NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: STARS v DEVILS

June 3, 2000

Larry Robinson

COACH ROBINSON: Ice is fine. It is frozen.

COACH ROBINSON: Well, the main thing is that we know that they have a good powerplay and penalties shouldn't -- shouldn't be taking penalties unless they are saving the goal or they are necessary. It is not so much the penalties that hurt you as it is the unnecessary penalties and a lot of the times it is from not being in the right position or being lazy and I think most of it is that we have made a concentrated effort to try to be in a good position and not be lazy and also realizing that unnecessary penalties hurt your team more than help your team. I think that is the main reason why we have stayed out of the penalty box as much as we can.

COACH ROBINSON: Well, the thing is that it just -- it was kind of the way the games went in that Randy, I didn't feel, was playing as well or maybe was forcing a little bit and a lot of the times I talked to Randy about it and mostly it was because he sat for a long periods of time because of the penalty and powerplay situations and he just found that it was hard to get himself going. So I mean, Randy's game is, you know, in front of the net, grinding it out and being physical and I talked to him after the Philadelphia series and said that this is another series and get back to where he was before. He has worked really, really hard before this series began and has been concentrating on what he has to do and has -- and he has done what he is supposed to do, but he is a pro and he's a leader out there and he will do whatever it takes for him to help the team out. Just having him positive and talking to the young kids and being ready when he is called upon, that is all you can ask for.

COACH ROBINSON: Well, I expect our best lines to be responsible as much as any matchup, but I don't think that when I put a line out there I don't want that to be the sole line to go against like if I put Arnott against Modano that doesn't mean that one of the other lines won't get against him as well. I believe that I have certain guys that match up well against his players and if he likes the matchup then fine I will stick with it unless we are having problems with it. Otherwise, if he tries another matchup then I have to have a backup and especially when you are on the road you can't always get the matchup that you want so you have to have more than one line that is capable of playing against one of his lines.

COACH ROBINSON: Well, I think the feeling-out process is called Game 1. Really that is why it is always nice to get that first game out of the way and you kind of know where you stand and what is going on and who you have to watch and what you have to prepare for. But also, at the same time, I think that we really haven't seen what our team can do when we are at our best and they are at their best. So I think this is going to be a good test for us tonight. It is a tough building to play in, but it is actually a good building. Our guys like to play in buildings like this.

COACH ROBINSON: Well, if you have got to worry about matchups then you don't have confidence in all your guys. I have confidence that any one of our lines can play against any one of their lines. We will just see how the game goes.

COACH ROBINSON: Well, I don't think -- you can't take anything away from the young kid Morrow. I thought he's played great on that line. He brings a lot of enthusiasm. He's a good skater, goes to the net well. You also can't replace a Lehtinen who is -- he's a great two-way player and I think what it does, it gives the other two guys the luxury of being able to take a lot more chances because they know Lehtinen can -- will be able to cover up for them with his experience. But I don't think there is a big change other than a little bit of different style of player.

COACH ROBINSON: Not necessarily the Arnott line per se but I have talked to everybody on that line and they know that they weren't up to par last game. I thought Arnott was fine. I think the other two guys didn't have one of their better nights but those things happen and they have got to bounce back from them.

COACH ROBINSON: I don't know, because everybody says it is.

COACH ROBINSON: I said it because that is what I have been reading from you guys all along. (laughter). I mean, me, particularly, and a lot of our guys enjoy the challenge of playing in the opponent's rink. There is a lot of screaming, a lot of yelling going and as much as it gets maybe their guys going, I think it gets our guys going. We seem to have played better in Philly in front of a loud crowd. We know that there is not a show to put on for the home fans. I think we concentrate on playing a better game and a better rounded game when we are on the road.

COACH ROBINSON: Well, I think I have to react to it a lot quicker than maybe I did the last game. If I see there are guys that aren't going, then we will definitely have to change things around.

COACH ROBINSON: No. I think that ice conditions and everything else are played way out of proportion. I think the big difference maybe is in a place like Colorado where they practice every day and are used to the higher elevation, but when you get into temperature conditions really, when we left New Jersey it wasn't any different than when we arrived here yesterday. Same temperature, same humidity. When the game starts and the guys are on the ice, the other team is playing under the same conditions that you are playing under, so I don't really see where it is a factor.

COACH ROBINSON: No. We are coming here to win both games.