallied at least one goal with the man advantage. What do you bring to the team’s powerplay that has makes it work while you’re out there?
Bryan McCabe (Left) and Tomas Kaberle
A: (laughs) Well, I appreciate the comment. I don’t know, I mean in my younger days I had the opportunity to sit back and watch guys like [Tomas] Kaberle and [Bryan] McCabe run a powerplay and didn’t really get much time when I was in Toronto. For the time that I had there it was just kind of watch and learn. When I came here I really got to sort of relish being a quarterback on the powerplay and be a guy that can move the puck and get the puck into the guys who can score goals, into their hands. I think the biggest thing is trying to take advantage of having the extra guy on the ice for a full two minutes, making the easy play, making the play that’s there for you, and taking what the penalty killers give to you and obviously establishing your shot. We have enough skill on the ice to make plays, it’s just a matter of making them at the right time.
Q: Despite this recent rash of goals against, the team still ranks 8th in the NHL in terms of goals against, obviously a lot of credit has to be given to the goalies, but on defense the team has been basically lights out. What has been the key this season to how well this defense has been playing?
A: I think the key is having a familiar group that’s been together for a couple of years. To start the season we only had one new guy in there in Pietrangelo and he’s played extremely great hockey for us and really given us a huge lift back there in the level of his playing. For the other 5, I mean we’ve played together for 3 years so we kind of have that familiarity with each other and we’re a strong group and we’ve just been doing the little things right. Obviously, having guys like Jackman and Polak out of the line-up right now, those are the guys that we’ve leaned on for the last couple of years to be shut down guys and with them out of the lineup we’re asking other guys to step up and play their role and they’re doing a great job at doing it, but we surely do miss those guys and at the end of the day it’s just about practicing hard, doing the little things right, and making sure we spend the least amount of time in our end as possible.
Q: How big of a reassurance is it having a guy like Jaroslav Halak between the pipes behind you?
A: He’s been everything that has been talked about coming to our team. He’s been great. I think the one thing you see about Jaro is he’s got such a calm demeanor in the net he tries, doesn’t try, but he basically does make everything a little bit easier than it looks, which is a huge sign of confidence for himself as well the guys playing in front of him. If we can get away with mistakes in our own end, he’s going to be back there making the save for us when we need it and he’s definitely been that guy. He was a workhorse last year for the Canadiens and a huge part of their success. So far this year he’s been that guy for us and we’re going to need for him to continue playing that role for the rest of the season.
Q: What was the team’s mood like during that 5-game losing streak?
A: It’s definitely not a fun time when you’re losing hockey games. You’re having a lot of fun when you’re having success and you’re winning hockey games. Obviously, there was a lot of frustration and a lot of guys upset about it but hockey’s an 82-game season and you’re not expected to win every game. We just had to find a way to battle through all the adversity we were dealing with. In the two games before we got out of the slump, we just had bounces just go against us non-stop. I think when we found a way to eliminate those bounces going against us and try to create those bounces going for ourselves, I think we start to win more hockey games and we got back on track. We’ve been a really good home team this year. We gotta pick up our game on the road. You know, we were one of the best teams road teams in the league last year and I think we gotta get back to that and if we can get back to that then we’re going to be right at the top where we were. Right now we just gotta focus on continuing to do the little things and make sure we don’t get stuck in a funk like that again.
Q: What is it like playing against two of the league’s superstars in Alex Ovechkin and Sydney Crosby?
A: I think just playing in the NHL is satisfying I think for any hockey player. You’re playing in the best league in the world and playing against the best hockey players in the world. You find yourself surrounded by those types of players every game. Certainly those guys you mentioned are the cream of the crop and any time you get the chance to play against them you elevate your game and do your best and try to limit their time and space on the ice. We have great guys on our team that do a great job playing against guys like that and whenever you’re out there you don’t want to get star struck and just sit there watching, you want to feel like you’re part of the game and make yourself one step better than them.
[...] I caught up with Blues’ D-man Carlo Colaiacovo just before the team flew out to Nashville. Snapping their losing skid this weekend against Ottawa and New Jersey, his role on the powerplay, and how the team can maintain this momentum were among the topics Carlo and I talked about. As always, you can check out the transcript of our interview on Hank’s Sports Blog. [...]
[...] – Check out fellow Blues blogger and Hockey Independent correspondent Brian Heanchen’s conversation with Carlo Colaiacovo. [Hank's Sport's Blog] [...]