"This is definitely a playoff team. There's no question about that. It's just a matter of how much we want it"

Bondra’s words carry two intertwined messages: conviction and challenge. The conviction is straightforward, talent, depth, and structure are sufficient to qualify for the postseason. The challenge is sharper: outcomes will hinge less on roster credentials and more on the collective will to impose standards every day.

“Wanting it” in a team sport is not abstract desire; it’s visible in repeatable habits. It shows up in backchecks that save a goal, line changes taken a second earlier to keep legs fresh, and special-teams execution born of tedious practice. It is attention to the unglamorous details, clearing the crease, winning the wall battle, blocking the shot when the score is tied and there are bruises already piling up. By framing the season around want, Bondra makes effort, sacrifice, and accountability the currency of success.

There’s also a subtle rejection of excuses. Injuries, travel, officiating, bounces, those uncontrollables are real, but the team’s ceiling is set primarily by its willingness to confront them without blinking. Playoff-caliber teams separate themselves through consistency under stress: protecting leads, responding to deficits without panic, and sustaining forecheck pressure when shifts get heavy. Want looks like resilience after a bad period and humility after a good one.

The pronoun choice matters. “We want it” assigns ownership to every role, from top-line scorers to fourth-line grinders and the last defense pair. Coaches provide systems; players decide whether to win 50/50 pucks, take hits to make plays, and maintain structure when fatigue invites shortcuts. Leadership here motivates without coddling, confidence is nonnegotiable, but entitlement is not.

Bondra speaks from a career spent in the thin margin between good and great. Talent earns you the expectation; drive determines whether you meet it. The message is not merely inspirational, but operational: the playoffs are less a destination than a daily vote, cast in effort, detail, and collective hunger.