NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: RED WINGS v FLYERS

June 3, 1997

Terry Murray

TERRY MURRAY: Well, what we saw was Detroit, I think they in right at the very beginning of the game. They just came with one guy on the fore-check and kept four guys back. They just wanted to try to take, looked like to me, any emotion and any energy that we had away from us, especially in the early part. They ended up getting couple of power plays off some play that we tried to force and they quickly take the lead on it. But, I think, again, in the second period it was the same thing. They were just looking to be very patient and wait, send one guy in about the top of the circle and let us come to them.

TERRY MURRAY: Which was more pivotal?

TERRY MURRAY: It is our goaltending. We have to have a higher responsibility to ourselves as a team and to our fans, to our own teammates that we play better and start with goaltending. It starts with our team play on the defensive part of it. Again, we had -- we just had too many breakdowns that ended up in chances and goals against. The second period we have turnovers, the third goal, the fourth goal, that they get on a 2 on 1 is another breakdown that happens from the offensive zone, and you know, those kinds of plays, and not getting the big stops, are your worse nightmare when you get to the Finals.

TERRY MURRAY: Healthwise, he is fine.

TERRY MURRAY: Well, I thought we played a heck of a lot better than what we did in Game 1 tonight. Even though the first period, in the early part of the first period, you know, the stuff that I was talking about was there. They get a 2 nothing lead. We come back with tremendous emotion and are able to get a tie. We come out in the second period and again I thought as the game -- the period -- got into the deeper part of the period, we did a lot of good stuff with getting the puck deep; had a lot of fore-checking going and cycling of the puck, offensive chances. And, I think that the emotion, the energy, the hard work by everybody was there. We had our feet moving a heck of a lot better again. I thought through the neutral zone in particular, we had good switches and good movement to get the puck going. But it has to be there shift after shift. We get a little too cocky, it looked like, at times with the puck as we approach the offensive blue line. That is where the turnovers are happening. We got to continue to get it deep.

TERRY MURRAY: Well, I am not going to give that answer right now because I honestly don't know myself. You know, again, we do need to be better in that position. There is no question that the goal that Yzerman scored in Game 1 and the goal that was scored tonight by Maltby are goals -- are plays that have to be stopped. That is all there is to it. In this level of play, that is very difficult emotionally on your bench, and it gives the opposition an opportunity just to go out and execute their game plan with a lot more loose play, relaxed, you know, just everything seems to fall in place for them after goals like that are given up.

TERRY MURRAY: Well, I went in after and talked to the team, and the game now is behind us. What we have to do is take the stuff away from this game that I am talking about to you and execute better in Game 3. We have got to go into the opposition's building. We knew that in the start of the series, and we had to win a hockey game there. So that is what we have to do, it is plain and simple, forget about what has happened as far as the losses are concerned. Let us execute better and let us get ourselves ready to play Game 3.

TERRY MURRAY: I think in the overall evaluation of his play, we need a better Paul Coffey. You know, the reasons for acquiring a player like that is to help you as a team, to be better on the offensive part of the game for your special team and for him to be able to create stuff that he has shown throughout his career. It helps all lines be better in the offensive part of things whenever you can get a defenseman who carries the puck on the rush like that. I think he is doing a real good job on the power play. We need to carry that over on the even strength play a little bit better. But, you know, he is working hard. He is trying hard. We would like to see just a little bit better on the finish side of it.

TERRY MURRAY: No, I didn't.

TERRY MURRAY: I keep playing 5 guys the way I am and if I have to, you know, to spot Sammy in on the penalty kill, I will do that. We have got five games left and we need to get four wins. If guys are going to weigh 120 pounds at the end of this, that is the way it is.

TERRY MURRAY: I wouldn't go to that extreme. I don't look at it that way. I would not evaluate them and say they were poor performances. There is a play that happened in each one of the games that ended up being important goals. Any time a goal is scored, it is an important goal. And, when there are goals that are coming at the wrong time, if it ends up being the first goal of the game, early in the game, I think we are able to get through that and recover and not have any symptoms because of it. But, the timing is critical, and I don't think that either one of them played poor. In fact, after Game 1 and through yesterday's press conference, I did say that Hextall played good. I thought Snowy made some big saves out there tonight. But, again, it comes down to getting the job done for the 60 minutes.