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NHL STANLEY CUP FINAL: PREDATORS VS PENGUINSJune 2, 2017Sidney CrosbyJake GuentzelPittsburgh, Pennsylvania - Practice Day THE MODERATOR: Questions. Q. You always hear with the crowd in Nashville. Sid, how to you brace yourself to play in that kind of atmosphere? SIDNEY CROSBY: Well, I think you just try to set the tone ourselves, as best we can. We watch games on TV. We can see they play a pretty inspired game here. I think just try to go with the same mindset we have on the road all playoffs long. We know they feed off their crowd. Hopefully we can get on them early. Q. Jake, how about you, playing in an atmosphere like tomorrow night? JAKE GUENTZEL: Yeah, try to take the crowd out of it, help us out early. Q. Sid, you played with Subban in Sochi. He said after Game 2 that they're going to win Game 3 in Nashville. Can you use that as extra motivation? Can you put that on your billboard? What is the reaction? SIDNEY CROSBY: Nobody has really talked about it, to be honest. I think we know that this time of year, there's no shortage of motivation. I think going into this situation, we expect their best game. We expect a desperate team. It's not something we've discussed. I think at this point you're motivated enough. We know we've got to be ready for tomorrow. Q. Last year you showed particularly in the Finals being able to handle the extra rest between games. You now have two days off between games. It's going to be that way for a couple more times. How do you handle it? What is the key to handling it so you're rested and ready for games? SIDNEY CROSBY: I think just using it to your advantage. You can look at it a couple different ways. You get the rest, which is obvious with the day off. As far as preparing, adjusting, all those little things, you get a chance to practice today, which is kind of rare throughout a playoff series. Usually you're getting a day off, maybe a morning skate. To actually go through a practice, go through things you want to adjust, that kind of thing, I think that goes a long way, too. Q. Sid, at this level, is the crowd a thing? Would you even talk about that to prepare for it? Does it enter into the planning, how you prepare for a game? SIDNEY CROSBY: I think it's something you're aware of. I think that's the biggest thing. You have to be aware of it because we've all been in buildings where it's a factor. You're playing with a little more jump, especially early on. I think being aware of it, knowing what to expect as far as preparing, going through that. I think every time you're on the road, you try to establish your own game. That's always kind of what you're setting up to do. It's good to know, but you're hoping that your game can kind of influence that. Q. Sid, your relationship with Chris Kunitz goes back a long time. Talk about what he's meant to you as a teammate, particularly his impact on the ice of late. SIDNEY CROSBY: Yeah, he's a guy who is willing to do anything it takes. He's been asked to do a lot of different roles over the course of his career. Pretty much any role you can think of, he's played. I think a guy who is willing to do that, anything it takes, he's a true team player. As far as the way he's played, I think he's doing all the things he typically does. I think right now the puck is going in for him, guys around him. That's great to see, because he does do so much of those little things. I think for him, his game is always the same. He competes so hard. He creates so much. A lot of things he does don't show up stats-wise, so it's nice to see him get rewarded. Q. Sid, talk about the power play. Seems like you're having issues gaining entry into the offensive zone. What kind of adjustments are you looking to make to see improvement? SIDNEY CROSBY: Yeah, it probably starts with me. I have to win a few more faceoffs. I think that would go a long way as far as getting possession. They pressure a lot. They're trying to force mistakes. Once you make a little mistake, they're jumping, making it Dion you. It really comes down to execution. We have guys that can make plays, that capable, when there is a mistake, finding a way to make a play. Just being patient. It's not always going to be pretty. You're just making sure you execute well. I think that's the biggest thing for us, is when we start to slow it down a bit, making that one play to give us that chance. Q. Sid, seeing Nick on crutches down there in the walking boot, how do you approach that now? Is it the latest challenge you have to face? SIDNEY CROSBY: Yeah, I think this time of year, everybody is banged up. It's the same for both teams, I'm sure. You get this far, you go through different things. I think everyone is prepared, regardless of who is in. Everyone's going to do whatever it takes to make sure they can play. If not, someone else who steps in is ready to take on that challenge. That's just the nature of this time of year. Q. When you've played in as many Cup Final games, does it get easier not to think about the end as you go along, stay in the moment? SIDNEY CROSBY: Yeah, I think it does a little bit. I think, you know, just going through those experiences, I think you understand there's no point, there's nothing you can really gain in looking ahead, and I think you understand a game like tomorrow you expect a pretty desperate hockey team. You know, you did what you wanted to do at home, but there's lots of hockey left. It doesn't mean it makes it any easier sometimes, but I think it definitely helps in the process. Q. Sid, obviously, Game 1, you didn't like how you played. Played much better in Game 2. After that game, some of the guys said you could play much better. How much of it was figuring out how the Predators play? What do you have to do to play your best game in Game 3? SIDNEY CROSBY: Yeah, I mean, it's hard to kind of put your finger on one specific thing. But I think when you look back, even last game, our third period, seemed like we were really on our toes. We played a little bit more loose. Doesn't mean that we were giving up chances. We just seemed to be a little more on our toes. When we play that way, a little more aggressive, we create a little bit more. You see the chances that we're able to get. Yeah, I think part of it might have been that. You're playing a team you haven't seen in a long time. Coming off an emotional Game 7, maybe that had something to do with it. I think at this point both teams have a pretty good understanding, and we have to find a way to get to our game a little bit more. Q. Mike Sullivan said he thinks they should name a sandwich for Sauce with the video job he's done. What kind of impact has Rick had on your team? SIDNEY CROSBY: He's an intense guy. He brings a lot of passion to the game. Whether that's practice or games. But just with him being a former player, with the game he plays, an offensive guy, a bit of an edge. I think all those little details that go in, especially as a forward, being able to have somebody that can every day kind of show you something, just subtle things that go a long way for really any type of player, no matter what your role is. I think that helps a lot. He's not that far removed from the game. I think that's something as players we can all kind of relate to. He helps a lot that way. THE MODERATOR: Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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