NHL Peachy: 2015 Western Conference Finals Off-Day Transcript (Chicago - Sharp, Kruger, Vermette, Coach Quenneville) Our Coverage Sponsored by Maine Woolens
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An interview with:
PATRICK SHARP
MARCUS KRUGER
ANTOINE VERMETTE
COACH JOEL QUENNEVILLE
Q. Patrick, you have an extra day between games. How is that beneficial to recover?
PATRICK SHARP: Take the rest as you can get it. We had a lot of travel this series back and forth for both teams clearly.
But got a big game coming up. We'll take the extra day, get focused, be physically ready.
Q. Do you feel like you've gotten in Andersen's head?
PATRICK SHARP: I don't think we've figured anything out. We've done a better job of capitalizing on our opportunities. He's a good goalie, good team in front of him. Makes it tough to get to the net. When he sees the puck, he's going to stop it. We expect him to play his best in Game 7. We have to find a way to beat him.
Q. What goes on when you guys are in the air? Do you think about hockey? What are you doing?
PATRICK SHARP: A lot of sleep. A lot of rest. I sit next to Duncan Keith, so he always wants to talk about hockey. I try to pretend like I'm sleeping, put the headphones on.
When we get to the hotel, guys are doing different things, resting up, getting ready for the game. Mario Kart has been a big part of our success over the past seven years. Guys kind of turn their brains off by playing that.
At the end of the day we're going there for a hockey game, whatever gets you ready to play.
Q. Antoine, this is your first year with the team. From the outside, you've seen the success the Blackhawks have had. Now that you see how they handle tough situations, backs against the wall, what is it about this team that maybe surprised you or is a big reason for their success?
ANTOINE VERMETTE: I wouldn't say 'surprise.' It's something I expected. This is a confident group, with reason. They've been really successful.
I think it reflect the way they present themselves. As a group, they've seen tough situations. You get the sense that we can get it done, prepare, come with great confidence.
Q. Marcus, every year you've been in the league, you've been this close to the Stanley Cup or to the Stanley Cup Final. Do you take it for granted in any way? Do you know it probably won't be like this your entire career?
MARCUS KRUGER: No, definitely not. I don't take anything for granted being here. I'm fortunate. Try to take advantage of it.
I mean, I understand talking with other players, you don't come along with a group like this every year. So try to take advantage of the time here.
Q. Antoine, what does it mean to you to be this close?
ANTOINE VERMETTE: Oh, it's very special. Like Marcus said, this is a special group. To touch on your previous question, don't take it for granted. I was with Ottawa. Had a great team. As a young guy, older guys making sure, realize the fortune you have to have such a great team.
As the course of a career goes on, time goes by quick. Those chances, they don't come by too many times.
Q. The home team has had a more favorable advantage on faceoffs. Is there anything to equalize that when you're on the road?
ANTOINE VERMETTE: Well, yeah, usually the home ice, the face-off man has the advantage to come second. Sometimes you get a little bit of cheating going on there. You try to take advantage as much as you can, try to give your team the best chance to start with the puck.
Q. Patrick, do you feel like Game 7 is an opportunity for mentally tough players to distinguish themselves more than other games? Is this a different moment? Do you feel for some guys on your team?
PATRICK SHARP: Yeah, sure. It's very similar to just playing overtime, to be honest with you. Right from the drop of the puck in the first period, every shift is important like it always is. It's magnified that much more in a Game 7. Our group has played plenty of overtimes, also Game 7s to draw experience from.
I like the guys in our locker room. We get excited for opportunities like that. We don't shy away. We want the puck, want to score goals, play as well as we can.
Q. Are there any nerves at all for any of you guys? It would not be normal to not be nervous.
PATRICK SHARP: I think every player is different as far as how they handle the game, anxiety, nervousness, whatever you want to call it.
I think at this point in my career personally, I don't think 'nervous' is the right word. It's just excitement. Been through it a few times before. Can't wait to get on the ice and play.
Q. How much do you think about last year's Game 7?
PATRICK SHARP: We're lucky to be back in the same situation as we were last year. We touched on it earlier with the opportunity that we have here. I know it seems like we've been in the Conference Finals a few times in the last couple years, but these opportunities don't come along too often.
Knowing how close we were last year to going to the Finals and advancing, coming up one goal short, we want to make sure we capture the opportunity this time.
Q. Kesler said last night all the hitting they've been doing all series long is for this Game 7. How are you guys holding up, seeing they hit you so much, according to Kesler?
PATRICK SHARP: I think we're good. We're healthy. We have a defense core that wants to be on the ice, that they're fighting to jump over the boards, want to play the heavy minutes.
Up front I think we're feeling pretty good. Whether it's a physical game or a wide-open game, we like that style of play. We'll be ready for whatever they throw at us.
ANTOINE VERMETTE: Same thing with Patrick. I think we're confident with our group, the way we can approach games. If it's a physical game, we don't shy away from that. Speed, we like to play that type of game.
Ultimately we feel pretty good about our game.
Q. Marcus, besides the physical part, what is the mental fatigue of the sheer volume of hockey you've played in the last two and a half years? No team has come close to how much hockey you guys have played. Is there a mental fatigue to playing these games?
MARCUS KRUGER: I think we all love playing hockey. We love playing big games, just get a chance to do that. You never get tired of hockey. We play for these big games. That's what everyone plays for.
Q. The adrenaline takes over? Once the puck drops, it's never an issue?
MARCUS KRUGER: No, not in these kinds of games.
Q. The loss in Game 7 last year, Joel said it was the worst feeling. Do you remember what your feelings were after they scored?
PATRICK SHARP: Yeah, I remember I was on the left side. Martinez shot it from the other side, it got deflected, went in. You could feel the air go out of the building. You could feel your heart drop a little bit, being that close. We had a couple leads in that game, as well. Battling back from being down in that series against the Kings was a tough way to go out on home ice.
You kind of learn from it. You use it as hunger to get back to the situation and try to learn from your past experience. Hopefully it's a different scenario for us this time.
Q. Do you feel the same, Marcus? I think you were on the ice, too.
MARCUS KRUGER: Yeah, like I said before, we're happy to get the same chance again. I think it's going to be a good game.
Q. Any of you guys watch the Stanley Cup Finals last year?
PATRICK SHARP: I didn't watch the first couple games. As the series went on, I tuned in and followed it. Two teams that were deserving to be there. It's tough to see the team that beat you in overtime go on to win the Stanley Cup. They had a great season, definitely deserved to be there.
Shortly after losing that game, you kind of want to turn hockey off for a while. But I'm a fan of the game and I tuned in shortly after.
Q. What are the team standings for Mario Kart?
PATRICK SHARP: I got the standings in my back pocket (laughter). Hammer is number one, Shawsy is two, and this is going to cause some problems, but I'm number three.
COACH JOEL QUENNEVILLE
Q. Joel, you have two days off before this game. How is that going to help your guys, the older guys especially?
COACH QUENNEVILLE: Well, it's the same for both clubs. We'll travel today, get some rest when you get in, practice tomorrow, get excited about Game 7.
Q. Helpful to have those extra days?
COACH QUENNEVILLE: It is what it is. A lot of traveling back and forth. We're both experiencing it.
Get out there and do our thing together, get ready for Saturday's game.
Q. You've been asked a lot about the wear and tear on the four defensemen. How have they handled it? Anything surprise you as to how well they handled it?
COACH QUENNEVILLE: I think the one thing that makes them good defensemen is the consistency of their play. I find as a defenseman, the more you play, the better you play.
I think some guys get too many minutes, their play will go the other way. I could look back over some of the defense history, a lot of teams used to go four and five, just play your four. Now the game is so fast that you usually spread them out a little more evenly.
In this situation, these guys, they're handling it like they like it.
Q. Beyond the physical fatigue, how do you combat mental fatigue? 59th, 60th playoff game in three years.
COACH QUENNEVILLE: I credit the guys, their focus, their preparation, their will to want to win, finding ways to win. They love the journey. They're competitive beyond what you could want it to be. It's a testament to their competitive level.
Q. Do you feel like you've gotten to Andersen a little bit or is it you guys playing better?
COACH QUENNEVILLE: Well, puck's gone in. You can talk about Game 5. I think the last few games, we're scoring some goals, which is not an easy thing to do. It seems like this round of the playoffs, both sides, it's gone in a little bit more than it has the prior two rounds.
I just think we got to get the bodies and pucks to the net. That's what we're focusing on. I don't care how they go in.
Q. Have you spent any time looking at the Eastern Conference just in case?
COACH QUENNEVILLE: Watch every game.
Q. You do? Are you watching for scouting or just watching it?
COACH QUENNEVILLE: I'm watching it to get entertained (laughter).
Q. Last year's Game 7 ended on a freak bounce. Regardless of that, was there anything you learned from that Game 7 that will change your approach?
COACH QUENNEVILLE: No, we talked about that last night. It was almost like, hey, you're playing that game. We're at home. We got a two-goal lead. We're deeper in the game.
Obviously you get in overtime in a Game 7, anything can happen. Those type of things, we've seen three overtime games in our series here. There's some unpredictability there.
But Game 7, as a player, those are the type of games you want to be a part of. The disappointment that we exited with is something that should get us excited.
Q. Do you feel like you as a coach can make any bigger difference in a Game 7 than any other playoff game?
COACH QUENNEVILLE: The players decide. We're out there, we try different things sometimes. You know, the pucks bounce here or there, this and that. Certainly look forward to it as a coach, the situation we're in come Saturday.
Q. Are you going to start Game 7 the way you started Game 6 with the lines?
COACH QUENNEVILLE: We'll see.
Q. Joel, what do you do on the plane?
COACH QUENNEVILLE: I watch the game.
Q. With other coaches or...
COACH QUENNEVILLE: We all watch it individually, and we talk about it.
THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Joel.
COACH QUENNEVILLE: Thank you.
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