NHL Peachy: 2015 Eastern Conference Final Off-Day Transcripts - (NYR - St. Louis, Nash, Yandle, Coach Vigneault) Our Coverage Sponsored by Vermont Harvest
Since 1983, Vermont Harvest has made superior gourmet condiments crafted from the finest all-natural ingredients in the scenic Vermont Mountains delivered straight to your family kitchen. They also are created with no additives or preservatives and are gluten-free. In the Vermont Harvest All-Star lineup of gourmet condiments are: Apple Rum Walnut Conserve, Berryberry Rhubarb Conserve, Blueberry Bourbon Conserve, Raspberry Apple Conserve, Strawberry Amaretto Conserve, Bananaberry Jam, Blackberry Jam, Badabing Cherry Marmalade, Apple Chutney, Cranberry Chutney, Mango Chutney, Tomato Chutney, Smokin Garlic Tomato Spread, Smokey Onion Dip Mix, Lemon Pepper Dip Mix, Pineapple Pepper Jelly, Jalapeno Pepper Jelly, Pumpkin Butter, Tiger Satay Peanut Sauce, Blueberry Bourbon Balsamic Sauce, and Sizzlin Citrus Grille Sauce. Use these first-class hits to enhance your favorite foods watching them go from ordinary to extraordinary! Vermont Harvest is proudly owned by Whip Burks, a graduate of the New England Culinary Institute and a Board Member of the Vermont Specialty Food Association since 2011. Whom You Know has highly recommended products by Vermont Harvest, and we know you will love them too. They have a simple motto at Vermont Harvest. “If it doesn't taste good….Why eat it”. Ignite your tastebuds with Vermont Harvest today!
***
An interview with:
MARTIN ST. LOUIS
Q. Did you gain any knowledge from Game 3 to create pressure in Game 4?
MARTIN ST. LOUIS: No, I mean, we know, I think in general, what works, what doesn't, what gets us in trouble, what doesn't get us in trouble. As the series goes you try to work your way through that. But every game is a new game. The stuff that might work in Game 3 might not work in Game 4, and it comes down to making good reads sometimes and look sharper at other times in games. Depending on how you're reading the rush or reading the play. Do you pull back or do you jump in a lot. You really have to be aware of everything that's going on the ice and making the best move you can.
Q. Do you hope that scoring last night helps?
MARTIN ST. LOUIS: Yeah, I mean, if you want to score the game. You're trying to help your team win no matter what. Of course, when you score, you definitely gain confidence from it and I'm hoping that I can play with a lot more confidence from that. But at the end of the day you're trying to win games. Some games are just opportunities for you to score, some games there isn't. You're trying to make the best of it when there is.
Q. When you’re not scoring, can that cause frustration in other parts of your game?
MARTIN ST. LOUIS: I mean, when you go a long stretch and you lose that confidence a little bit, yeah, I mean, the game is not as clear, especially when you have the puck, you're pressing. But the one place it can't affect it is away from the puck. Mentally that can't affect your game. But there is no doubt it does affect your game. You go a long time on the offensive side with us making plays or shooting the puck. You know the pressing part comes in, and that's clear, for sure.
Q. Do you feel the team regained its swagger last night?
MARTIN ST. LOUIS: Yeah, I mean, I felt yesterday, yeah, we did play with some swagger, and you want to keep that. I think swagger comes and goes. As a player, as a team, it does, and you have to fight to get it back when you don't have it.
Q. Is there a positive feeling about the power play now?
MARTIN ST. LOUIS: Yeah, I mean, power play is about five guys doing what they're supposed to do, and sometimes it's just feeding off one another, and we're doing a really good job of that. Sometimes it's winning more faceoffs or you're very efficient where you don't have to go back all the time and waste some energy and puck retrieval. There are so many things that come into play for a good power play.
The five guys on the ice are very important, and they all have a role to play. We're all interchangeable sometimes. Sometimes we're not in the right spot or the spot that you're supposed to be, but we feed off one another, and we're doing a good job of that. At the end of the day, it's getting pucks towards the net, and getting second and third opportunities.
Q. When the team scores does it affect everyone in the same way?
MARTIN ST. LOUIS: Yeah, I mean, I know we scored ten goals in the last two games. Like I said yesterday, we're 1-1. It's not just about scoring goals. It's playing the game. I think we've done a good job having a good pulse on how we're actually playing. Whether it was scoring goals or not scoring goals, and I think that helped us this year get to where we are. Really have an honest opinion of how we're actually playing.
RICK NASH
Q. Your review of Entourage?
RICK NASH: I thought it was great. I think all the guys liked it.
Q. Where there more Islanders or Rangers in the movie?
RICK NASH: Right, yeah. I don't know if I caught any Islanders. I know on the regular show there is a lot of Islanders stuff. I don't know if I caught any in the movie.
Q. Regarding the gap?
RICK NASH: I think we've tried to control our gap better. I don't think the forwards were helping the "D" as much on our back pressure in the last two games. Wasn't allowing their defensemen to stay up and create their gap.
Q. Do you feel that scoring last night takes some weight off and can carry over?
RICK NASH: Yeah, hopefully, hopefully we can ride some momentum and gain some confidence and play with it.
Q. JT Miller stepped up, what are his strengths?
RICK NASH: Yeah, I think when he skates he's a different player, when he moves his feet he creates a lot of offense. He's got a great shot. He's a physical guy. He's kind of got a lot of tools of a top power forward, so he can definitely open up some room on the ice as well.
Q. Having a guy like him simplifies things for you. Open the ice for you?
RICK NASH: Yeah, I think any time you have someone on your line if you can achieve that, it helps. I've never played on a team with so much depth where almost any combination you feel comfortable with, and nine with play on the first line or the last line. It doesn't really matter. But J.T. seems to kind of back off their defensemen a little bit.
Q. Do you feel any more pressure coming off a 40 goal season to perform in the playoffs?
RICK NASH: It's a struggle when you're not scoring. I think it tests you mentally, it tests you emotionally. But at the end of the day it's not about you, it's about the team and anything you can do to help the team win. If the team's winning, you're obviously happy and smiling.
Q. Sleep better last night?
RICK NASH: No, I didn't, actually. It's really strange. I was having great sleeps and then last night I couldn't sleep. It was weird.
Q. How do you feel mentally going into the next game?
RICK NASH: Yeah, it's a good feeling, but for me, it's one game. It's not that big of a deal. Things can turn around pretty fast. Whatever happened last night is over. We'll try to carry some momentum, like I said earlier, but at the end of the day it's a new game, and it starts 0-0 again.
Q. In game 3, did you see anything about Tampa Bay that you took advantage of in Game 4?
RICK NASH: Yeah, there is really not much you can take advantage of. They're a pretty good team. I think it was just minimizing what we were doing to ourselves, our mistakes to the neutral zone and kind of not getting pucks deep. It's allowing their transition against a team that has as much talent and skill that they have, we have to minimize those turnovers.
KEITH YANDLE
Q. Is there confidence in the power play now?
KEITH YANDLE: Yeah, I think right now we're able to capitalize on it. But even before we were getting chances, but now finding ways to score, which at this point in the season it's not easy to do.
Q. Why is joining the rush more effective?
KEITH YANDLE: I think against a team like this we know everyone has to be a key part and a big part of our offense. To get chances everyone has to be able to make them play. I think for me it's just using my legs and trying to get up in the play as much as possible.
Q. Do you feel like this is as well as you’ve played since you’ve been here?
KEITH YANDLE: Yeah, I think so. I think in this series I've felt probably at my best and most comfortable, and I kind of feel like it's coming together.
Q. What was the adjustment like?
KEITH YANDLE: Yeah, a lot more comfortable. It's just you know the way guys play and finding your role. So it was something that you knew it was going to take some time, and I feel good right now.
Q. Certain pressure coming in at the deadline and possibly being the final piece of the puzzle?
KEITH YANDLE: I don't think so. I think if you look at the lineup of this team, for me it's just finding a way to gel in and be a part of the team. That's on and off the ice the guys have treated me great. So to put that pressure on myself, if you look at what this team did even before I got here it was a special team. For me it's just coming in and playing well and trying to help out.
Q. Regarding eye?
KEITH YANDLE: It was the second period of two games ago. Stepan hit in the corner.
Q. What game?
KEITH YANDLE: Game 3.
COACH VIGNEAULT
Q. Is there a better feeling today?
COACH VIGNEAULT: Well, our overall situation is a little bit better. I mean, we knew that yesterday was a very important game. We've evened the series out. Best of three now, and we have home ice advantage.
But it's been a really tough series. Every game has been different. First game was tight checking. Second game special team units took over. Third game it was back and forth where there's tons of open ice and both teams are scoring when it's overtime. And last night from our standpoint we had a really solid first period. They got momentum in the second and some looks, and our goaltender stood tall.
In the third we were able to get them out of reach with a couple of big power?play goals. So every game has been different. At this time of the year it's about finding ways to win and that's what we're trying to do.
Q. Is it more difficult to prepare when every game has been different?
COACH VIGNEAULT: No, because I would say to you this is sort of to be expected. I mean, you have the No. 1 offensive team and number three offensive team in the league. Tons of skill, tons of speed on the ice. It makes it challenging for goaltenders. I mean, teams are going to get some looks. So you prepare your team, you prepare for the execution that's needed with the puck. You prepare them what they need to do to defend. But there are so many players that can beat you one-on-one that they're going to get some open looks.
Q. Last round you were confident that sticking with it would pay off, same feeling here?
COACH VIGNEAULT: I believe my staff and my players really believe in our approach and our process to be successful. The difference is the opposition. We're meeting obviously a quicker team and a more skilled team at this time, and it makes it very challenging.
They're one of the best teams I've seen. They come at you hard and we do the same to them. We've been, I think, very good in the last couple games offensively. We've been able to find the back of the net on more than a couple of occasions, which we hadn't done so far on a fairly consistent basis in the playoffs. So we get some looks, the right guys are getting the looks. The right guys are putting the puck on the net, so hopefully we can continue.
Q. Why was last night the night you moved Hayes?
COACH VIGNEAULT: Typical. No, you know what? I thought the way J.T. had played, to give you an honest answer, I don't always do it this time of the year. I keep things in tight, you know. I don't want to divulge everything, but I will say I thought J.T. had played really well in that third period of the last game. I saw something with him and Brassard and Nash there. He, Hagelin and Marty had some good looks and good offensive zone time. I used him in the Pittsburgh series. I thought it might be something worthwhile going back to and it paid off.
Q. JT Miller made a great play last night, is that what he’s showing you?
COACH VIGNEAULT: Yeah, he's coming along. Part of the overall knowledge of the game and figuring the game out and when it's time to go and not to go. J.T. is one of our younger players like Jesper and Kevin and Step and Kreider, with the knowledge they're getting better, and that's what we need.
Q. For St. Louis and Nash, will this take some pressure off now that they scored?
COACH VIGNEAULT: Well, after Marty scored that goal, we had three other real good looks. I'm hoping that we're going to see more of those. He's been the constant pro here even though it's been a test for him to get on the score sheet and score some goals, which he knows that's part of his mandate with any team, especially ours. He's stayed with it and he's worked extremely hard. Got a little relief last night, and hopefully we'll be able to build on that and take it to the next level.
Q. Has the pressure now switched off Lundqvist to Bishop?
COACH VIGNEAULT: I'm going to worry about my players and get them ready, and I'm sure their coach is probably doing the same thing.
Q. When guys are struggling, are you tempted to shorten your bench?
COACH VIGNEAULT: It depends on the struggle. There will be some types of plays or decisions out there that tell me that this guy is going to be off and I should do something quick, but most of our guys are pretty good. At this time of the year you need your four lines and your 16. They know one part on the line and one part on the deep there isn't bringing that security to the whole team (Indiscernible). It affects the whole team, and nobody wants to affect the team.
Q. How different is Yandle’s game now?
COACH VIGNEAULT: It's the best I've seen him play so far with the puck. How to beat the forecheck, when to jump up in the attack. It's the best I've seen him play with that so far. I've seen him play really good with Phoenix before. It takes players a little adjustment time. He's playing really well.
FastScripts by ASAP Sports
