NHL Peachy: 2015 Eastern Conference Finals Off-Day Transcripts - (NYR - Stepan, Hagelin, Staal, Coach Vigneault) Our Coverage Sponsored by Stribling and Associates
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An interview with:
DEREK STEPAN
Q. You've gone through a lot of elimination games. Does this feel any different than the others, or are they all singular animals?
DEREK STEPAN: Yeah, I mean, I think this is, obviously, a little different stage than the one we were on before, but a lot of the same things need to be done in order to get ourselves back into it.
We knew how much work it took to get back in the Washington series. It's going to take just as much work in this series.
Q. What were they doing differently last night? Because you had a lot of zone time in the first half of that game, but probably not getting that many looks?
DEREK STEPAN: Yeah, they did a good job defending, and when they needed to, they blocked some shots. We just weren't able to get - like I said, I don't think we executed very well offensively to get second looks or cleaner looks.
Q. What makes you so good at clutch elimination games?
DEREK STEPAN: No, I just think our group, we just go out and play. We find a way to get it done, even though we don't really panic. We don't really find anything to get down on ourselves. We play confident, we stick to the keys that let us be successful during the year.
Q. You were talking about the first period where you guys had the momentum? When did you think the momentum kind of switched, was it the first goal or the second?
DEREK STEPAN: Yeah, I think we did a lot of good things in the first. I think in the second period, we had some power plays that really didn't generate much, might have given them a little momentum there. But we had probably ten minutes or 12 minutes of zone time even in the second period to start, and we just weren't able to generate any good looks from that, and then they scored the goal.
Q. Do you guys have confidence knowing that you've been in this spot and have played well in it?
DEREK STEPAN: Yeah, I don't think in the past up to this point really matters. We know the situation we're in. We have to stay confident. We've just got to find a way to win a game in Tampa and just take it one game, Game 6, and we'll see what happens from there.
Q. Does it matter, is it good for you or not if the Lightning play another game the way they played last night, more of a tight game?
DEREK STEPAN: I think the playoffs have been played like that for the most part, Game 1, 2-1, and then it opened up for a couple games and it kind of got closed back down again.
So it's going to be a tight-checking game, and I think both teams are going to play that way.
Q. How much did it help knowing you have a win on this ice, and going into Game 6 you got a win the last time you were on it?
DEREK STEPAN: Again, I don't want to go too far to what's happened in the past at this point. We can't really worry about that. We've just got to focus on what it's going to take to prepare ourselves to give ourselves a best chance to win a Game 6.
CARL HAGELIN
Q. Is this elimination game like any of the other elimination games you've been through?
CARL HAGELIN: Yeah, we've been through a lot of them as of late so it's just a matter of coming out and doing our job. All we're thinking about is winning a game here on the road.
Q. Does the way they play defensively make you doubt yourself at all about how well you can score on them?
CARL HAGELIN: Not really. We had those two games, one scored a lot of goals, and then we had three games that haven't scored enough.
I think yesterday we had some good momentum there in the second period. We had some good looks. We didn't find a way to score, and they obviously got two quick ones.
I think it's just a matter of tomorrow, when we have the momentum, we have to make sure we get the puck in.
Q. It seems both teams have been able to rebound after a loss. How do you do that again?
CARL HAGELIN: I think for us, we've been through it before. It's great guys in the locker room. We know what it takes, so just, for us, we've got to play the best game we've played so far in the playoffs.
Q. Who would you compare the vibe of this team right now to a year ago when you reached the Stanley Cup Final, the confidence level, the vibe, the feel?
CARL HAGELIN: Yeah, I think it's the same feel. We have a good feel within the locker room, a lot of the same players since last year that have been through it before. So we look forward to the task tomorrow, and we know what it takes.
Q. Both series have some sort of consistencies from game to game, and this series has been kind of all over the board. Is this more difficult to prepare for a game when you kind of don't know what to expect?
CARL HAGELIN: You're right when it comes to all the games have been very different in terms of how many goals that have been scored and just overall what the games have looked like. I felt like last game was probably one of the slower games so far, didn't have a lot of opportunities for both sides.
I think, again, we've just got to focus on what we can do. We know we can play better than we did last night, and that's what we've got to do.
Q. Does it surprise you with maybe that part of it, you know, how the game has played a little bit slower, like you said? And then going into tomorrow night, what kind of confidence - because you guys played a lot of those, I mean, that's kind of your bag, isn't it?
CARL HAGELIN: Yeah, I would say that's more the way we like to play, closer games, obviously, low-scoring games. Obviously we don't want to lose like we did. We go into tomorrow thinking that we've got to go out and match their intensity and try to get the first goal.
Q. It seems they can play any style of game that you guys want to play. Is that accurate and is it frustrating, and how do you have to get creative?
CARL HAGELIN: It's not frustrating. It's just one of those things. You're in the Conference Final and you know you've got to play a team that's really good. They've done a lot of good things this year, and that's why they are where they are, and that's why we are where we are. Whatever happens tomorrow, we just need to bring it.
Q. What do you think some of the big factors are going to be tomorrow? Are you going to take advantage of power play opportunities?
CARL HAGELIN: Yeah, special teams has been key in every game so far. Both teams have seen really good looks on the power play.
For us, we've just got to focus on playing better on the PK. I think if we can make sure that they don't get a goal on their PP, we can have a chance.
Q. What is it like with Stamkos? And I know the triplets aren't scoring well, but when Stamkos gets going, I don't know if the right adjective is it's scary or whatever, but what's it like facing him?
CARL HAGELIN: He's one of those players that gets lost, and then he's really good at finding pucks around the net and really good at finding open areas. He's one of those guys that you don't see him that much throughout the game and then he just pops up. I wouldn't say it's scary, but it's one of those things we have to make sure we're close to.
MARC STAAL
Q. What did they do yesterday that was different in the last couple games?
MARC STAAL: I think they're cheating a little less on the offense. I think when we got our chances to score, they were still all back, they had numbers back in the zone collapsing.
Other than that, they were taking lanes away and blocking shots a little more so than they have early on in the series, so it was making it a little more difficult for us to try to get one by Bishop.
Q. When they're playing that way, is it about getting a shot quickly or is it about making an extra pass to get them out of position?
MARC STAAL: I think shooting pucks to the net. When you think quick, maybe hit something, deflects off someone and just caused them to turn and react and start causing some panic on their end. When you start throwing pucks to the net, it causes confusion, and we could have done a better job of that last week.
Q. You guys have been in this position a bit the last couple years. But does it get any tougher to have to be in this situation so many times?
MARC STAAL: No, I mean, it's playoffs. You're going to have your back against the wall. Like I said, we had a number of games where it's win or go home, and I think we have a lot of guys in our room that thrive on the situation where you've got to be at your best to win a hockey game, and that's the way we look at it.
You've got to go in tomorrow night confident in the way we know how to play and just go out there and play our best game. We're a tough out, and we'll give it our best effort tomorrow and try to get a win.
Q. Is Hank one of the best when the chips are down of being elevated?
MARC STAAL: Yeah, when we need him to close the door, he does that. There have been a lot of games where it's one shot or one chance that can be the difference in the game, and he's come up big for us in those moments when we need him. I expect nothing less tomorrow night.
Q. There may be a chance too that the other guys are a young group, and a lot of them have never been here to a Cup Final or almost none of them have been to the Cup Final, maybe take advantage of the giddiness that might exist right before the game anyway?
MARC STAAL: Yeah, we know the feeling of having an opportunity to close out at home, and we know none of them want to come back to MSG for a Game 7.
I think we go in there and play our game, play confident, set the tempo, and we'll give ourselves a good chance to win that hockey game.
They're a talented, skilled group over there. It's not going to be an easy game, but I think we're looking forward to the challenge.
Q. You got a win here last time, do you feel confident going out on that ice?
MARC STAAL: Yeah, we've been a confident road team all year. It doesn't change the way we play. We enjoy the challenge of going into someone else's rink and winning a game, so that's not going to change tomorrow.
Q. Is there a different attitude with this team in this type of situation now compared to in the past? Are you guys calmer now in this situation than you were three years ago?
MARC STAAL: Yeah, I think so. I think the more experience you have in these types of games, you can draw from it. I think even saying that, once the puck drops, it's two teams trying to win a hockey game, and you have to figure out a way to do that on that night. We've been successful the last few times we've had to do it, and we're confident we'll do it again.
COACH VIGNEAULT
Q. Is there one thing you can pinpoint why your team has been so good in these last must-win games?
COACH VIGNEAULT: I think I've said this a few times: Our players focus in the right areas, stay in the moment. We've obviously been in a few of these situations in the past, and I'm very confident that our group is going to enjoy the opportunity and enjoy the challenge, get ready for it, and come up with a good game.
Q. When you kind of shortened the bench at the end of the game, obviously looking for a little spark.
COACH VIGNEAULT: Looking to score some goals.
Q. That would be a spark, right? Does that carry over to the next game in your mind when you're trying to figure out who to put with what?
COACH VIGNEAULT: As soon as I'm done with you here, we're going to have our coaching meeting and we're going to discuss any areas that we feel we need to adjust.
Last night's game, I mean, it was a tight-checking affair where both teams weren't giving the other ones a lot of opportunities. They were able to make us pay.
One of our first mistakes was a neutral zone read there, and their power play scored them a big goal. The power play had a couple of opportunities before, too, to strike. It didn't in last night's game, but it had been very good until last night, so confident it will be good in Game 6.
Q. Do things change for coach now in the elimination game? I mean, in Game 5 against the Capitals you're down 1-0, and you kept rolling your line. You didn't shorten the defense. But in this type of situation, would you change anything?
COACH VIGNEAULT: It's pretty much the same situation. If we don't win, we're done. It's just a matter of reading your team and the energy level and the execution. A lot of it sometimes has to do with exactly that, and how some guys are performing and the pace out there. And right now the pace, whether it be offensively or defensively, it's quick. When you're at ice level and you're seeing the execution and the intensity that's there, that's as quick as I've seen in a long time.
Q. Your team's offensive decision making, was your problem with the decisions or the speed?
COACH VIGNEAULT: In last night's game, we spent a tremendous amount of time in their end, for whatever reason. And I give them a lot of credit, they blocked a lot of the lanes and a lot of the shots.
But we had, at some point in all that zone time, we had opportunities to get it to the net, but we didn't. I'm not sure why, but we'll try and be better tomorrow.
Q. I'm sure you didn't want Stamkos to wake up on your watch after he struggled in the first two rounds. But the challenge that that presents now that they've got two lines?
COACH VIGNEAULT: To tell you the truth, I did watch their games, a lot of their games against Detroit and Montreal, and he might not have been hitting the back of the net, but he was contributing in other ways. He's an intense player, he's a good player. Obviously, we've got to keep an eye on him.
Q. When you're saying you didn't get enough shots, quality shots or both?
COACH VIGNEAULT: Oh, obviously a combination of both. A lot of times, it's not that initial shot, but it's the second opportunity, and they did a tremendous job of taking those away from us yesterday.
Q. Were you surprised by that given how many goals they scored in the series?
COACH VIGNEAULT: Like I said, every game has been different. Both teams, you have skillset both offensively and defensively, so every game unfolds differently.
Q. You talk about the intensity level with the elimination hockey like this. What are some of the intangibles that are going to make the difference?
COACH VIGNEAULT: Oh, you know, I think both teams are going to try and play to their strengths, and that's certainly what we're going to do tomorrow. It should be a great game.
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