Matt Cooke Show: 'We Don't Need Any One Guy To Score'
PITTSBURGH (93-7 The Fan) - Pittsburgh Penguins winger Matt Cooke checks in with Vinnie & Cook for his weekly visit on Sportsradio 93.7 The Fan.
The Penguins clinched an Atlantic Division title with their win over the Carolina Hurricanes, and the go-ahead goal was scored by Evgeni Malkin. Could this be the start of something big for Malkin?
"I'm sure that it gives him something to build on," Cooke said. "But, I've always said that we don't need any one guy to score. We need to play the right way, and if we do that we're gonna create chances and the puck's gonna go in the net for us. That responsibility doesn't lie on any one player."
When asked how the team is approaching all the injuries that have befallen most of their major stars, Cooke said, "None of us are feeling sorry for ourselves. When we signed up for this gig, we all understood that injuries are a part of this game. That's why you have a farm team. You look at last night, Beau Bennett gets a goal. He's back here because James [Neal] is out. There's no time to sit and feel sorry for yourselves."
"We know and understand that spending time in the offensive zone allows our team to have the most success possible. We go through periods of time where I think there's not as much emphasis on getting there and staying there. It's something we'll work on over the next few games."
Cooke also looks at how Douglas Murray and Brenden Morrow have played so far, and reveals whether he is watching the standings to see who their potential first-round playoff opponent might be.
