World Cup Q&A: Cory Schneider weighs in on Hall-Larsson swap

After moonlighting as an analyst for NBC's Stanley Cup Playoffs coverage, theScore asked New Jersey Devils goaltender Cory Schneider to put on his analyst cap again at media day for the World Cup of Hockey.

theScore: You received rave reviews for your work with NBC during the playoffs last spring. Were you as comfortable as you looked in front of the camera?

Schneider: Thanks (laughs). Once it got going, yeah. You have to forget that you're on camera and just sort of have a discussion. Everyone there made it really easy on me. They didn't put too much on my plate, didn't have me try to do too much. They just said "Hey, chime in when you have an opinion and feel comfortable, and just say it. Don't be intimidated." They were actually very, very friendly and easy to work with, so that helped a lot too.

theScore: We'll let you play analyst again here. You saw Taylor Hall a lot in your time with Vancouver. What makes him such a dangerous attacking player?

Schneider: It starts with his speed. When he comes up the ice with the puck with a head of steam he backs defenders off. It's as simple as that. He plays the game with one gear, and the game is obviously trending that way. You look at Pittsburgh, you look at San Jose, the Tampa Bay Lightning - they are fast teams that can get up and down the ice. We have good players and a good system here in New Jersey, but I think he'll add a different element for our team that we didn't have before.

theScore: On the other side of the coin, what should Edmonton fans expect in Adam Larsson?

Schneider: He's a great person first of all. He's a really good kid. He worked hard. He wasn't given anything for being a top pick. He wasn't gifted ice time. He had to work his way onto the team, and he did. He really enjoys the nitty-gritty things that some guys don't like to do. He likes blocking shots. He likes getting physical in front of the net, winning puck battles. He really embraces that part of the game. And I think with Edmonton his offense could flourish a bit. I know people point to his scoring numbers and say, "Oh, he doesn't create offense," but that wasn't what he was asked to do in New Jersey. I think with the high-end skill Edmonton has that he'll be able to put some points up.

theScore: Criminally underrated is almost a blanket theme in Jersey. After one season with Jon Hynes in charge, are you willing to put him under that sort of distinction?

Schneider: There are a lot of underrated guys in New Jersey, just because we don't get a lot of attention there. We had a good year. It wasn't quite the year we wanted, but with where people were expecting us to finish, we exceeded a lot of those expectations. But the goal is to set our own expectations and meet those. We're not basing our success or growth on what other people think. Coach Hynes set the tone from day one. He said, "Hey, I know what people are expecting, but this is what we expect inside this room." We had a good step last year, we have to take that next step this year, and hopefully with guys like Taylor Hall and coach Hynes having a year under his belt - we'll see some growth from him as well - hopefully we can do that.

theScore: With yourself, Jonathan Quick, and Ben BIshop, three of the best goaltenders on the planet are in one dressing room. What sort of information is shared between the three of you?

Schneider: We keep it pretty light. Bish is an easy-going guy, and Quickie is quiet but he likes to joke around and get a few cracks in. We haven't talked too much about the hockey side of it. We're just trying to get along, and (perform) for our team. But it is fun sitting there and seeing how they go about their business. We all have a lot of respect for each other, and we all play against each other quite a bit. We're familiar with each other's set-up, but it's fun to get a look at the elite goalies and see what they do that makes them so good.

(Note: Interview was condensed and edited for clarity.)