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NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL: CAPITALS vs LIGHTNING

May 20, 2018

Steven Stamkos

Washington, D.C.: Practice Day

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You got a chance to really put this team away in Game 6. What is the mentality going over to Washington?
STEVEN STAMKOS: Well, yeah, you try to close out a team when you can. That's the toughest game in the series. But this group has experience in that. We've had two games where we could close out teams so far in the playoffs, and we've done it. That's the mentality that we're going to have going in.

At the same time they're going to have their best. Their backs are against the wall. This will be the toughest game. I'm sure it's going to be a tight one.

Q. I don't know if there's a comfort level, but is there confidence after yesterday's five-on-five game?
STEVEN STAMKOS: It was a lot better. Especially the first half. I still think there's some areas to improve on in terms of the consistency of our five-on-five play, trying to manage that throughout the game a little more.

But you get out to that 3-0 lead, we just sat back a little too much. You can't give a team like that the opportunities that we did. Again, Vasi was there. We'll look for that same start and try to carry it through 60 minutes.

Q. Is there a different feel to an elimination game?
STEVEN STAMKOS: I mean, you're aware obviously. There's no hiding the fact that we know we're going to get a very desperate team. This has to be our best game, as well. I think this group is confident in knowing what to expect coming into these types of games. Like I said, we've done a very good job up until this point in these games. We'll look to keep that going.

Q. What made you guys so effective against Holtby the last few games? Anything different to get to him?
STEVEN STAMKOS: I don't think so. Any time you're playing against elite goaltending, when you have those grade A chances, you try to bury them. You know they're going to make some really good saves. You just got to keep going.

We haven't really done anything in particular with him. Our shots have gone in a couple times, and he's made some big saves. I don't think there's been any real adjustments.

Q. What is it about the playoffs, at the end of any playoff, every face in the team photo you can say this guy did this?
STEVEN STAMKOS: It's the most exciting time of the year. This the time of the year that everyone gears up for when you're training in the summer, is to be in a position like we are now, to go deep in the playoffs. That's what is so great about that experience, is you go through it with each and every one of your teammates. There's really no words to describe that camaraderie that you have with the guys.

You only make it this far because of that depth, because different guys step up, because your goaltender is outstanding, because every single player makes an impact. That's why we're in the position we're in right now.

Q. Can you feel when the town gets swept up in it, too?
STEVEN STAMKOS: Absolutely. We saw it when we went on our first Stanley Cup run, just how amazing this city is, everywhere from the grocery store to the restaurant, taking your dog for a walk. Everyone is so embraced. It's a lot of fun to be part of.

Q. You can say the name Ryan Callahan, everyone smiles, before they even answer the question. What does he mean to this team?
STEVEN STAMKOS: He means so much. I mean, he's that character guy that really is willing to sacrifice anything for the betterment of the team. You can't have enough of those guys. You see him get rewarded, so deservingly so. The difference that he can make in not only a game but a series, his ability on the penalty kill, on the forecheck, then when he's chipping in, it's icing on the cake.

He's an unbelievable teammate and a great leader. He's a huge part of our success as a team.

Q. If you were on the other side, do you think he would wear you out?
STEVEN STAMKOS: Yeah, I mean, he plays the game I think as honest as you're going to find in this league. He plays it clean. He plays it hard. He's not one of those guys that's going to go out there and chirp your ear off. He's going to do it by constantly finishing his checks, by constantly being on the right side, by constantly being in the shooting lane and blocking your shot. He's an unbelievable professional. Like I said, he can change the momentum of a game, which can change a series. Him and Paquette and Kunitz have done that for us.

Q. You mentioned the Cup run. How much did that plant the seed to get back here and have another shot?
STEVEN STAMKOS: Yeah, I mean, it's just experience. We were the team that didn't really have it back then, when you go through that. The next year you get close again. You just never know when this opportunity is going to come again. You try to take advantage of that.

You look at the group we've put together this year. It feels like a special group. You just want to take advantage of it. You never know in this game.

Q. Last night a lot of the players admitted the second and third period weren't your best. How do you take the energy for the first period and stretch it out for 60 minutes?
STEVEN STAMKOS: Like I said, you have such a great start, then you get up 3-0, natural tendency is let's defend, let's sit back a little. We don't necessarily need any more goals. We don't want them to score.

Sometimes when you do that, you sit back a little too much. The talk with us is, let's continue to be aggressive. Obviously not taking any risks or chances, but we're at our best when we're skating and using our legs to check. We saw that in the first period and a half where we were all over them. That's because we were moving our feet, creating turnovers, creating opportunities to score. Our D were skating, allowing our exits out of our zone to be clean and crisp.

We just got away from that a little bit. That will be a key for us to start the game tomorrow.

Q. In January when you were having practices canceled because of the travel, compressed schedule, Coop was saying he wanted a physical break. Is any of that showing up now?
STEVEN STAMKOS: I mean, listen, you get to this point in the season, there's tons of guys that are banged up and bruised. No one hears about it because it's the playoffs. Maybe the rest in between the first and second round, finishing that off in five, it helps in guys feeling a lot better, their bodies resting. I didn't help in the way we started the next series because we were a little rusty.

Any time you can get rest at this time of the year or throughout the season, it definitely is going to be welcomed.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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