NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: AVALANCHE v RED WINGS

May 17, 2002

Dominik Hasek

DOMINIK HASEK: Yeah, I think this is a different team. Had some good practices this week, and I feel ready to go. It's exciting. Two great teams. We watched the tapes and we had meetings about them. I'm sure they did too.

DOMINIK HASEK: This is a different team. It's probably the best team we faced, no doubt about it. They have so much offensive coverage, especially first two lines, one with Sakic and Forsberg. They were dominating line in the playoffs. So it's a different situation. They have two great lines and many other good stars, they can score goals.

DOMINIK HASEK: I think it's great to go against Patrick. We face each other many times doing the regular season but it's the first time we can face each other in the playoffs. No doubt his record is much better than my record, but I think it doesn't mean anything anymore, because this is a new series and I'm ready to go.

DOMINIK HASEK: I don't know. Like I said already, we barely said high to each other before, and all of a sudden during the All-Star game and the playoffs, we talked to each other, and we were talking about hockey and about our families, but we didn't talk about Playoffs. We didn't know it in February that we were going to face each other in the third round playoffs. It was a friendly situation, but, you know, on the ice, I'm sure it won't be as friendly.

DOMINIK HASEK: Of course. There is lots of talking about Patrick Roy and me however, I can't pay attention to Patrick and what he's doing on the other side of the ice. My focus must be on their best players and them. They have Sakic and Forsberg. They can score goals. They have a couple good guys also in the blue lines. Like Rob Blake, he can shoot from the blue line. Sakic and Forsberg, you know, if we can cover them, it's a key to win the series.

DOMINIK HASEK: Sort of, this rivalry was here before and it seems like it continues, and I'm sure its management, they brought me in for games like that. They -- maybe in summer they thought about Colorado, and that they need me here, and that's the reason why I'm here to be successful in the playoffs. I'm very excited about it, and now I can prove it against the -- I don't want to say the best team, but for sure the Stanley Cup Champion.

DOMINIK HASEK: I think we both like to go out and play the part. Patrick, he's stronger, you know, he can shoot harder and I'm more kind of -- I try to prepare the puck for my teammates. So I think you will see him or me outside of the net play the puck.

DOMINIK HASEK: I don't wear No. 9 anymore, you know, but I still have -- I have 39 which includes No. 9. The reason was, there was -- they had only like 25 Jerseys on the team in the city where I started to play hockey for the professional team and one of the defensemen was injured and so they give me No. 9 and I played well, and I stick with No. 9.

DOMINIK HASEK: No, I -- in the Playoffs -- I never say never. You never know what can happen, you know, however I'm not thinking about fighting someone or being involved in the fight. This is the Playoffs, and you have to be focused on your job, which is stopping the puck, and I don't expect myself to be involved in any fights, but I never say never.

DOMINIK HASEK: I used to play against him when he played for Pittsburg. He's a very aggressive player. He likes to body check. For my teammates, for the offense, you have to know where he is because He can hit you with his butt. He knows how to do it, so you have to be aware any time he is on the ice because he can hit you really hard and many players in the NHL, they know about it.

DOMINIK HASEK: I like to look at him. I like to watch him play, but I don't really study him. He's bona fide goalie like me. He's a little bit taller than me, and so -- I know his style very well, but I don't feel like I need to study him. You know I play my way and it's more for my teammates. They should know where to shoot. They probably watch him more than me to know how to a score against him. I know his style, however I don't -- I more care about my style.