NHL Peachy: 2015 Eastern Confernece Final Off Day Transcript May 21 (NYR Coach Vigneault, Stepan, Brassard, McDonagh) Our Coverage Sponsored by Cosmopolitan Dental, Official Dentist of Whom You Know
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An interview with:
RYAN McDONAGH
Q. How would you describe the importance of this next game?
RYAN McDONAGH: Well, I mean, it's absolutely a huge game, you know. Being tied 2-2, going back to MSG or being down 3-1 is quite a hole, but you don't want to look too far ahead. You want to focus on doing the right thing to prepare here, and it starts with our meetings and our team getting together here and getting the right mindset and preparing for another hard-fought game.
Q. What are the keys to returning to Rangers style of game and away from the way Tampa Bay plays?
RYAN McDONAGH: Yeah, I mean, they did a good job of clogging up the neutral zone against us. We didn't put enough pucks behind them and make them defend as much, and we didn't wear them down like we did in Game 1, where they were spending a lot of time in their zone.
I thought that because of the fact that they weren't having to defend as much, that they were able to utilize their speed, their transition game and get back and play in our offensive zone. So in that aspect, I think we can get back to doing what was the strength of us in Game 1. Making them go the whole length of the ice, and trying to wear down their defensemen and their forwards by making them defend.
Q. Post game the guys were saying that it wasn’t on Hank given how fast they were skating and how fast they were passing the puck, how do you combat the speed and slow them down?
RYAN McDONAGH: Oh, we feel we have to be a lot stronger in front of them, for sure. They're getting some open looks and some rush plays. We definitely are having our breakdowns in front of them, so that's stuff that we can control. Like I said, we're going to continue to look at things on video, and ways that we can counter act that and make sure that we're giving ourselves that best chance to win.
Q. Are you surprised at the number of goals they have scored in the last two games?
RYAN McDONAGH: Yeah, like our huge foundation is our defensive play and not giving up offensive chances against as much, so it is a little bit shocking, but it isn't shocking in the sense of the way the games have been played.
We haven't defended the way that we normally do, and they're very skilled and very creative and they deserve a lot of credit for that. But I think we can still improve and continue to get back to having good numbers back, having good positioning in the defensive zone where we're strong from the net front out, and those aspects are going to help us get back to the way we want to play as a defensive group.
Q. Do you sense any panic in your team?
RYAN McDONAGH: No, I mean, as crazy and as up and down as this series has been with the goal scoring and back and forth play, it's still 2-1 in the series here, and we understand the importance of this next game being on the road here of trying to have a good start and continue to build off that.
We had a good start last game. Got out to a couple goal leads and couldn't quite finish off through the period there with that two-goal lead. Definitely gave them a little bit of momentum there going into the second.
But we've got to trust our instincts here, trust our structure. We've been in this situation at times before being down in the series, so we've got to continue to do what gives us the best chance to win.
Q. Before the series started, players were saying, well, we haven't seen them for six months and this is playoff hockey. But the last two games, would you agree they were similar to the way they played you guys in the regular season?
RYAN McDONAGH: We see a lot of goal scoring and those are what I can remember from the games, a lot of skill plays by them where we're giving them too much time and space and letting their creative instincts take over.
For us it was a good example of going back to Game 1 of being in good position a majority of that game and not allowing grade A opportunities as much. So if we can reflect on that and use that as motivation and as a strength going forward here, we know we can do it, and it's a matter of us getting to that.
Q. So it looks like they really haven't changed that much from how they played in the regular season?
RYAN McDONAGH: Have they changed since the regular season?
Q. No, I'm asking that of you. Do you sense a change from them since the last time you played?
RYAN McDONAGH: I mean, it's tough to say exactly. But they rely on high-octane, high, fast-paced plays taking what you give them. I mean, if you're going to give them an opportunity to make an extra pass and then create an opportunity in front of the net, they're going to look for that.
So, as the opposition, we've got to try to minimize those offensive looks for them, try and minimize that extra play that they've been making against us.
Q. Ryan, are you eager to get back out there tomorrow?
RYAN McDONAGH: Absolutely. We understand this is a huge opportunity, the Eastern Conference Finals, and you find yourself down 2-1, but it's still a ton of fun playing in this series and being able to say that we're still playing hockey at this point in the season.
So our group, we understand the situation we're in. We understand that there is no use getting upset anymore over what happened last night. That's what the few hours after the game are for, kind of letting yourself vent and get that frustration out of you. But you understand you have a job and another opportunity tomorrow night to even this series up going back to MSG.
DERICK BRASSARD
Q. Shouldn’t five goals be enough to gain a victory?
DERICK BRASSARD: Yeah, but I think for the past two games we got away from our game. I mean, we won the Presidents' Trophy this year by playing good defense, and we didn't give our goalie a chance to be successful the past two games. When you look at the big picture, yeah, it's nice we scored a lot of goals, but we just have to go back to basics.
They love the stretch pass, they have a lot of skills, obviously, but we have to go back to play some good defense.
Q. I know it's not easy, but how hard is it going to be to implement that in the game based on what's happened the last two games?
DERICK BRASSARD: Yeah, it's not going to be easy. We're in the Conference Final, they have a good team. We're pretty aware of that. Maybe their team has a different style than we've seen so far in these playoffs. You know, we just have to play our game. We have to focus on our team. We can't focus on them.
We just, like I said, we're a confident group. We just have to go back to play some good defense with a lot of structure, and if we do that, we have a better chance to win.
Q. Do you think your team got caught up in the Lightning’s style of play, you said you have to go back to your style and not focus on them. Do you think you kind of got caught up in their style a little bit?
DERICK BRASSARD: Yeah, I think so. We were trying to score more goals, and our defensemen were trying to join the rush as much as we can, and they've been taking a lot of chances. You know, we just have to pick our spot. We have to be smarter.
When you look at their team, their defensemen are always there in the offensive zone, in the forecheck. They always have Hedman or Stralman joining the rush. We just have to be smarter in the way we play, especially when their top guys are on the ice.
Q. Any level of panic at all with this team?
DERICK BRASSARD: No, not at all. It's just disappointing that we got away from our game. We gave ourselves a chance to win the game last night, but it didn't go our way. But we're not panicking. We're confident. Even if we're down 2-1 in the series, we're still in a pretty good position.
By winning the game tomorrow, we're going back in our building 2-2. Obviously, the game tomorrow means a lot, and we're just going to try to play a better game and go back to New York with the series tied.
DEREK STEPAN
Q. Hank said last night he was having trouble tracking the puck as it was moving very fast. How do you change that?
DEREK STEPAN: Well, I just think we have to do a better job of defending. You know, again, last night was just one of those nights where both teams had a lot of space and were able to capitalize on mistakes made by the other team. I said it last night too.
I think Game 2 came down to penalties, and that's why they scored 6. I thought we did good things five-on-five in Game 2.
Last night, it's just the way the game went. We obviously want to make adjustments and do a better job of defending, but we gave ourselves, you know, a good chance of winning because we were able to execute offensively at times when we weren't able to do it defensively.
Q. Coach told us that sometimes games unfold differently. Were the past two games the same?
DEREK STEPAN: Yeah, but I feel like they're two different scenarios. Yes, just because of the penalties.
I think Game 2, they scored three power-play goals. One, where we just got to five-on-five, and the shorthanded goal. There was one five-on-five goal scored that night. So I think last night unfolded that way, and like I said in Game 2, I think our discipline is what caused us to have six goals against.
Q. To be Ranger hockey does it have to be a 2-1, 1-0 game? Is this too high scoring to play your strengths?
DEREK STEPAN: Obviously, if you ask any team, they want to try to limit the other team from scoring six goals. But our strength all year has been being able to play in those one-goal games and win the Game 2-1. So there are certain things we have to make our adjustments. But that's in any playoff series, and any type of playoff atmosphere, teams are always constantly making adjustments. One of ours is going to be focused without the puck.
Q. How confident are you that you can kind of impose your will and get the game back to the structure you want and the way you want to play?
DEREK STEPAN: Yeah, I mean, I certainly think that it hasn't been a lack of will in our first three games. I think I sound like a broken record, but Game 2 was discipline, and last night was one of those games where both teams, there was a lot of space out there, and we were able to capitalize offensively.
I said it last night, I think both teams did a lot of good things at times and bad things at times. Our group just needs to focus on when it's going bad, staying structurally sound. That's something we've been good at all year long is playing to our structure.
Q. It seemed the first two rounds were conservative. Did it kind of take you by surprise how wide open Tampa's playing?
DEREK STEPAN: This is a good hockey team, and they're playing extremely well. They've got a line that's playing with a lot of confidence. They have great chemistry together. Their goaltender has played well for them, so we have to stay confident within our group and get ourselves ready for Game 4. That's all we can really focus on, because we want to make sure we put ourselves on the ice for Game 4 and give ourselves a chance to go back to New York in a 2-2 series.
Q. Is it more alarming or concerning that the games have gone the way they have?
DEREK STEPAN: Five-on-five, I thought we did good things in Game 2. We didn't give them much five-on-five in Game 2, but they were able to score some special team goals.
Last night was a different story. I wouldn't say it was our best effort five-on-five, but, again, we had to make adjustments when you go through a playoff series. You're not going to play perfect throughout the series, and we were able to still be in the game where we weren't as sharp as we needed to be.
So we've just got to get back to the Ranger hockey that we've had success with all year and stay confident with our group.
COACH VIGNEAULT
Q. How would you describe the next game and the importance of it?
COACH VIGNEAULT: Game 4? Obviously, we're down by one. We know the importance of tomorrow's game like we knew the importance of 1, 2, and 3, so we're going to be ready for it.
We're playing against an extremely good team, but I liked a lot of things about our game last night. We came out really strong, scored a power-play goal right off the bat, had a 2-nothing lead with 00:50 left to play against the No. 1 scoring team in the league. It's not a big lead, but it's a lead. They came back and they scored four. Guys didn't stop playing. We tied it up. They scored another one. We kept playing. We tied it up in OT.
We had two really good chances off the bat. Ryan McDonagh tipped in front of the net, and Dom beating Johnson out of the corner and taking it right to the net. We don't score, and they get a quick one right after.
Q. As a coach, can you expand on what you said about the way your team played last night? You get back in it, and had you had the chance in the early part of that?
COACH VIGNEAULT: It was a great hockey game last night. I mean, two teams playing with speed and skill. And last night, two teams that were able to make the other teams pay for some of their mistakes.
We scored five on Bishop last night. That's pretty good. He's been an outstanding goaltender in this series, and in these playoffs. So there are a couple of areas that we need to look at. We've got a 6 o'clock meeting tonight, and we're going to look at a couple of those areas, and we're going to get ready for tomorrow.
It was a hard-fought series. We're trying really hard, and we're going to try really hard again tomorrow.
Q. Do your guys have to make better decisions and not take risks?
COACH VIGNEAULT: Well, if you look at a lot of those goals last night, we're there. We've got numbers. We've got people there. Their first goal, I mean, I know Dan loses the puck at our blue line. He's got the puck and Stamkos makes a great play. But Mac is back, Dan is back, they fan on the shot. Puck goes to the net. Hank tries to catch it, caught Hank off guard, and pushed it in on Stamkos' stick. Stuff's going to happen.
Right now both teams are - in last night's game anyway, but both teams made each other pay for their mistakes. It was up and down. It was a lot of skill, lot of speed. It's as quick a series as I've been part of in a long time, and we're going to get right back at it tomorrow.
Q. Would it benefit you guys to be playing more conservatively against some of their top players?
COACH VIGNEAULT: I don't think we can stop their top players. We didn't totally stop Crosby and Malkin. We didn't totally stop Ovechkin. Those guys still had some looks. These guys are going to get some looks. Right now when they're getting the looks, it's finding a way through different circumstances to get to the back of our net. But we're trying to defend as well as we have been in the past. Maybe it doesn't look it, but we're trying.
We're going to look at a couple things on video and see if we can't be better tomorrow.
Q. Do you want to let them dictate the pace of the game?
COACH VIGNEAULT: I don't think either team can dictate the pace of the game. I don't think either team can dictate it. I don't think they're dictating. I mean, in a game there's flows. There's parts of last night's game where we were in there and we had puck control, we had looks. There were other parts where they were in our end, their skill was there, they had looks. Two good teams battling back and forth.
Q. How do you think Hank played last night?
COACH VIGNEAULT: Hank would be the first to say to you that six goals against is very uncharacteristic. In the number of games that he's played for the Rangers, he's been, on most nights one of the top players.
He's going to get ready for tomorrow night and he's going to try to have a real good game.
Q. Hank did say after the game in the locker room how quickly they're passing, that they were having trouble tracking the puck?
COACH VIGNEAULT: I mean, that's his assessment of his play, I'm not a goaltender. I do know Hank is very accountable and very demanding on himself. He is going to do what any good goaltender does. He is going to put last night's game behind him. He's going to get ready for tomorrow. He's going to have a good practice with his teammates. He's going to get ready with his teammates and he's going to play tomorrow night.
Q. Update on Mats?
COACH VIGNEAULT: Coming along. Normal steps. It's just, there's a number of steps and this is one of them.
Q. Coach, a lot of guys talked about staying structurally sound. Does that mean back to basics?
COACH VIGNEAULT: I mean, we are structurally sound. That's one of the reasons why we are getting turnovers. We're creating some turnovers. They're a good team and they can beat you sometimes. Even though you're in structure, they've got the skill level to beat you one-on-one sometimes. Just like we have that skill level.
Even though you can be in structure, if you beat somebody one-on-one, you're going to get a good look. Both teams have got that high speed, high skill level right now. That's why there are some looks on both sides. That's why there were five scored on their team last night, and six on ours.
Q. Why did you change it up with JT on that line for the tying goal?
COACH VIGNEAULT: He was playing with that line throughout the third period. That line, he had played really well till then, and I thought he needed more ice time because he was one of our better players, and that's why I put him out there.
Q. Yandle seemed to play more Why is that?
COACH VIGNEAULT: He was - this is a team that forechecks real hard, five guys at you all the time. He was very good at beating the forecheck and making that good first pass. When the opportunity was there to jump up in the attack, he was using it. So he was an effective player for us last night.
Q. Are you looking to get away from those type of games?
COACH VIGNEAULT: I want to win. I mean, our players want to win. If we win 6-5, we win. We've found ways throughout the season to win different types of games. That is the type of series we're in right now. That's what we're going to try to do.
Q. I guess that type of game can favor someone like Keith?
COACH VIGNEAULT: I would say to you, I mean, we've been in so many one-goal games and tight ones, and he's played good in a lot of those games, one or the other. But he is more noted for a puck-moving-type defenseman.
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