NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: PENGUINS v DEVILS

May 22, 2001

Larry Robinson

COACH ROBINSON: Well, we started I thought we started really strong and especially after we scored that first goal and then I think we just got a little too careful and the puck was bouncing and then on the second goal it bounced over Ralfy's stick and the old devil killer was right there to put it in. Then, I think we just -- we, I won't say we panicked but kind of changed our style a little bit. We stopped being aggressive, stopped getting the puck in deep, and for some reason Pittsburgh just kind of sat back and didn't come -- didn't even send the first forechecker in past the top of the circle. They kind of waited for us in the neutral zone. At first we didn't really react to it. Then, until we made, you know, a little bit of adjustment and we started coming at them with a little more speed. Then they got caught standing still and we were able to bring the puck up the ice better. That certainly-- that second goal and then of course, the big powerplay goal that Arnie scored, kind of gave us some life and got us going there.

COACH ROBINSON: I didn't think he was that unhealthy. But I think he just -- I think it's all -- in anybody's case, it is just a mindset. I think that once all of these guys set their mind to something they seem to play a lot better. It is more of a focus and a determination and just bearing down and wanting to do it.

COACH ROBINSON: Well, I think we are as good. I think I-- we probably are better in the fact that we have got guys now that were rookies last year that are have now been through all of the pressures of Playoff hockey, so with that year's experience, I think that I would say we were better in that area.

COACH ROBINSON: I am the same. I am going to be the same coach all the time but I have always said that you never stop learning and so I always try to improve, I always try to make myself better and I am never satisfied, you know, until I stop this crazy job that I am in. I guess I will get better.

COACH ROBINSON: Well, I think our defense played pretty darn good this whole series. Scotty and Daneyko had a big job of going against the Lemieux line most of the time and I thought that, of course Rafalski and O'Donnell really helped a lot as far as, you know, giving us offense and playing steady and then Neider and Whitey, they as well played extremely well. I mean you have to play well. Pitttsburgh is the type of team that if you don't play well and you don't play strong defensively they have got guys over there that can fill the net and I think it is kind of indicative of the way that we played when you look and you see how few goals they got in this whole series and I think that's just a testament of how we play defensively and the type of goaltending that we have got.

COACH ROBINSON: He is just so big. He is so big that when he is going he just draws people to him in front of the net. He kind of clears a path for the other two guys. But truthfully I think they all feed off of each other. And when they are all going together they are a fun group to watch.

COACH ROBINSON: Not just Arnie, when Nieder came back, both of those guys mean a lot to our team. But I have to give credit to the team that -- in that we stayed pretty focused and played extremely well until they did come back, but definitely when you have got two guys of their stature, when they get back in the lineup, they certainly make a big difference.

COACH ROBINSON: Well, there is a lot of great lines in the League, but I think that, you know, they don't take a second seat to anybody.

COACH ROBINSON: Well, I have a lot of confidence on our guys that if they put their mind to it they can do the job. I think Bobby and Holik and Sergei Brylin and Randy McKay and also (inaudible) played with Bobby checking that line one game as well. I think them along with Scotty and Daneyko did a great job against them. They didn't give them any room. I think Mario will attest to that, the other day every time you look up you see a sea of red. That is just because we play the tournament and when you have got good hockey players like that, you can't give them time and space and we were able to get in their face and not give them time.

COACH ROBINSON: Well, third and fourth lines are key lines on a hockey team only because you expect your first two lines to get most of the attention and most of the ice time. So you really count on your third and fourth line to change the tempo or to score some big goals for you and really for us, I don't really look at it as first, second or third or fourth line, everybody plays a key role. We have 23 guys on our team and everybody has played an important role in this Playoff series and in each Playoff series up until now.

COACH ROBINSON: You hate to think of it when you think of going down in history you think that they are a bunch of 35 or 40 year old players. They are not. They have got a lot of hockey ahead of them. If they continue at this pace they certainly have to be right up there with all of the great lines because they put some great numbers up.

COACH ROBINSON: I told them that we had a meeting tomorrow at 12 o'clock.

COACH ROBINSON: I watched some of them but I wasn't going to stay up late on all of them. I don't get enough sleep as it is, but I certainly did watch a lot of it. It was pretty nasty series, I thought.

COACH ROBINSON: Really haven't even thought about it. Up until last night I seriously thought that St. Louis had a good chance to come back because they are a terrific team so it just tells you what kind of a team that we are going against. They have got a lot of scoring power. They certainly got great goaltending and they have got three of the top defensemen in the League right now who are playing extremely well. So this by no means is going to be an easy series. This is going to be an even tougher series which is usually par for the course.

COACH ROBINSON: Yes.