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NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: BLACKHAWKS v LIGHTNING


June 11, 2015


Matthew Carle

Andrej Sustr


TAMPA, FLORIDA: Practice Day

THE MODERATOR:  Questions, please.

Q.  Matt, when you're out there on the ice, are you aware who is in goal for your team?  Was it any different last night?
MATTHEW CARLE:  Not really.  I mean, obviously the biggest difference between the two of them is their ability to play the puck.  With Bish, pucks that get dumped in softly, you know he's going to come out and stop.  Vasi is getting better at handling the puck, but not at the level of Bish.
From the standpoint of them stopping the puck, we don't change the way we play.  Not like we're more defensive because Vasi was back there.  Not much change in that regard.

Q.  Andrej, you've had an amazing ability to have a short‑term memory.  Is it hard not to think back to last night?
ANDREJ SUSTR:  I think we played a really good game.  We had a chance to win.  We got to make sure we're ready for the game on Saturday.

Q.  Matt, talk about how well you guys are shutting people down, especially on the road.
MATTHEW CARLE:  Yeah, we just have that mentality.  We are confident.  If we're held to the same amount of scoring chances as the other team, we're going to score more goals.
We've done a good job on the road.  You would think it wouldn't be the case with trying to get matchups, it would be more advantageous for us at home.  For whatever reason, we're able to buckle down on the road.  We need to try to bring that mentality here.  We have home‑ice advantage and need to take advantage of that.

Q.  After the game a couple of Blackhawks players felt both teams played their worst games of the series.  Do you agree with that?  Were you surprised that Chicago didn't play what they felt was their best game so far?
MATTHEW CARLE:  I don't know if we felt like we played our worst game.  To be honest, if they felt like they played their worst, it was probably because of the things we were doing.
I thought we played a pretty sound defensive game.  When you do that, you're going to make teams not do the things they want to do.  The series has been so tight, I'm sure after Game3, they kind of probably didn't feel great, missing a couple open nets.
Here we are today losing last night, with the chances we had last night, Stammer had one.  It's been a really tight series.
Like I said, we got a great opportunity here.

Q.  Matt, because of so much offensive firepower, your team defense gets overlooked.  What is it about your team defensive game that has been so good and gets overlooked so often?
MATTHEW CARLE:  We stick with our structure.  That's probably something that has evolved throughout the season.  Whereas before if we got down by a goal or two, we would try to change the way we wanted to play, try to get back in a game.
We've been patient in the playoffs the way we play within our structure.  We're obviously a pretty good skating team, like to play aggressive.  Use that style, try to take away as much time and space as we can.

Q.  Andrej, the Blackhawks keep talking about wanting to find their A game, but they're not quite there yet.  Do you feel unlucky that you are not leading this series after four games?
ANDREJ SUSTR:  I don't think so.  I think both teams are obviously there for a reason.  Both teams like to play with a lot of speed and skill, which I think we showed in those four games.
I think it's going to be continue showing.

Q.  Matt, I know you have confidence in Vasi.  You've talked about that before.  What is missing the most when Bishop is out?
MATTHEW CARLE:  Like I alluded to earlier, his ability to play the puck.  As an opposing team, when you know you're playing against a goalie that can handle the puck like Bish, it changes the way you play.  You have to be conscious of dumping pucks in and keeping it away from the goaltender.
Vasi, there might be a bit of a communication factor there.  Bish talks a lot, speaks English very well (laughter).  Vasi is a little bit more quiet.  A lot of us on D don't understand Russian except for Nesty.
As far as stopping the puck, he's probably one of the hardest‑working guys on our team.  You see him every day in practice, in the gym.  He's second to none on our team as far as work ethic goes.

Q.  Matt, how do you quantify what Victor Hedman does for you, but the effect he has on opponents, the frustration level he's able to force on them by the way he defends?
MATTHEW CARLE:  Yeah, I mean, he's really elevated his game throughout the course of the playoffs.  He's such a big guy with a long reach, skates so well.  Like I alluded to earlier, the way we want to play defense, he's the epitome of that.
He can hurt you at both ends of the ice.  When he gets himself into trouble, he seems to be able to either get back or he's leading the rush and creating things offensively.
You have to be aware of him at both ends of the ice.

Q.  Matt, it's been a close series.  Nobody has had more than a one‑goal lead.  Why do you think that is, that it's been so tight?
MATTHEW CARLE:  Well, there's very little margin for error.  Both teams are here because of the way they handle adversity, the things we've been through.  Seems like every time a team makes a push, the other team responds.
Obviously you'd like to open it up and get a couple‑goal lead, see what happens.  But I think both teams are comfortable playing in these tight games.  Like I said, a small margin for error.  You really got to try to capitalize on your chances when you get them.

Q.  Matt, Stamkos has the puck on his stick.  Probably no better guy you'd want with the puck on his stick.  He can't put it in.  What went through your mind when that happened?  Has it surprised you he hasn't gotten a goal yet?
MATTHEW CARLE:  It is shocking.  He's had some looks.  I think everybody on our bench, right when the puck went on his stick, jumped up, started celebrating.  You bury your head in your hands in disbelief knowing it didn't go in.  Knowing Stammer, something must have happened where it got tipped.  He doesn't miss those.
The guys were buzzing.  After he missed it, you're hoping we get another chance.  I think we had a couple more.  Even in the dying seconds when Stralman throws it to the front, hits Kucherov's skate, could have gotten a lucky bounce there.
Like I said, it's been such a tight series.  Game3, Hossa misses an open net, Teravainen misses an open net.  Crazy how things have played out here.
THE MODERATOR:  Thank you, guys.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
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