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NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL: CAPITALS vs LIGHTNINGMay 22, 2018Victor HedmanTampa, Florida: Practice Day THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. It's almost a hundred minutes since you scored a goal in this series. I imagine you haven't forgotten how to score. What have you done not enough to generate points? What do you need to do? VICTOR HEDMAN: We know how to score goals. Obviously last night I think Holtby made some big-time saves. We had some real good opportunities. End of the second period with a couple seconds left, Kuch hits the crossbar. That goes in, it's a different hockey game. We know how to score. We got to make sure we do that tomorrow. Q. You've played in four or five Game 7s. Does that matter when you play in another one, that experience? VICTOR HEDMAN: Yeah, I certainly hope so. For us, we got the experience in our group. We know what to expect. This is why you have home ice, for these kind of games. To be able to win in front of our fans tomorrow is all the motivation we need. We need our best game of our lives tomorrow. That's the bottom line. Q. What do you have to do better offensively? Simple as getting more pucks on net? VICTOR HEDMAN: Yeah, we haven't shot the puck enough. We had 24 shots yesterday. That's not going to cut it. We got to get more shots to the net, got to hit double-digits every period, make sure that we shoot the puck more. We're passing up some opportunities. Goalie made some good saves on the chances we had. Bottom line is we have to shoot more. Q. Two years ago when you lost to Pittsburgh in the seventh game, have you thought about that coming back here, maybe what you can do differently this time, draw from that experience? VICTOR HEDMAN: Yeah, not the same outcome, that would be ideal obviously. Like I said, I've been on both sides in Game 7s. But this is the games you want to play. This is the games you grow up, one game away from playing for the Stanley Cup. That gets you going right away when you think about it. We have to make sure we get some good rest today, get ready to come to work tomorrow. Q. How much do you need to be difference makers in this game like this? VICTOR HEDMAN: We want to be that. It's a team game. You need everyone. At the same time we put the pressure on ourselves to be difference makers every night. We're playing a team that probably has the same mindset. It's going to be another close game tomorrow, we know that. We need to be the difference makers. We need all 18 guys to come ready to play, do their job, play their roles, and good things can happen. Q. What kind of edge, if any, does it give you this is the third time you've been in this exact spot? VICTOR HEDMAN: In the Rangers series, we had an opportunity to close them out at home. We lost that game. The way we've responded after losses has been phenomenal. We just got to have the same mindset going into tomorrow. We're not happy with the 60 minutes yesterday. We had some chances, especially in the third period. Wasn't good enough. We played a real desperate team that needed to win the game, and they did. Tomorrow is winners take all. We know if we play the right way, if we play our style of game for 60 minutes, we're a tough team to beat. Q. Other than the goalies, you probably played more than anybody in this series. A seventh game, do you get tired? Is the adrenaline pushing through? VICTOR HEDMAN: No, adrenaline, everything. My body feels in a good shape. It's a long season, but these are the kind of games you want to play. This is why you play hockey, is to hit your stride in the playoffs, be a difference maker. That's what today is for, it's about rest, getting everything you need ready for tomorrow. Q. What is the difference between a Game 7 at home versus on the road? How can you take advantage of it? VICTOR HEDMAN: Well, we have the best fans, so we're excited. We're going to feed off of their energy. We'll hopefully have the same kind of start we had in Game 5, play for a full 60. After we scored our third one in Game 5, we kind of sat back a little bit. We know how to play with the lead. We know how to play from behind. It's all about the response. If you score first or give up the first goal, you have to be able to respond. For us, that's all about focusing on what we control, and that's the next shift. Like I said earlier, we need everyone to have their best game tomorrow. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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