NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: HURRICANES v RED WINGS

June 10, 2002

Erik Cole

Steve Duchesne

STEVE DUCHESNE: It's been up and down really. Seems like they open the play a little more, and after the first goal they changed a little bit. They tried to go a little bit more on offense, so we have got to be a little careful. And if we do, we'll be all right.

STEVE DUCHESNE: Yeah, a good way to go. Everybody seems to be getting it going, and we have got to get it going.

STEVE DUCHESNE: We can't just sit back. If we do, we're going to be in trouble. Everything seems to be going all right. Dominik's been great, and we have to keep it going.

STEVE DUCHESNE: Well, I try to. It is difficult. But during the Finals you forget about all that and you don't think; you just react. It is awesome, and you have to keep going.

ERIK COLE: I am not so sure that we need to start gambling. We start needing to be a little bit more aggressive on the offensive end of things and need to go to the net and keep trying to find our way there.

ERIK COLE: I think the players for Detroit have done a good job on the ice and have done a pretty good job of taking away the shooting range. It's where one guy kind of sits back and takes away the lanes and the other really pressures you up high. Their defensemen have made the adjustments, and I think they are really doing a good job. But Ronnie (Francis) hit the post there in the last period, so I think we're really close to breaking the ice.

ERIK COLE: Well, both goaltenders have been playing great. Both teams have been playing real tight team defense and it's a real battle in front of the net just to get your stick and your body loose, and you just have to keep fighting for the free -- I think the Detroit defense has done a little bit better job, but that's just because they are so offensively stacked. It's a big battle in front of the net just to get your stick and your body loose, and you have to just do the best you can. This is the loudest building in the NHL, there's no doubt about.

ERIK COLE: Our fans have been great all year long, especially here in the Playoffs. They've really been behind us, and I have said it before that they are the most enthusiastic fans in the League. You can get no sleep the night before, but just come into the rink and you get energized and you are ready to play the game.