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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE MEDIA CONFERENCE

May 7, 2007

DAVID KEON: Hello everyone, I'm David Keon of the National Hockey League's public relations department, and I'd like to welcome you to the first in our series of calls today featuring participants in the third round in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
With us we have Buffalo Sabres Head Coach Lindy Ruff. Thanks to Lindy for taking the time today to answer your questions. Thanks to Mike Gilbert from the Sabres public relations department for arranging the call.
Yesterday the Sabres defeated the New York Rangers 5-4 to win second round series four games to two. They will open the Eastern Conference Finals later this week at the HSBC Arena when they host divisional rival Ottawa Senators for Games 1 and 2. Thanks to Lindy for joining us.

Q. Just wondering after the stuff in February, the head-to-head games between you two guys, do you think that's forgotten or is a non-factor in this series in terms of, you know, with all of the speed and matchups and the stuff that happened during the season, is that in the background? Is it a factor?
COACH RUFF: I don't think it's a factor. That may be in the background, but there's a lot of other stuff there's going to take the forefront over that.

Q. If I can follow that up, just in terms of both teams and the amount of offense, potential offense there, is this -- do you see it as exciting as the fans might see it; that there's a potential for both teams to score a lot?
COACH RUFF: Well, I think that, you know, the potential is there. You know, if you go back to last year's playoff series, you go to the game that was 7-6, and you turn around and the next game is 2-1.
I think the series may be unpredictable at times. Both teams are very capable of playing very sound defense, and Ottawa has definitely showed that against a Jersey team that was, you know, tough all year long to create offense, and they were able to create enough offense to put them away.
So I think this series can go a number of directions.

Q. Just as a follow-up, you know, you can't take stupid penalties in the playoffs, obviously and that stuff will be in the background but how much of a distraction is it going to be with you and your players, because it's going to happen. You've been through the playoffs enough with media peppering alluding to the game in February, are you guys looking for revenge? It's going to be a constant theme between now and the first game.
COACH RUFF: I think we'll deal with it. We'll talk about it internally.
Like I said earlier, for me, it's a non-factor. The big prize is one team is going to go on to play for the Stanley Cup, and as you said, you know, penalties for retaliation or something that happened a couple of months ago, if you're going to take those at this time of year, then I think mind-set is in the wrong place.

Q. As a follow up to that, obviously you shouldn't need any motivation for the playoffs, but given the series that both teams had a year ago, (Jason) Pominville's goal and the games have been pretty intense, is this the type of series where you don't really need one of those Knute Rockne pep talks because there's no shortage of story lines or motivation?
COACH RUFF: Just took my Knute Rockne book off of the shelf, too.
This should be a pretty self-motivating series. Any time you can get two division rivals that are going to get the opportunity to play for the Cup; that you can get this close -- last year was an opportunity to move on, but it wasn't an opportunity to play for the Cup yet in that series.
Now you're looking at two teams that do have history that have an opportunity to play a seven-game series to have a chance to play for the Stanley Cup, which is -- I think that's even bigger than it was last year.

Q. I'm just trying to find out, the Sabres never having won a Cup, is this sort of like the Senators, is it sort of like a monkey on your back, you always get pretty far but never get actually to the end; is there any sort of hesitation there?
COACH RUFF: No, there's no hesitation. I think you try to do your best and I think even in last year's playoffs, we did our best. That came up a little bit short. You know, there's certain situations and circumstances that are going to allow you to win it, or you're going to end up losing it.
But I think at the end, if you can ask yourself if you did your best, you're going to -- you're going to answer that honestly and you're going to move on.

Q. I'm sure you're going to try to do your best; is there anything else that you have to do? I mean, everybody is doing their best, right; what do you have to do to finally reach the top?
COACH RUFF: Have to win four games out of seven in the last series, and I think it's as simple as that.
It comes down to you're head-to-head against an opposition, and you know, we have to impose all of the will we have as players. It will come down to execution. It will come down to somebody's going to make some big plays. Somebody's going to make some big saves.
When you get inside a seven-game series with a team that you played eight times in the regular season, you know you're going to battle them in a playoff series. I don't think there's a lot of secrets. It's going to be -- it's going to be some team is going to be just a little bit better or make some better plays.

Q. I'm just wondering, you've object by been through a lot of ups-and-downs with this organization as a player and a coach, and Buffalo is one of the sort of few places where hockey is a real sort of talking point for people. It's water cooler conversation; it's in the community; it's high-profile. I'm just wondering, do you guys get the sense as coaches and players and as an organization that this is a city and a fan base that deserves a Stanley Cup this year, that's really waited patiently and worked hard for it, and does that weigh on your mind at all?
COACH RUFF: I can't speak for the players, but for the coaching staff, I think we all realize the expectations in the city are sky-high. And that has carried over from how well we played last year in last year's playoffs to coming out and having the season we had this year.
There's a lot of excitement in this city. I feel it; I see it; I witness it. I don't know if you would want it any other way. You only deserve what you work for and we're going to work hard to have an opportunity to play for it. Possibly in the next round. But the only focus we have right now is, you know, trying to get through this series.

Q. In the new NHL here, there's a lot of low-scoring games and a lot of seems rebound everybody is focused as much on keeping the puck out as much as in. What do you focus on when you have two offensive teams like you have; is it more about scoring goals, or is it more about playing solid defense and making sure they don't score goals?
COACH RUFF: Well, I don't know if this is the answer you're looking for but we're kind of looking for both. We want to keep them out and we want to score them at the same time. We've worked all year long at playing a certain style of hockey, and we're not going to change our style. I think there is a little bit of looseness to our game that we do give up some chances to try to create some chances.

Q. You're okay with that?
COACH RUFF: Oh, yeah, I think if you look at -- if you look at yesterday's game, we gave up some pretty good opportunities and in return we got some pretty good opportunities.
We feel we've got some depth with our goal scoring, and I think you have to play to your strengths, and our strengths this year as a team is we're a good offensive team. We've played some pretty sound defense in the playoffs already; that I understand and I look around the league and see how all of the games have gone and how tight they are; it's a realization when you're in a real tight game that you have to forfeit some of your offense if you have a one-goal lead and you start thinking, "Okay, I think we need to lock this down," and I think that's what our players have been pretty good at.

Q. The Senators big line has had a terrific playoffs, they have 23 points combined against the Devils, and I wonder in terms of your game plan opening up at home, do you expect to give them a heavy dose of (Henrik) Tallinder and (Toni) Lydman, or do you care about the matchup that much and try and dictate it yourself, or how do you respond to a line that's been so good in the playoffs?
COACH RUFF: I think we do, we have to respect that line. I think that, you know, it's my job as a coach to be ready to defense that line. You mentioned 23 points; I was feeling pretty good today until you mentioned that.
Obviously, they are one of their keys and as a coaching staff we have to focus in on what their team has been doing and who has been doing it for them. Every team has what they would look at as a shutdown pair of D, and I don't think we look at Lydman and Tallinder to be that shutdown D as they look at (Anton) Volchenkov and (Chris) Phillips to be their shutdown D against our key lines as whatever they deem that's going to be.
Yeah, they will see it, our game plan will be to have them see those guys, and we need our guys to do a good job against them.

Q. Can you get too wound up in that sort of thing whether it's keeping your guys away from a pair like Volchenkov and Phillips versus trying to jockey things so that you get Lydman and Tallinder out sort of every time, or is there a diminishing returns if you worry too much about it or do you just have to balance the two?
COACH RUFF: Well, you know, I like to use the -- there's probably an 80/20 where 80 percent of the time, we're not going to sacrifice our game to exclusively try to defend. I think that we've been a team all year long that has gone out and said it; you need to worry about us. At the same time we're respectful when the other team has a line that's going real well, we spend time talking about what we need to do against other teams top lines. I don't think it's a distraction and I don't think it's something that takes away from our game.
But it's just a lot about being smart about what the other team has.

Q. Just wondering, one of the big phrases among the media in Buffalo right now is throughout your first two rounds is, "Well, the Sabres haven't played their best game yet," and I'm sure you've heard that over and over again. I mean, how do you feel about that statement, and should it really matter when the fact is, you've won your first two series and only lost -- and you're 8-3 in the playoffs?
COACH RUFF: You know what, we've had some -- we've had some disappointing periods of play, which I think has taken some of the wind out of our sails. I think to a man we have pretty high expectations, and I think those expectations are outside of the room. At the same time, I think maybe the focus has not been on the good 40 you played, but the bad 20 you just played and maybe you still won the game.
So we understand it. Our own players made the statements that we need to play better. I think that's where most of it is generated from has been from our own disappointments and periods of play throughout the playoffs. Although, you do have to give the other team some credit for playing well and maybe getting you on your heels. And you do have to weather a storm. The other team has good players, too, at the same time. So there's been a little bit of both there.

Q. Just going back to that big line for Ottawa, how much more or different of a challenge are those three guys going to give you than maybe the Rangers big line gave you or even the Islanders in the first round?
COACH RUFF: Well, I just think they are -- they have got, if I look at that, originally the ranger line had Hossa there which I look at (Daniel) Alfredsson and (Dany) Heatley and (Jason) Spezza as all very good goal scorers.
You know, I think that when you go to a line with (Michael) Nylander and (Jaromir) Jagr, you have two good goal-scorers, and (Marcel) Hossa brought something different. From a complete front I think they have played a very good two-way game. You know when you're going to be that good offensively, you have to be good defensively, too, otherwise you don't get on the ice enough and you can't play on your own end.
That has really been the key for that big line.
DAVID KEON: We now have with us Thomas Vanek, forward of the Sabres, and we'll go ahead with questions for Thomas.

Q. We asked the same question of Lindy, obviously given the fact you guys beat Ottawa or eliminated Ottawa last year, and we all know about the big heat on Drury and stuff like that, obviously there's some extra motivation in this series other than just playing in an Eastern Conference Final?
THOMAS VANEK: Yeah, for sure. Obviously I think it's a big story for the media and stuff, but obviously we know we have a big rivalry with Ottawa. We always have tough games against them throughout the season, and it's going to be a good series. It's going to be fun for the media, fun for the fans and especially for the players. So we're looking forward to it.

Q. How about in your own situation, you know, last year in the playoffs, you didn't see a lot of ice time. It's totally turned around for you this year, can you just talk about that?
THOMAS VANEK: I think it's fantastic. It was my first year and it was a learning process, and then, you know, it's been good to me all year and I think he's got a little more trust in me and he's showing it and I appreciate that. It's a lot more fun playing and contributing and helping your team win than sitting in the press box and watching your team play.
Yeah, it's been fun and hopefully we can keep going here.
DAVID KEON: We also have Teppo Numminen.

Q. Teppo, what's it like for you guys to go in this series completely healthy given that you had so much injury problems, especially on defense last year?
TEPPO NUMMINEN: Well it's been a really close series both teams. Everybody has been healthy right now, and, you know, it's really good having everyone healthy and we've been lucky that way so far. So it's been pretty good.

Q. Do you guys at this point consider Ottawa the No. 1 rival that you have?
TEPPO NUMMINEN: Well, Ottawa has been one of the best teams in the league for many years, so they are always tough to play against. You know, they have got really good teams for many years. So you know, it's always exciting to play against them and you know, it's always a big challenge.

Q. Just wondering if you've ever seen a coach who is quite as able to push the right buttons, particularly as Lindy Ruff does in the playoffs?
TEPPO NUMMINEN: Well, he's been there when he played and he's been coaching for a long time and he's seen many things. I think he really is one of the most experienced coaches around. So that really helps. He has a good feel and a good read of the game, what's going on and how the players feel. So you know, communicating with the players, it's really important as well.

Q. Do you think the players feed off his sense of calm? He was talking about how calm Chris Drury is in the clutch; do you think the team reflects him the way he's calm under pressure?
TEPPO NUMMINEN: Well, it's really important that no matter what happens, you believe in the system and what you're doing, so you don't panic. There's good moments and there's bad moments during the big series, and you just have to believe in the system and the things you do. And, you know, he's a really focused guy and that's just his thing. He keeps going at it and he leads by example. It's something that, you know, nothing rattles him and he just keeps doing his things no matter what's going on.

Q. Teppo, just wanted to ask you, is it a sense of relief or accomplishment in getting this far, because you pretty much have had targets on your back the entire season, whether it's after that incredible start or the first two rounds as No. 1 seed, do you kind of take a deep breath here and kind of pat yourself on the back for getting to the conference finals, or is it something that you don't think about at all?
TEPPO NUMMINEN: Well, I guess everything kind of comes naturally. You know, you don't really think about anything else. You just have the team you're playing against and, you know, you just focus on that. And everybody knows how close it is and how fine a line it is between winning and losing, so you just try to keep your focus on that series and that moment.
That's how we've been trying to look at it, you know, not to look ahead, not to hook line, just be in the present?

Q. Is it more mentally draining or physically draining knowing that everybody wants to kind of knock you guys off?
TEPPO NUMMINEN: Well, I think for us, it's been fine. You know, I think for sure it's better to be first place than eighth place to go in there. You know you've been playing well the whole season and you know you've got a good team, and you know you've got a good system and you've got a good chance to win in it. I think it's just a positive thing that you carry with you.
You know, there's been so many times we came from, you know, during the season to win games from behind in the third period. Things like that that we have with us, it's going to keep us going and believing in what we do.

Q. Thomas, Lindy said earlier today he didn't know if he was going to bring up the whole Drury hit from earlier in the year; how much does that play or resonate in the series, even though it was kind of taken care of that night or soon after?
THOMAS VANEK: I don't think we'll worry about that. I think Chris is focused on getting back and scoring goals like he always does and helping his team win. I think that's what he's always focused about and I think that's what makes him such a great leader. I just expect Chris to be at the top of his game like he always is and contributing in better ways.

Q. Do you guys anticipate right away at the top of the series there's going to be more edge than with the Rangers and Islanders because you're not as familiar with them as you are with Ottawa?
THOMAS VANEK: I think so, the guys talk about how you've got to kind of hate the team before you can really get a rivalry going. And I think you know, for the Islanders, it took a few games; with the Rangers, it took a few games. I don't think it's going to take a game at all in this series. I think the bad blood is there from before and I think they have got some bad blood with us for knocking them out of the playoffs last year.
I expect it to be a great series right off the bat.

Q. So do you think you can say you hate them already?
THOMAS VANEK: I think the history is there, so I think, you know, history is there, it's the conference finals, the winner gets a trip to the Stanley Cup. So I think there's as much you can make up or wait for. As soon as the puck drops, Game 1, you know, both teams are going to be playing hard for a trip to the next round.
DAVID KEON: Thank you very much, Teppo and Thomas, for your time today.

End of FastScripts

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