NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: RED WINGS v FLYERS

June 2, 1997

Sergei Fedorov

SERGEI FEDOROV: Could you repeat the question?

SERGEI FEDOROV: No, not in my thinking, definitely. Just try focus on the game. And, what did my teammates say? I didn't catch that.

SERGEI FEDOROV: Well, I guess as soon as the series is over, you know, I can probably talk more. But right now, I like to concentrate on the Game No. 2, which is tomorrow night and stay focused. I mean, critics is always healthy and you have got to look at it like it is normal. It is part of the business. You can't be spoiled all the time, so.....

SERGEI FEDOROV: That is what they are going to do?

SERGEI FEDOROV: I guess -- well, that is first time I have heard it. (Audience laughter) I guess that is what they have to do to come back and be a different team in Game No. 2. I mean, we have to think; concentrate on our plays, what we are going to do and come to the Game No. 2 at full throttle.

SERGEI FEDOROV: Very big goalie; got big shoulder pads. (Audience Laughter) No, it is true. He covers the net pretty well upstairs. And, I believe few goals went between his legs in Ranger series. That is what we saw.

SERGEI FEDOROV: As far as urgency?

SERGEI FEDOROV: Yeah, I guess that is pretty much true. I never kind of thought about it. You made a good point. Obviously I am 27; not 25 or 24, and just the best probably main thing for me is to stay focused because you do that, you just basically put every emotion there in that kind of pace and it helps you out a lot to concentrate and play better.

SERGEI FEDOROV: I think it has been mentioned two or three times during the practices in the regular season. Coach staff told me to think about what I think. Obviously, I played the year before this past season on defense and I feel pretty comfortable because you don't have to do much. As soon as you get a hold of the puck, you got to move to your forwards and sooner the better and I feel fine. But I never thought they are going to move me right away that quickly for quite a few games. As far as, I don't know, 12, 15 games I played back there. And, another thing helped me out. Larry Murphy, he is such an experienced guy and we understood each other very well. And, I just try to help the team back then and I realize I am going to get more ice time. I realize I would support the forwards coming into the offensive zone. And, that would keep me going, which is pretty tough when you are playing third, four line, 13, 14 minutes, not very consistent shifts. So, I figured out I will play 35, 33, 30 minutes back then. It is kind of -- it was a satisfying point of my career.

SERGEI FEDOROV: Well, I think they make those moves on purpose. They try to get ready for Game No. 2. If we would have lost Game No. 1 at home, we would have probably done the same thing, tried to change lines again, see what kind of combination is going to work and which one not going to work. So I believe that is a common move after a loss.

SERGEI FEDOROV: I said it right away, probably middle of the season, It was pretty tough going for now and after that, five, four months was not even easier. I was kind of -- I felt like I was bouncing from forward back to blue line, from blue line back to forward. It is not easy to keep your focus and sometimes it was misunderstanding a little bit between myself and the coach staff - try and find out exactly what they wanted me to do. Sometime situations are being put through the regular season, would not give us time to settle down and move reasonable decisions. But everything is past. I believe I am way over that. I think I had fun playing on the blue line while I was there. And, right now, probably most important thing is just play well in this series.

SERGEI FEDOROV: I think myself is what turned it around. I think I work on myself. I was searching deep in my soul, inside of me, instead of searching around me. I think that has helped me a lot because I realize that is unusual as well as difficult season for me. So, I was searching deep down in my soul and trying to find the questions. And, I guess I realized only very simple thing, if I am willing and if you want to help a team in the best way and you are capable of doing it, you got that honor, to be playing quite a few positions, that is the way it is going to be. And I realize that and I try to work hard and in any position I was playing.