NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: PENGUINS v DEVILS

May 13, 2001

Larry Robinson

COACH ROBINSON: No. We're going to need a lot better effort. I think that we didn't see -- I didn't think that we -- I mean, we played well, but I think that Pittsburgh is going to come back with a much stronger game and we are going to need a much stronger game as well. We've got good goaltending and timely goals, and for the most part, I thought our defense played pretty well, but I think we can get a better job out of our forwards.

COACH ROBINSON: Especially in the second period, they looked tired, yeah. And rightfully so, that was a tough series, and then having to go into over time, and then coming into here to play after we had a couple days in between.

COACH ROBINSON: I thought in a lot of areas we were leaving the zone early, and, you know, except for a couple bounces here and there, you know, they would have had some very good scoring chances out of it. You can't -- especially against a team like Pittsburgh, you cannot be cheating on the offensive side of the puck, because sooner or later, you are going to pay the price for it. And we didn't in the first game, but if we continue to do it, we are going to pay the price somewhere down the line. We can't be leaving the zone before we are sure of getting the puck out, and the other thing, we've got to make sure that we are supporting each other on in the right positions, as well. A lot of the time, we were leaving the zone, and we'd get the pass, but there was a defenseman right in our face and we couldn't understand why we had no room to go. We've got to come back and take the open ice that we are given and create speed through that.

COACH ROBINSON: I think for the most part, you know, when we've got the puck in deep, the right way, we got a good forecheck out of it. But we were still guilty at times of, you know, not putting the pucks in the right areas. That's something that we will have to work on.

COACH ROBINSON: Well, I mean, you are going to need more than one line to go through the playoffs.

COACH ROBINSON: Yeah, but I think last night wasn't I think just that line. I think Bobby Holik's line did a tremendous job, as well. Keeping the other line in check, and also, they had a couple pretty good chances themselves. So, this is by no means a one-line team. I think that's been our strength. We certainly have to get more out of the Gomez line, and for the most part, I thought the Corkum line did a pretty good job.

COACH ROBINSON: Yeah, I looked at the game over on tape, and you say they pounded them; I think they took the checks when they were there, but we didn't -- we didn't go out of our way, I think, you know, looking to make body contact. Because that line -- in fact, all of their lines, they move the puck so well that, if we go running around looking for hits, you know, they are just going to pass pucks around us and we are going to be doing a lot of running and chasing. We can't do that. I think positioning is the key importance, and if the hits are there, then we've got to take them. But we can't just think of going out there and running everybody and pounding everybody. That's not the way the game is played. I think good position is the most important.

COACH ROBINSON: Well, it's a physical game. It is a physical game. You're going to get your hits and you've got to give your hits. But I think more so with good players, I mean, you have to make them -- you have to make them pay the price. I think if you give them open ice and make the game easy for them, it just makes them that much better hockey player or a better hockey team. It's so important to make the ice look small.

COACH ROBINSON: I haven't approached him. I'm hoping every day Niedermayer will be ready to play. We just have to wait. It's kind of a day-to-day thing. It has not upset me the way that our defense has played. I think Kenny Sutton has come in and did a great job.

COACH ROBINSON: He is one of the most athletes that -- whether he's been practicing for a day or whether he's been practicing for a week, you are not going to see much of a difference. He's kind of a natural athlete. Just seems to go out there and get the job done.

COACH ROBINSON: Well, I think it's a testimony to the kids that have come in and now -- I guess Kenny, I don't consider him a kid, but he's come in and done a great job. With Brylin out, Corky and Jimmy when he was in there as well, they have picked up the slack. It's nice to know that you have that kind of depth, and people that can come in and do the job.

COACH ROBINSON: Randy is kind of a streaky scorer, anyway.

I think that what has helped him, and I think somebody asked me this question last series, is that we were able to give him some time off before the end of the season. The type of game that he plays, he gets banged and he does a lot of banging so it wears on you after a while. So the fact that we were able to give him some rest before the playoffs started has paid off for him.

COACH ROBINSON: Yeah. Been there, done that.

COACH ROBINSON: Oh, trust me, I finished playoffs where I started out at 220 pounds and finished at 213. So it does wear you down. And the thing is is that if you're a bigger guy -- like a guy like Scotty Stevens can take a pounding or Dano, it is not going to affect you as much than if you are a smaller mobile guy, guys like Ference, even Kaspar, Kasparaitis, you've got to finish them. I know when we used to play begins Ray Bourque in Boston, we wanted to put it in his corner as much as possible and try to finish our checks on him because he does play so much, and it does wear you down after a while.