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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE MEDIA CONFERENCE

April 30, 2009

Dan Bylsma

DAVID KEON: Good afternoon, everyone. I'm David Keon of the National Hockey League's public relations department, and I would like to welcome you to today's call. Our guest is Pittsburgh Penguins head coach, Dan Bylsma. Thanks to Dan for taking the time to join and answer your questions, and thanks to Jen Bullano of the Penguins public relations department for arranging this call.
Dan was named Penguins head coach on February 15 and led Pittsburgh to a record of 18?3?4 in the final 25 games of the season, earning the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Penguins defeated the Flyers in Round 1, four games to two.
On Saturday at the Verizon Center in Washington they will open the Eastern Conference semifinal when they meet the Capitals at 1:00 PM Eastern time on NBC, CBC, RDS. And thanks again to Dan for taking the time today to join us and answer your questions.

Q. I just want to know how much time have you guys spent looking at the young goalie Varlamov, and how much did that change the complexion of playing against that team?
DAN BYLSMA: Well, our goalie coach, Gilles Meloche, has spent the last day and a half, two days looking at all of the tapes we can get ahold of, the shots, how he comes out, makes saves and where other teams have scored on him and where other teams have gotten second chances from, and we are putting together a tape for our players to see what they might expect from him.
But certainly it's part of any series, how you want to try to get to a goalie, get traffic in front, get shots and get pucks in or around the blue paint.
But I think in this series, in particular, a young goaltender and a relatively inexperienced goaltender is certainly in focus and we want to make it as difficult as we can on him. We want to get as many shots around him and to have to deal with that, and a young goaltender, it's what you're going to see throughout the playoffs and throughout the year. We are going to know where to shoot on this guy and where he has been susceptible to some chances. But it's not any different than against another guy.

Q. My opinion is that Ovechkin and Semin to revel in the rivalry with your Penguins and seem to be more annoyed with the gamesmanship. Are you concerned with keeping your stars focused during the series with so much being said and written about, just personal rivalry between them?
DAN BYLSMA: Well, I want our team and our players need to be focused on how we play and what we need to do. Anything else that offers a distraction, certainly there are things that you have to deal with and certain questions that you're going to have to answer, but there are also some things that you can keep your focus away from and we are going to try to keep it on the ice and how we need to play.
As far as the gamesmanship, this is not the first time that our guys have had to deal with some of this gamesmanship. Crosby has been pestered by Philadelphia and taunted by the crowd and had to deal with the quality player that they have, Mike Richards.
They have dealt with this many times before. Certainly they are aware of it. Certainly they understand what's going to happen going in, immediate tension, the scrutiny. But these guys are pretty experienced, even though they are young and dealing with this situation, but again the focus is on how they need to play and how we need to play for our team to have success.

Q. Describe the mood surrounding the team and how things are running in the dressing room now compared to February 25, the day before Kunitz arrived and a week before Guerin arrived.
DAN BYLSMA: I think we were fortunate to have Chris and Bill Guerin, but also shortly before that, Sergei Gonchar came back from an injury that kept him out from almost the start of the season.
Our dressing room is much different right now than it was when I walked in, and on February 15, we had a very attentive group of guys, a hard?working group of guys, a group of guys that to a man, they like to be around. They are willing to be challenged. They are willing to talk about what we need to do and how we need to get better, and, you know, bringing it out on the ice and just in the room today, it's a confident bunch. It's a group that believes that we have a good team, good players if we play a certain way. But at the same time, they are also a group that respects the situation, respects the opponent and also knows that we can get a lot better than we were February 15, and even as we played, we know we can still get better and they challenge themselves in that direction.
It's a room that's real professional and fun to be in, but also a group that knows we still have work to do to play better and to be better, and that's a good atmosphere to be around.

Q. And like getting new players acclimatized to a new environment, as a new coach in the NHL, how have you approached guys arriving to the team and not having to disrupt the team chemistry where you always want to keep a good thing going; has it been something within your system that you have been able to get them comfortable with? How would you describe that?
DAN BYLSMA: I think when you have had this situation as a player, as well; when you add to players to your lineup and essentially we really added three with Craig Adams, and didn't give up a forward; we added three forwards and didn't give up a forward, you're adding a lot of pieces. There is going to be some issues with playing time and which roles people fit into and what lines they are on, if they are on the power play or not.
And really, I guess my goal, A, is these are our new guys, this is what they do and this is what they are going to be for our team. But at the same time, we didn't write in stone that this is where they were going to play and this guy was at one particular position, and now still let that kind of evolve into what it is now. Let the players play themselves into roles; and at the same time, really try to be open about it, and you know, as to where maybe a player is taken out of a role because of players coming in, or at least felt like they were, really kind of reiterate what they do for our team and what they bring to the table and reassured them with my words, but also in how I played them, that they were still going to be a big part of going forward. That's a process. It doesn't happen overnight. Certainly you can do it with your words, but your actions as a coach and the atmosphere you set for the team in giving players chances to do well and play in certain roles says more than your words can ever say. So that was part of the plan is we got new guys to integrate. And then slowly, and also give players who may be displaced out of time or minutes or roles, give them a chance to still do what they do for the team. And to the guys' credit, they have stuck with it and worked hard, and right now I think we have a better team because of it.

Q. Obviously this is the series that everybody in hockey and essentially in the game is watching for a lot of obvious reasons. Can you put into words the significance of this series what it could do for hockey for maybe the more casual fan, and what it means to have Alex and Sidney in the same series together when you never had Wayne and Mario in the same series together, or even any other comparable twosome in at least the last 30 years?
DAN BYLSMA: Well, putting aside who I'm tied into and who the Capitals are tied into their team, I think it's amazing to have the ability to market the game like this and to have a clash between two up?and?coming organizations and players that we have and they have.
Just from our last series, as well, the inner?street rivalry between the two teams, our TV ratings were extremely high, and just seeing the promotion of the game in and around our state and on the East Coast was fantastic. And this brings it to another level, and in a time where we are trying to grow our game, we have a lot of special young players, not just two or three. We have a bunch.
And to get them going head?to?head against each other is an amazing thing, and it's amazing, because A, they have great personalities, they have a face that we can recognize, but also they are fantastic hockey talents and teams that play a high?speed, high?energetic game, and it makes for great entertainment.
Putting aside all of our emotions and who we want to win, it makes for a great story and makes for great media and it makes for a great product. If I was the NHL, only thing I could have wished for was the Conference Final and not this, but this is still an exceptional time for us to play, and hopefully all hockey can capitalize on it.

Q. Were you watching Game 7 of the Devils/Carolina series, and did you think this wasn't going to be the matchup you were going to face?
DAN BYLSMA: You know, we were watching both games, and certainly we knew we were one of in the scenarios, depending on which teams won, and I think we were more really concerned with when the series started than who we were playing.
But as it all unfolded, I know that the coaches in the coaches room and speaking to our management the next morning, what an amazing bit of drama and hockey there at the end, great games. And again, that's the beauty of the NHL. The playoffs, even in the first round, are just an unbelievable spectator sport. You get a lot of drama and you get Game 7s, and we were on the edge of our seat. Great tough stuff, and we didn't have a ton of time to turn around and prepare but here we are and we are looking forward to heading to Washington tomorrow.

Q. Detroit likes to play Datsyuk and Zetterberg together sometimes or they split them up, do you look at it the same way, sometimes you'll play Malkin with Crosby, and sometimes you won't; or a lot of times you won't, but it's kind of a juggling act during the game whether you want to play them together?
DAN BYLSMA: Yeah, I think the great quality of our team is that we have three very strong centers down the middle, and it provides a challenge for defensive pairings and it provides challenges for line matchups. But there are certain circumstances where playing together makes it even more difficult for the opposing team and the opposing coach. You know, the plan is, I would love to have a situation where everyone is playing very well and all three lines are going and our fourth line complies them and gets in there the penalty kill. But there have been situations I think in every game where I thought it was time to maybe get them a shift together and bring the defenseman pairing that might be coming up or situations like that, where you think you have a chance to maybe get a really good match up for your team. So I do look for those opportunities, and some games, they come more than others. Some games they have to do with players who are playing well or maybe not playing well and you maybe need to jump?start somebody. Lots of things go into it. But I think we are a more balanced team without them together, but we are certainly dangerous when you can put those two together occasionally.

Q. Is there anything that you learned about your team that perhaps you didn't know in that Game 6 comeback against the Flyers?
DAN BYLSMA: Well, I think what we ?? we talked a lot going in and we knew we had some experience in the playoffs the previous year we were hoping to draw upon. But the emotions are so ramped up and they are so raw, and you're getting buildings on the road where fans are taunting you and screaming and it's loud in there and it's something to talk about it, but it's a whole other thing to control your emotions when you're in those circumstances.
We were tested in their building, and we were tested by a team who played very well. We had to find out how we were going to respond, and at times in the series, we knew we had to get better in that area and that category. I think Game 6 was a situation where we were really tested and looking at possibly going into a Game 7 with fans that were loud and rambunctious and taunting us, and our players in that particular game really did a good job of keep playing the same way. They kept talking about it on the bench. It wasn't just one guy who took it into his own hands; it was shift after shift. That was the strength of our team in that game, something we talked about prior to that game, and something we are going to talk about again as we go forward into the second round.

Q. Will Ovechkin command the attention of more than one player on the ice on your team, or is there a systematic approach that needs to be done no matter who is on the ice for your team in order to neutralize them?
DAN BYLSMA: Yeah, I don't think I'm a particular coach, especially given matchups on the road where you can say, okay, one player, you have them, or one line, you have them. They are going to get matchups that they like.
And I'm more comfortable with saying, you know, these are the defensemen that you may get him a lot of the time, but you guys have to be ready, as well.
For me, there's a focus as an individual when you hop over the boards against them. We certainly will have that and be aware of that. But more concerned about having a systematic approach as to, this is how you defend and limit time and space for skilled player.
We certainly have to be aware of Ovechkin, but he's not the only guy who they have that can do the similar things that he can do. Semin is that way, as well, and you know, Backstrom is a different type of one?on?one player but very skilled and you have to be aware of him, as well. We are going to be aware of them and we are going to talk about certain things, certain matchups, but we are also going to be concerned about our systematic approach, because every player could be out there and he could be matched up against their top lines, their top two lines, and we need to all be confident in that approach.

Q. Besides depth, how else is this year's Penguins team do you feel better equipped to make another run to the Cup?
DAN BYLSMA: Well, the good thing is we are not competing against last year's team. And the challenge in the playoffs is, you know, this opponent, this round, and playing your best hockey. There are sometimes things that are out of your control with injuries and different scenarios that can lead into the success or taking away from your team. But I think the strength of our particular team in respect to if we are going to advance is, A, we believe that we should be a team that can contend. We've had the experience of being there in the finals and losing, which is a painful experience. And we have a room that believes that if we play a certain way, that if we play a certain style and execute a certain way, that we should be a very difficult team to deal with and that if we do that, we can expect to have success in any given night.
The challenge for us is doing it every night, dictating the pace of the play and where it's played, and then doing that to our opponent night after night after night. That's the challenge for this team.
You know, it was a great team last year, that maybe some more firepower with Hossa, but we certainly had experiences with Stanley Cup winners. We have some grit our lineup in a lot of different areas that maybe we didn't have earlier in the season, and we have been able to develop the belief that maybe if we play a certain way, this is a team that should be able to contend and really challenge any team to win a hockey game. And our challenge is the Washington Capitals, and can we do it in four games quicker than they can.

Q. You probably know the tactics of Bruce Boudreau, but what do you think of him as a coach?
DAN BYLSMA: Well, I know ?? I actually know Bruce quite well. He was in the L.A. organization when I was in the L.A. organization. I'm good friends with Andy Murray and talk to him occasionally as coach?to?coach. And Bruce coached under him in the American League when Andy was in L.A. I've talked to Bruce occasionally in the summertimes, and then again when Bruce coached in Hershey; I coached against him as an assistant coach in Wilkes Barre and know how his teams play and what kind of adjustments his teams can and often do in the course of a game and from game?to?game. And I have a pretty good idea of how he would like his team to play. So there's a lot of familiarity with him and his teams and how he plays. You know, the challenge for us is our team has only been together for 35 games now or so, or 31 games. You know, our challenge is, this is how we need to play, but we haven't had a ton of time develop how to do that. And we have been able to do that very well.
We've had a lot of success. But when you're tested in the pressure of the playoffs and you're tested in the emotions of the playoffs, that can become more difficult. We can do a better job of that than we did in the first round and hopefully that's something we learned.
But we know we are going to play a team that's much like us with skill and speed, and they are going to attack. They can put you in a lot of tough spots based on the way they play, and that's what you see from their team, and hopefully that's what we can do to their team. And it's going to be two good teams butting heads kind of trying to play the same way, so it will be interesting.

Q. From a psychological standpoint, I was wondering about the ancillary stuff in the series, the global attention, the personal rivalries, the rivalries between fan bases and that kind of thing. Is that something as a coach that you will kind of inject into the locker room for motivation, or will you just try to keep it focused on the four wins being the only pressure these guys need to deal with?
DAN BYLSMA: You know, to be honest with you, I think the possibility for a distraction to our players is probably greater to the players that are not involved in the talk and the rhetoric and the media attention.
You know, the media attention for Ovechkin and Crosby and Evgeni Malkin is not going to be a new thing. They have dealt with it over and over and over again, and they know how to deal with it. You know, maybe it's the rest of the room that can say enough of the talk away from the rink, let's play hockey.
I think what we talk about in the room and how we motivate our team, what we think is important; you know, we only say things that we think are going to help and help us motivate and help us focus on how we need to play. And the stuff that is extra or distracting, we certainly try to keep away from our team. And you never know what that's going to be, and it may change from the beginning of the series to the end of the series.
But really, whatever we need to talk about to make sure we're focused on playing the right way, we are going to focus on, and that may change. And if we want to try to keep things ?? or distractions that are not going to get focused on the task at hand, those things we will try to push in the background and keep away from our team. You never know what that is, and certainly it may change in the series and it may change more than once. And our job as coaches, and our players' job when they go on the ice: Let's focus on doing what we need to do and let's not worry about the other stuff.

Q. A lot of people were really surprised and impressed at the way the New York Rangers were able to take the Capitals off their offensive game. I don't know how much you've gone over the tape, but is there anything in particular that they were able to do that you think was particularly effective against the Capitals?
DAN BYLSMA: I think their attention away from the puck was very good, and their consistency in working and staying to that really ?? they had numbers back and pressured, but they were still able to pressure the puck and not just totally give up time and space and speed to the Capitals. They did a really good job in that regard. They did limit time and space and they did force the puck here, but at the same time, the guys away from the puck did an outstanding job of taking away lanes and coming back and helping the defensemen pushing, rushing into the defensemen.
Certainly there were things I think we saw in that series that I think we looked at or continue to look at them, and also we'll implement those things into what we already have as our game plan in terms of how we play every night.

Q. Just wanted to touch on the contract extension a bit. Did the topic of an extension come up at the end of the regular season after the success and the run you guys had, or was it brought up after the first?round win?
DAN BYLSMA: Well, the situation was such that the conversation was that yes, we would like to, you know, remove the interim tag. You know, when I talked with Ray Shero initially, and we talked a few days after my first game and after I arrived in Pittsburgh. It was: This is the scenarios that ?? this is what we will do at the end of the season; we will talk about this. It's not predicated on making the playoffs. It's not if you make the first round; this is something that will be addressed at the end of the season.
To me, that always meant after the playoffs. So there was no continual conversation. There was no anticipation that it would happen prior to the end of the playoffs. Ray was pretty clear about it happening at the end of the season and after the end of the last game. I think given the success the team has had and into the playoffs, there's certainly been a focus on the 'interim' tag. But again, I always said I'm going to act like the head coach and pretend I'm going to be the head coach in the future, and we'll let the play on the ice, and we'll let the record and we'll let the players speak for that themselves. It really will address itself and I think it did. And I truly appreciate the willingness of Ray to take the interim tag off and to kind of address it now and not draw it out any further. But there were no expectations for me other than at the end of the season, that was what Ray had, that's what I believed would happen, and I was confident in the relationship that Ray and I had and with just the general feel around the office that things were going to be heading in the right direction.

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