NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: MIGHTY DUCKS v DEVILS

May 27, 2003

Paul Kariya

PAUL KARIYA: No, actually, I thought in the first period we had some pretty good jump, but we didn't execute. They executed they played well, and that was it.

PAUL KARIYA: Not executing on the break, missing our passes, and turning the puck over. Obviously, they're a very good defensive team. They take passing lanes away. If you turn the pucks over, they're going to capitalize on it.

PAUL KARIYA: No, it wasn't a factor. They played better than us tonight, and we have to play a lot better tomorrow.

PAUL KARIYA: I think that was part of it. They were tougher on the loose pucks, they won the one-on-one battles, they controlled the play. You can't expect to win games when that happens.

PAUL KARIYA: Well, they're a very good defensive team, and, obviously, Scott Stevens and Rafalski are very good defensive players. We had some chances. We have to generate chances and get more shots on net if we expect to beat Marty.

PAUL KARIYA: Whether you win or lose, you have to be better the next night and we're going to have to be better for us to have success in the next game.

PAUL KARIYA: I had many chances. I didn't get shots through today. They blocked the puck very well and, like I said, took time and space away. I just have to get it off quicker and get it on net.

PAUL KARIYA: It was nice to play. Practice can get pretty monotonous after a while. It was nice to play in the game tonight, and hopefully we will have a better outcome next game.

PAUL KARIYA: Combination of the two. We didn't execute on our passes on the break-out. We gave them odd-man rushes, and that's definitely something that you can't do. You've got to make plays through the neutral zone. You've got to handle the puck, manage it. If you don't, if you're missing passes, it's got to be ahead, it can't be behind.

PAUL KARIYA: Win or lose, you're going to have to play better the next game.

PAUL KARIYA: No, I thought we had good jump at times. I think we didn't execute. We moved the puck very poorly. We turned the puck over and gave them odd-man rushes. It's tough to play the game when you're back-checking 2 on 1's.

PAUL KARIYA: It's just a matter of making passes and supporting each other. You know the passes are there, and you have to make them, and you can't give the puck to them, and you can't turn the puck over, especially in the neutral zone.

PAUL KARIYA: They're a little bit different team. They have a lot of speed. Obviously, they play very well defensively. We're going to have to play very well to beat this team.

PAUL KARIYA: I was happy with our first period. I thought we played reasonably well. The second period we just started turning the puck over and giving them odd-man rushes.

PAUL KARIYA: No, it wasn't a factor. We had a good week of practice and we scrimmaged a couple times and we just didn't play well tonight.

PAUL KARIYA: Yeah, we started the game pretty well in the first period and had a couple powerplays and moved the puck well. Second period we just stopped making plays and we turn the puck over and gave them odd-man rushes. It's tough to play the game when you're giving breakaways and 2 on 1's.

PAUL KARIYA: No, because that would have been a factor in the first period. Second period, we stopped moving the puck and stopped moving our feet.