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NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: LIGHTNING v RANGERSMay 27, 2015Derek StepanNEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Practice Day Q. What's it going to be like to be back (Indiscernible)? DEREK STEPAN: Yeah, the Garden has been so great the last few years in the playoffs, and Game 7s are so exciting to play on that ice, and the fans seem to just absolutely light that building up. It's a really cool experience, and it makes for a great atmosphere. You know, you play all year to get home ice advantage, and that's what we're able to do this year. Now we get ourselves in a Game 7 in front of our own fans. Q. (Indiscernible)? DEREK STEPAN: No, everything that's happened before this point, it doesn't really matter. We're looking at it as one game against a team that's played really good hockey through the series, both teams have. And I think both teams feel like at times they haven't played as well. So it's been a back‑and‑forth series, but now it just comes down to one game. Like I said, it's in our own building. But all we're focused on is getting our start that we want and starting with that first 20 minutes. Q. (Indiscernible)? DEREK STEPAN: Definitely. Their top six forwards are elite players. Their bottom six play a really hard game and they finish their checks. Their group altogether plays a really strong game. We have to bring our best in order to win on Friday night. Q. (Indiscernible)? DEREK STEPAN: Oh, I mean, good thing for us is he steps up big time and probably when our group needed it. Mostly their line was phenomenal all night, and Brass is a guy that this time of the year seems to really be a big part of our team. He always seems to raise his game when the game has more importance to it. It was great to see he played at a really high level, and we're going to need that line to do it again. Q. Brass said that (Indiscernible)? DEREK STEPAN: I mean, I think it was more of a conversation more than a challenge. I mean, it was all ‑‑ the whole conversation went in the way that I felt our coach, in a sense, did challenge us. But at the same time, this series is so close that there's not much separating the two teams. So he wanted that extra push from me and Brass, and Brass responded in a way that I think A.V. really wanted him to and our group really needed him to. I think it was a good coaching move by A.V. to kind of come in and at least have a conversation with us and kind of push us to get to that next level. Q. (Indiscernible)? DEREK STEPAN: I'm not really sure. I think our group didn't really‑‑ throughout the game, even from the drop of the puck and when Tampa really was pushing hard on us, we didn't really have any panic. We made sure we stuck to our game. I think that goes with our experience. Being in that situation before, keeping our whits about us and just keep playing our game is what made us successful through the whole season. But other than being in that situation and understanding what it takes mentally, there is not much else you can take from the experience of being there before. I think knowing how to handle yourself is probably the biggest thing you can take from it. Q. (Indiscernible)? DEREK STEPAN: Either way. It kind of gets you on autopilot at this point of the year. But two days is good for us to get some rest, and we'll be able to get ourselves ready for a big game. Q. (Indiscernible)? DEREK STEPAN: Yeah, that's a good way to put it. We always talk about our core group just relaxing and playing the game. I think that's a good way to put it. We have a group that, the way our personalities work, we just somehow find a way to have the right mindset going into these games. Obviously you talk about eliminations games and your biggest player sometimes has to be your goaltender, and you talk about his numbers in elimination games, you know, off the charts. I think the core guys and the core guy kind of leads the charge. Q. (Indiscernible)? DEREK STEPAN: I think he's played really good hockey through this series, so I'm not so sure that he's that frustrated, maybe a little bit last night. But two days to regroup yourself and it comes down to one game. So both teams are going to bring their best, and I don't expect anything but Tampa's top guys' best game of the year. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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