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NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL: PENGUINS VS SENATORS

May 24, 2017

Bryan Rust

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - Practice Day

Q. Bryan, can you remember all the Game 7s you've played in or all the games with maybe this kind of high stakes?
BRYAN RUST: Yeah. Each game like this is special. You remember these games. I think the best way to remember the games is by winning them. I think we've got to go out there, and we've got to give our best effort, and we've got to come out from the start.

Q. Do you think about it being a Game 7, or is this kind of just another game for you guys? I know Mike always talks about the one-game approach.
BRYAN RUST: I think for me and for a lot of guys in the room, it's just another hockey game. There might be a little bit more pressure, but I think pressure is good. It makes guys work a little bit harder. It makes guys do things the right way, and I think that's going to help our team.

Q. You had some success individually in Game 7s. Does that give you confidence in a situation like this?
BRYAN RUST: Yeah. Any time you have success kind of doing anything, you build that confidence. I think that's going to be good moving forward.

Q. What was the feeling last year of getting two goals? And with your two goals, your team was able to get to the Stanley Cup Final.
BRYAN RUST: Obviously, when you do that, it's a feeling that you can't really put to words, I guess. It was awesome to be able to kind of help the team out like I did. Hopefully, I can do it again, or I'm sure somebody in the locker room is going to step up and be able to do the same thing.

Q. To do it again this year with one goal against Washington, why can you be so good during those key moments?
BRYAN RUST: I've got no idea. It just kind of happens to work out that way. I try to go out there in those games and work as hard as I can, and I've been able to be fairly fortunate and be the beneficiary of some pretty good plays.

Q. Can you talk, Bryan, about the game that you played last night? You played really well as a team, 46 shots. If I'm saying to you, you're going to have 46 shots tomorrow after the game, you'd take it, I'm pretty sure.
BRYAN RUST: Yeah, our team did some pretty good things. We had a few breakdowns, but I think overall we were pretty happy with our game. I think, if we get a little bit more traffic to the net and get in Anderson's way a little bit more, I think that's going to kind of help us to get maybe one or two dirtier goals.

Q. Bryan, you keep talking about having to do things over again. In a Game 7, does it start to give you an appreciation for how hard it is to repeat as Stanley Cup champions?
BRYAN RUST: Yeah, I try not to take anything for granted. This is extremely tough. I mean, it's a long, hard process, and each day is harder than the next. I think everybody in the room appreciates that and doesn't take it for granted.

Q. Two straight seven-game series. Do you feel like -- how confident are you that you guys will have the energy?
BRYAN RUST: I think our training staff and our coaches and our strength guys kind of make sure we have as much energy as we can and keep our legs as fresh as we can. So I don't think I'm worried about that.

Q. Has it been harder this time than it was last year?
BRYAN RUST: I think each year has its own challenges, and it's hard in different aspects. I wouldn't say it's either harder or less hard.

Q. Do you guys look to the guys like Crosby and Malkin in games like this situationally? Do you notice them step up more before a game or during a game or stuff like that?
BRYAN RUST: Not so much. Guys in the room have been there. I think guys just go about their normal routines and do what they have to do to be ready. But if something needs to be said, it will be, but I'm not sure that's the case.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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