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NHL STANLEY CUP FINAL: BLUES VS BRUINS

May 30, 2019

Bruce Cassidy

Boston, Massachusetts - Practice Day

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Has anything come through with Matt Grzelcyk right now?
BRUCE CASSIDY: He's in protocol. When we have a further update, we'll give it to you.

Obviously we're going to list him day to day. It's Thursday, we don't play till Saturday. Lineup either Friday or Saturday. Right now that's the best I got for you. See how it goes from there.

Q. (No microphone.)
BRUCE CASSIDY: We can be better, period. I thought we were good in front of them. A couple of bad breakdowns we didn't capitalize on. I thought we were solid in terms of the overall play, team defense.

The other night they got their game better in terms of O zone puck possession. Look at the first goal. They had good possession. Not a great goal. Comes from the corner, goes off of our D man's stick. They generate like that.

We got to be better in front of them in terms of winning more pucks, attack better. When it comes to Tuukka, yeah, we'll put enough in front of him, use our opportunities.

Q. Worst thing about a winning streak post-season is when it ends. How do you prepare a team to go into enemy territory and what kind of environment are you expecting in St. Louis?
BRUCE CASSIDY: We've been in enemy territory. Toronto, not easy to win there. Went to Columbus, Carolina.

We got a veteran crew. They've been there before. I don't anticipate they'll be overwhelmed. I suspect St. Louis will be up, should be. The team is in the Stanley Cup Finals.

How we prepare coming off a losing streak? We kind of prepare the same every game: prepare to win, what we need to do to win. Didn't assume it would go on forever, and it didn't.

Q. Nordstrom, how much of a boost was he yesterday?
BRUCE CASSIDY: He's been terrific the whole Playoffs. That fourth line gives us lots of energy, contributing on offense now. Always been good on the penalty kill, always willing to sacrifice their body for the forecheck. Norrie has been a shot-blocker all year, good part of our penalty kill. Big boost.

The crowd at this time of the year, any time of the year, especially in Boston, they're blue-collar, they appreciate the little things. Norrie has been giving us that. Big reason where we are right now is that line as a whole has really delivered for us.

Q. (Question about Matt.)
BRUCE CASSIDY: He won't travel with us.

Q. You termed St. Louis as a forecheck-dominant team. How would you like your forwards to help out?
BRUCE CASSIDY: If there are two guys coming, which is a scenario for challenging a rush, so one D is back on the puck with the goalie. Our center or first four backs should beat their second guy. That's how we'd like them to help first of all so you can absorb a hit, get turned up-ice and make that short pass.

We look for short outlets if we can. If they're coming too hard, generally a lot of times a hard rim-around if they don't walk the walls. Our forwards need to beat the D for inside possession so we get to the puck first because they're going to pinch. Center has to be under, read whether the puck gets out of the zone, start our forecheck, win a race there.

When we've been effective beating the forecheck, we've done those things. It's five men being in sync. Usually starts with someone winning the puck, whether it's the D back on the puck first, separating, or whether it's on the wall.

We haven't gone up the middle a ton because it's dangerous territory against a good forecheck team with good sticks. Usually get out of our zone clean if you are able to make that pass because the center can put the puck either way. Hard to pinch it in the middle of the ice. Usually pinch on the boards.

That's what we ask, win the battle on the walls, support that first touch. If we're able to do that, we've been pretty good.

The other night that's where I thought we got stretched out. I think we're close enough to win those races to pucks. That's why we defend well.

Q. Assuming Matt is out for Game 3, have you thought about who you would throw into the lineup yet?
BRUCE CASSIDY: Not yet. Johnny Moore played, Steven Kampfer played. Johnny is a left stick. Talked about that. That's the easiest thing, keep everyone on their strong sides. We'll look at that a little bit more.

We're traveling tomorrow morning. Have a better idea after practice, make our decision. Ultimately decide Saturday. Friday's practice will be a bigger indicator.

Q. So far in these couple of games, you haven't seemed to get much five-on-five. Is that a matchup thing, performance? Would you like to use those guys?
BRUCE CASSIDY: Game situation, I mean, it's been more special teams than maybe previous series in terms of power play, penalty kill. David Backes, that's where he'll lose minutes, for sure. His minutes probably have been effective the most, special teams guys. Heinen as well.

I think their performance has been okay. I think obviously we got more good secondary scoring. Haven't produced as much five-on-five as we'd like yet. Solid, reliable performers.

March, Pasta, Berge and Krej are all first for scoring, so they've done it in the Playoffs. Not maybe in these two games, short sample size. That's what we're looking for. The better players perform, better chance of winning.

I expect they'll be better in St. Louis offensively. We'll go from there.

Q. (No microphone.)
BRUCE CASSIDY: They certainly generated on the power play to get their momentum going five-on-five. What they've done well the whole Playoffs when they weren't scoring, I think they've played against Tavares and (indiscernible), certainly kept them off the score sheet. They've been able to do that part of the job.

So far this series (indiscernible) line's best five-on-five goals. That's the part why we made the switch. Try to free them up. Offensively try to lock down that line.

They're going to go to that matchup in St. Louis, can't speak for them. If that's the case, it's a big challenge for Bergey, March and Pastrnak. They've been up to it. I don't imagine that will change. I suspect in Game 3 we'll see their best game of the series. That's speculation, but I suspect that's what will happen.

Q. With the Gryz hit last night, what is your take on when people say, Well, he put himself in a bad position, it's his fault, when they're talking about the guy that got hit?
BRUCE CASSIDY: I do believe there's a different generation that was taught, because those hits I don't want to say were acceptable 20 years ago, they happened a lot more. Now you're a little less inclined to protect yourself in general.

My feeling on those hits, we've been talking about these for four, five, six whatever amount of years. On the person delivering the hit, have to be aware of a player in a prone position. I've always believed a player has to protect themselves. They have to put themselves in spots. But some are unavoidable.

That was a hit, a prone position, he followed through on the hit. Got penalized for it. I believe he's having a hearing. That's it. They'll make the decision from there.

I've always felt it's on both players to be aware of what's going on. Things happen. Not the first hit from behind, won't be the last. He'll be held accountable or not. We'll move on.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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