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NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL: CAPITALS vs LIGHTNING

May 20, 2018

Barry Trotz

Washington, D.C.: Practice Day

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Braden said something yesterday, like you don't like to make it easy on yourselves.
BARRY TROTZ: No, we don't.

Q. Why does this team respond so well to adversity?
BARRY TROTZ: I don't know. They just have. I think, like I say, this group seems to never do anything really easy. They have responded all the time. That's the grace in it all, is that they do respond, they battle for each other, they find another level.

We'll have to do that next game.

Q. Is that developed throughout the season?
BARRY TROTZ: I think it's a life lesson, not only just a seasonal thing. It's a life lesson for a lot of guys. You just sort of have to park whatever happened and you move forward. That's sort of the way life is.

I think this group has matured that way. I think this group was grown that way. I expect them to respond like they have all year. We just got to go back and win a game back at home and earn the right to keep playing.

Q. How do you want your players to mentally prepare for an elimination game?
BARRY TROTZ: Mentally, just like we do every game: you focus on the start, you focus on every shift, you focus on playing as long as you have to play to win a hockey game.

I don't think anything will change other than our backs are against the wall probably the second time, I would say. We've been down 2-0 in series one. We responded. Right now it's flipped on us a little bit.

At the same time we've played well enough in this series to be up 3-2, but we're not. We've got to make sure that we win our next game and not look past that.

Q. Is the biggest difference not having the lead?
BARRY TROTZ: We've been chasing the game a lot more. There's no question. Last game, not yesterday, but the day before, we got the lead, they got it back real quick, that type of thing.

The first couple games, they were chasing us, and we've been chasing them the last couple games. It is a little tougher mentally. At the same time we've had some opportunities to win the game, we've had opportunities to tie it. We just haven't found the back of the net.

I think special teams in Game 3 and 4 sort of changed it a little bit. Then we've been chasing it. Last night for me, it was our start, first minute of the period. We can't have that. I think the lineup last night got their first points for the most part in the playoffs against our top line. That can't happen all the time.

Q. You've used the term comfortable and uncomfortable situations. Players have used it as well.
BARRY TROTZ: It's a challenge. It's like anything, you feel comfortable. We know we can win hockey games, that's not a problem. We just got to go in there knowing that each guy is going to be ready, each guy is going to bring their A game. If we leave it all on the line, we give ourselves the best chance to be successful.

Last night we got off to a slow start. We had some guys that weren't quite in the zone yet. Before you know it, you're in a hole, so...

Q. Last night Ovechkin had a goal, but not a shot till the final four minutes.
BARRY TROTZ: They blocked a lot. He missed a lot. I think he had six missed shots. Hit the net a little bit, too. Some of our best chances, we haven't got a shot on net. Some of Ovi's best chances, hit the net. Game 4, he got it right in the slot when it was 2-2, I think. Never got a shot on net.

You have to bury those when you get the opportunity. Better execution in terms of finish. We'll be fine.

Q. Last night he said he changed his approach a little bit, tried to play more physically.
BARRY TROTZ: I think early he felt that he could change the game, separating some people, create some turnovers. He has that ability. I thought in the third, he did. He didn't want to come off the ice the last four minutes, that's for sure. He was on a mission.

But he was trying to lead us to find another way to win or make a difference rather than just the big shot, trying one-on-one. Physically he's a beast when he wants to play physical. He was just looking for a different element to try to change the game.

Q. What have you thought of Holtby's play of late?
BARRY TROTZ: It's been fine. We have to get him a little more help.

Q. If you look at the last five, six periods, you've probably been happy with the way you played. You didn't win either game. How do you view that as far as things you did well?
BARRY TROTZ: I think you have to take everything realistically. If you were playing really poorly in five of those six, I'd probably stand here looking for different answers.

We just got to continue to push forward, continue to try to be the better team every period. Usually you get rewarded. You always talk about hockey gods. I always talk about that. They always seem to even out.

We just play our game, continue to push forward, hopefully we get rewarded here.

Q. Do you think you guys play best when your backs are against the wall?
BARRY TROTZ: We've been pretty good with our backs against the wall. I think every team is. The fourth game is always the hardest for any team to win. We'll see.

Q. Matt Niskanen, how valuable has he been?
BARRY TROTZ: He's valuable. I said it after the game. He's a standup guy. He doesn't run from anything. We do it as a team. I do sort of honor his ability to stand up and say, Hey, I didn't have a great game. There's other factors. He wasn't the only guy. We win and lose as a team, as an organization, all those things.

He's very valuable to us. He's been a rock for us, not only on the ice, off the ice. He's been exceptional. Matt is one of those guys, very low maintenance, never have to worry about.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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