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NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: LIGHTNING v RANGERSMay 19, 2015Ryan McDonaghTAMPA, FLORIDA: Practice Day Q.  You were angry after the game last night, Feeling any different today? RYAN McDONAGH: I think it's a tough loss on a big stage, and it's something that I thought we could control a little bit better. But the way things transpired, it's really just giving an honest assessment of our team's performance and guys understand that. It's, I guess, just realizing what happened, realize it, and learn from it quick because this is a big, important series here. And as I said, we've got to get back to getting to the strength of our game, and we know how to respond. We've done it before, so it's a matter of getting in focus again. Q. You’ve responded from bad games before, does your confidence take a hit? RYAN McDONAGH: I mean, it was such a unique -- such an uncharacteristic game. I said it before last night. In that aspect I don't think we do lose much confidence because we didn't stay within our structure, as we talked about. We didn't play the disciplined way that was a foundation for us, didn't defend the way that we need to. So, yeah, it's tough because it's uncharacteristic. But at the same time, it was pretty clear cut on what was the main reason for it, and stuff that we can really control. But like you said, we responded in these playoffs, which is a good sign, and throughout the regular season, and we'll have to do that really well. Q. Team’s margin for error has been thin. Is it harder to manage that? RYAN McDONAGH: Yeah, I mean, we're obviously talking every day about creating more offensive opportunities for us, offensive looks. It wasn't for lack of opportunities or looks the other night. We've got to find a way to take that next step and find a way to put it in the back of the net like they did. So it's a good example of taking advantage of your opportunities and a lesson learned for sure. Like you said, this team is very good about taking advantage of the opportunities and creating looks for themselves with their speed and their skill. We have to obviously do a little better defending to minimize those chances against and continue to work hard defensively and get good offensive looks for us and take that next step for sure, because this series could wind up going south if we don't find a way to capitalize on our opportunities. Q. 5 on 5, do you think they made any adjustments? RYAN McDONAGH: Yeah, they definitely had a little bit better reads in their forechecking pressure. A huge strength of their team is an aggressive mindset, aggressive structure. We knew that going into the series. In Game 1, we found ourselves getting a few more odd-man looks, and not so much in Game 2 where they had good positioning with their third guy high or whoever it may be. Maybe adjusting and deciding to pinch another time or back off. So we have to continue to look at ways to continue to get those odd-man looks again. That was a big help for us to get in that offensive zone, get out of our zone clean. There were plenty of opportunities just kind of off the mindset and memory of guys inside our blue line trying to get pucks out or pointing it to an area we could skate on but just didn't connect the dot as much as we did in Game 1. Credit them too, for sure, with their good speed and good sticks and good defensive. Q. Describe the mindset of the team on the road? RYAN McDONAGH: We really don't talk about changing much. Like any team you want to talk about having a good start, regardless if you stay at home. Or maybe on the road, you'll be a little bit simple here early on to kind of take the crowd out of it. But at this stage the crowd is going to be pretty energetic, regardless of what's going on in the game. So for us, getting ahold of the puck and making good decisions with it and making sure that we don't give it up easily against these guys. It's a very puck-possession series, as we're finding out quickly here. It seems more often than in the last series for us, we spent some time in the zone and it really makes a difference with your team, and you really want to try to capitalize on those momentum swings. So when we have those, we have the momentum on our side, we try to make them pay. Q. When did you get the feeling that things were going south last night? RYAN McDONAGH: It was pretty uncharacteristic to see a breakaway goal on a five-on-three power play. But like I said last night, even after some of the weird things that happened and the sloppiness, we find ourselves only down 3-2 going into the third and one goal away from tying it up. Having a chance with the game up for grabs again and continue to put ourselves down and give ourselves less of a chance to win with those penalties. It kind of transpired right away from the start of that third period. Q. You were about as honest as you’ve been all year, last night, calling it embarrassing? RYAN McDONAGH: I've never seen the group play like that. There are just a lot of things that we can control, and just trying to make certain that we realize what happened and focus both individually and as a group, but you can't afford to do that. Really trying to grasp this opportunity because of where we're at. This is the Eastern Conference Finals. There are only two teams left here vying for a chance to go on and compete for the Cup. We've got to give ourselves a better chance than that to keep this dream alive. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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