NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: SABRES v STARS

June 11, 1999

Jay McKee

JAY McKEE: We have been very successful throughout the Playoffs with having everybody playing physical. I think we are having guys play a little bit out of character and being physical. You saw Brian Holzinger making a big hit last night. That is what we need. Yeah, they tried to play a physical game as well and I think the emotions ran high and it got a little more last night.

JAY McKEE: I was aware after I saw him going off the ice holding his shoulder or his wrist. I wasn't aware during the hit obviously that he was hurt. That is -- I guess that is just something that happens in hockey. It gets very physical out there. I don't think players go out with the intent to injure other guys, but I guess that is a definite positive for our team if he is able to miss a few games.

JAY McKEE: Modano is a superstar. He is one of the best players in this League obviously. And obviously he made a great play in the first game to tie it up before we won it in overtime. I think they have a good enough team, though, that without him, they will obviously be a tough team for us to beat. We won't change our style of game if he is in or if he is out. We will just have to take it and see how he is.

JAY McKEE: I think they are a team that is very similar to us whereas they have four lines that jump over the boards and come at you real hard and they are tough to play against the way that they skate well and they are being more aggressive now. I think in the previous series we didn't have teams coming at us as hard as they are and with as much depth as they do. That makes it tougher.

JAY McKEE: It definitely is exciting. We don't want to talk about how exciting it is going to be. We just want to go out and get it done. Obviously we have a better record at home. It is throughout the year. It is easier to play in front of your home fans. I think guys are more comfortable, starting off all our series on the road, I think as each series starts guys are nervous; starts up, we are going to get nervous. As it goes on, you start to feel more comfortable. Obviously when we come home we have played very well, so without talking about it, I think we are very excited to be back home with a split.

JAY McKEE: We have been through every situation now whereas we have won the first two games on the road. We lost the first one, won the second and won the first and lost the second as we did in this series. So we have seen every situation and we have prevailed through each one. So we are a confident team at home and we are definitely really looking forward to playing here at home.

JAY McKEE: That is something we have had to deal with throughout the Playoffs. Guys are going to go after Dominik. As players it is quite frustrating because when they run him over; we really can't go after the players as we normally would in a regular season game due to the fact that we will end up in the penalty box. It is too important a time right now for us to be taking penalties, retaliation penalties. We have to rely on the referees to bear down and to protect Dominik.

JAY McKEE: We would never intentionally run anybody. I think there is a level of respect in this League that that is just sort of an unwritten rule that you won't intentionally run another team goalie. Obviously we are going to drive at the net hard. If we feel they are intentionally running over Dominik I guess we will have to just have to drive the net harder and try and keep it fair. But if we get held down I guess we will end up going through Belfour.

JAY McKEE: Yeah, I think that happens through the Playoffs. First game or two is usually; especially a team that you don't play against much during the regular season takes a little time to get used to the other team, get a feel for them. Now that we do have a feel for them and are comfortable with playing, I think, yeah, level of hate and the level -- the physical emotions run high and there is somewhat of a level of hate obviously when guys make runs at Dominik. That is going to tick us off a bit so it is going to get more emotional and more physical.

JAY McKEE: Our ice, we feel, is much better than Dallas'. I think it is obviously due to the heat, their ice conditions, we had to eat get used to the first couple of days being there. I think our ice is -- withstands some good skating throughout the Playoffs and I think we are much more used to our ice here. I don't know if that will be much of a factor or not.