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NHL STANLEY CUP FINAL: PREDATORS VS PENGUINSMay 29, 2017Jake GuentzelNick BoninoPittsburgh, Pennsylvania - Postgame Pittsburgh - 5, Nashville - 3 THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Jake, I know it had been a while since you scored. Describe your relief on an individual and team level. JAKE GUENTZEL: Yeah, I feel it's good. I mean, we were just kind of throwing pucks in the net there. Fortunate to go in. Q. Jake, did you see anything top corner? Were you aiming for top corner? Just trying to put that one on net? JAKE GUENTZEL: Just trying to get the D out of the screen. Hadn't taken a shot in a while, so just trying to get on net and see what happened from there. Q. Jake, were you aware that this was the longest goalless drought of your career? How did you sort of handle going through this rough stretch? JAKE GUENTZEL: Yeah, you just have to stay positive, I think. You're getting the chances. Sometimes this is how it's going to go. You just got to stay with it. Q. Nick, you guys have done this several times during the post-season where you've been able to win a game where a lot of players said you haven't played at your best. Aside from the just play mantra, what goes on in those moments when it doesn't seem to be going your way? You figure out how to stay calm? NICK BONINO: I think that comes from experience. I think going through it once, most of the guys, allows them to stay in the moment, stay even keel. I know you never think you're going to blow a three-goal lead. When we did, it was almost we kind of knew it was coming. It wasn't like it snuck up us on. It woke us up a bit. Jake saved us there. Times like that you got to just keep playing hard, just stay focused. It worked out for us. Q. Nick, have you ever had a two-goal game where the two goals, you didn't actually shoot a puck on a goalie? NICK BONINO: No (laughter). I'll take it, though. It's been longer than it was for Jake. It's funny, you try to get the perfect shot off a lot. Then you just throw it at the net with one hand and it goes in. Sometimes you need those to get out of a little bit of a slump. We'll take 'em how we can get 'em, for sure. Q. Jake, curious, eight games where you did not score, did you count how many times you hit the post? Do you know how many times you did? Did you ever lose confidence? JAKE GUENTZEL: No, I mean, I guess you can take it as a positive that you're getting chances. You're on the net. So you just got to stay positive. Obviously it's tough sometimes. But you just got to stick with it. Came at the right time tonight. Q. Jake, talking about your dad just now, he said that Coach Sullivan pulled you aside Sunday to try to lift your spirits. What did he say to you and how much did you lean on your father the last couple weeks? JAKE GUENTZEL: Yeah, just to stay confident. Sometimes you're going to go through this as a player. You have to realize it happens. Everyone goes through it. Just got to stick with it. My dad has been huge to me. Wouldn't be here without him. Q. Nick, when you went the stretch without getting a shot on goal, like 30-some odd minutes, were you aware of that? What is being said on the bench? NICK BONINO: Yeah, we knew, for sure. You look up, the whole second period, you don't get a shot. Guys are yelling, Shoot. We need to shoot. It's tougher than it seems. I mean, they play pretty much in your face, their D. They make you dump the puck poorly. When they do, Rinne plays it really well. It's tough to establish a forecheck like that. It's tough to get odd man rushes like that. We'll watch the tape, look at it. It's pretty frustrating when you're not giving up too much. We gave up shots, but not a ton of grade A chances. Getting some pressure, but not getting anything to the net, it definitely wears on you a little bit. THE MODERATOR: Thank you, guys. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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