NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: MAPLE LEAFS v HURRICANES

May 17, 2002

Jonas Hoglund

Bryan McCabe

Alexander Mogilny

BRYAN McCABE: It's very important I think at this point. It was tough, two seven-game series without a break. Every time we end, we have to start up right again. So it's nice for the guys who are hurt to get a couple of days to maybe get their bodies back, ready to roll, and for us to get some rest.

BRYAN McCABE: It's only one day. I don't think we are going to lull ourselves into anything. It's the Conference Finals. Everyone knows how important this is.

BRYAN McCABE: It's a start. We'll go from there. We came in here for a split, so we got the first one. Now we can have a couple of good days here to think about Sunday's game.

BRYAN McCABE: Just doing all of the little things, like we said before. Besides the penalties last night, I thought we played a pretty solid defensive game and kept the puck on the other side, and hopefully we can do more of the same down the road.

BRYAN McCABE: Probably a lot, with all of the -- pretty much most of our big guns hurting and out, the rest of us slugs are in there and we don't like to do anything too flashy. So guys who are coming in are just keeping it simple and winning games everywhere.

BRYAN McCABE: There are all types of lineups, but most of them are in the system and they have a good team over there. They work extremely hard down low and they are very physical, so in that aspect, it's a different look for us.

BRYAN McCABE: Absolutely. That's the whole point. It's a learning process and guys who have been there, so that's a good thing, to look at those guys and see how they react to certain situations, and just guys like Gary and Shayne, plus the young guys.

JONAS HOGLUND: Just stay away from the rink, just be out here in the sun a little bit. That helps a little I think.

JONAS HOGLUND: I'm having a lot of fun. Obviously, you know, this is the final round in the playoffs and having a great time, having success with playing with a great line, and so I have a lot of fun.

JONAS HOGLUND: I think so. The first couple of games with the Islanders, it was still more of a checking line, too, and you get too many scoring chances and then they put me and Alyn together and started to create some offense right away. That's what I am used to doing and I like to play that way and so I'm having a good time right now.

JONAS HOGLUND: Tough to say. Playing with Gary Roberts, who is so determined, you know, he's great along the boards, taking the puck along the boards, and me and Alyn are pretty quick with the puck and all that, and all three -- you watch Alyn, all of his goals the whole season has been off rebounds, and going to the net hard and Gary is known for that, too. Myself, going to the net, I think it's a combination of things. All three of us are working hard and we do what we do best, you know, and like I said, playing with Gary helps.

JONAS HOGLUND: Well, all of the games we've won this whole series so far, and in the Ottawa series, we played great defensively, and we know we have to do that to win hockey games. And when you play great defense and you see everybody doing it, that helps and everybody is buying into it and this is -- started, and so, buy into it, and maybe every night like we should and believe us and when we could, we win, so we have got to do it every night.

ALEX MOGINLY: I think we feel good that we won the first game. Obviously, we were lucky to win it, but we have to feel good about ourselves right now. We'll have a couple of days off and regroup and try to do it again on Sunday.

ALEX MOGINLY: I don't have an answer for that. Just been able to get to the net a couple of times here and there and fortunately the puck went in.

ALEX MOGINLY: I'm feeling a little bit better. That's probably another reason why.

ALEX MOGINLY: What you try do is you try to do your job as best you can. When the guys see that, they respond. Like you see Healey blocking a shot last night, that lifts everybody up, and a guy taking a hit in the leg, goes up on the ice and comes back, that tells you a little bit about the character that we have in this room. We just try to do the best you can and help any way. When you try to do it goes a long way when you try to do the little things, it makes a difference in the end.

ALEX MOGINLY: It's different.

ALEX MOGINLY: Well, it's hard to describe. He's a very nice man, very nice man.

ALEX MOGINLY: Why not? He's a very nice old man. (Laughter) he loves what he does and enjoys what he does. He doesn't get personal with you. No matter what you do, he just let's the players play and doesn't get very technical. That's the way he is and nothing wrong with that.

ALEX MOGINLY: Well, we try to block the shots out there, and we've been making good saves at the end there, doing all the right things and it's been working so far. Hopefully, it stays that way.