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NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL: PENGUINS VS SENATORS

May 20, 2017

Olli Maata

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - Practice Day

Q. What do you think has allowed you to find the consistency you're playing with right now?
OLLI MAATTA: I just think it's playing simple. That way build the confidence up. It's all about consistency. You can't have those one good game, you're trying to keep that even-keel level.

Q. How much is it a process to learn that?
OLLI MAATTA: It is. You kind of have to have the same approach every game. Doesn't matter how last game go. At the same time, the game, it doesn't matter how the last shift go, you just go to the next shift, just don't even think about it, just play.

Q. How difficult it is when you're down five "D" like last night because of the injury?
OLLI MAATTA: Obviously you have to play bigger minutes. I think for us, it's unfortunate how often we've been doing it. But we know how to play with any of the "D", each other. I don't think it's a big difference.

Q. What do you think about the hit on Chad by Bobby Ryan?
OLLI MAATTA: I mean, stuff just happens. It's unlucky. I think the high stick got him.

Q. Do you think you get better at playing with five "D" because you have practice at it? Are you more comfortable now in that situation?
OLLI MAATTA: Yeah, could be. I mean, it would just make sense. But obviously you don't want to be doing that. It's going to wear you down during the playoffs.

Q. What stood out for you about Sidney last night?
OLLI MAATTA: I think his battle level was up. He brought it all in. When he's playing like that...

Q. Did you have a sense he would see you on your goal?
OLLI MAATTA: Yeah, well, you always want to jump in when he has the puck.

Q. What do you think you did better defensively last night that you didn't do as well in Game 3?
OLLI MAATTA: It wasn't only defensively. I think we played offensively better. That started it off. We spent a lot more time in their offensive zone. We had that battle level. That's what we didn't have the game before. That showed.

Q. Why do you think your PK has been so good against them?
OLLI MAATTA: I think we're on the same page. That's a big thing. We got better and better during the playoffs.

Special teams are huge in the playoffs. Just got to keep going the same way.

Q. You talked about the battle level, Sid talked about the desperation. How do you maintain that from game to game now?
OLLI MAATTA: Well, it's got to come, it's playoffs. It's Conference Finals. It's a high level. It's a big stage. You have to have that fire. If you don't, it's tough to win in this league.

Q. Have you been working a lot with Gonch the last couple seasons?
OLLI MAATTA: Yeah. He talks with us all the time, on the ice. It's little things, details. Not all about the broad stuff. It's just positioning, little stuff on the ice. It helps a lot.

Q. I believe that was your first goal in the playoffs. Any significance of that for you?
OLLI MAATTA: Well, I mean, just scoring a goal itself, it's huge. It feels awesome.

Q. Do you get to keep the puck?
OLLI MAATTA: I actually don't (laughter).

Q. With Tang and Schultz out, do you feel the rest of you need to make up for that in any way, make sure you're on your game offensively, starting the transition?
OLLI MAATTA: Yeah, I think we all want to jump in the play. At the same time, breaking out, I think you have to be on the same page. You have to break out as a five-man unit. It's not only D-men and the goalie, it's all of us.

Same goes the other way. It's tough to play offense three against five, you have to play five against five.

Q. Why do you think you guys have been so good not getting caught up in the emotional rollercoaster? Who do you credit personally? Why do you think you're good at staying even-keeled?
OLLI MAATTA: Well, I think our leaders are big. They just show the way. Like yesterday, we talked about it, Sid, just from the start he showed he had that battle level. Everybody else followed. I think that's huge.

Q. Your "D" group, you don't have a couple guys with a ton of points, like Letang, all stars among the five or six of you. Is there a chip on your shoulder that you can prove to people you can get it done at this level?
OLLI MAATTA: Yeah, absolutely. We're a confident group that way. We know we're good enough to get the win. We have so good forwards. I think we want to play simple game. I think we're all a little different, everybody, but we all just want to play a simple game.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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