NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: DEVILS v AVALANCHE

May 25, 2001

Patrick Roy

Joe Sakic

JOE SAKIC: I think both sides have done their scouting and we watched video, so we kind of know how they are going to play and they know how we are going to play. Obviously, right off the bat, I mean, nobody is going to want to make the mistake. Maybe a little tentative first period, but I know both teams are excited to get this thing started. For us, it has been four days now and we are itching to get going.

PATRICK ROY: Well, I think we mentioned many times that we have a lot of respect for Ray and when Ray came over in Colorado, we knew it was a big decision from his part. He played 20 years in Boston and believed a lot in that team and here we are today, I mean last year was a bit of a disappointment to not be able to reach the Final and have that chance, and this year we have a chance and I am sure everybody inside, deep inside, I mean, would love to see that happen.

JOE SAKIC: The same thing. To have Ray come back this year and come in, believe in this team, obviously we all want to win another one, but to see -- have Ray have an opportunity to win one, I mean he has meant so much to the game and has done so much in the last 22 years that definitely would be nice to see him win one.

PATRICK ROY: Well, I think like Joe said we watched the tape of the powerplay and what they are going to try to generate as an offense. They have a lot of skills. Got defensemen that support a rush a lot of times and Jason Arnott line is playing extremely well for them, generate a lot of chances and certainly going to have to keep an eye on these guys. Facing Marty, to me, it is not -- I mean, I am very happy to play against him, but in the same time I am not focusing on him. I am focusing on playing well and trying to get my teammates a chance to win every night. I am sure he is going to play well. I am going to try to do the same on my side.

PATRICK ROY: Maybe it is age, I don't know. (LAUGHTER) I don't know, I just don't feel to challenge or do anything. I just want to go out there and enjoy games. That's what I want to do. I know I am towards the end and I want to have fun out there. I don't want to feel extra pressure or putting any extra pressure on myself when you make comments. Every time you make a comment you have to back it up. I feel now that's not what I want to do. I just want to be a part of a team that has a chance to win and give my teammates a chance to win at the end.

PATRICK ROY: Well, it would be unfair for me to say if it's not or it is. Towards-- during my career I had the chance to play with Larry Robinson and Chelios and these guys, and after that Desjardins I always had a chance to play in front of great defense. This defense is as good as I have played throughout my career. I consider myself very-- as a privilege to play in front of guys like Ray Bourque and Adam Foote and Rob Blake and the rest of the group.

JOE SAKIC: We know it is going to be tough. You are going to have to fight for your space out there. That team, they have a good defensive philosophy. They all stick to the game plan and don't give you a lot of space. Really good in the neutral zone. I think for us, to be successful in this series, we have to stay away from the turnovers in the neutral zone. They have a great transition game and I mean, we have to get the puck in deep and use their speed and not turn down a shot.

JOE SAKIC: I think there is a few guys on this team that are in the same situation. Right from the beginning of the year we knew we would have to find a way to get the job done this year. We don't know what the future is going to be for a few guys, and now having said that, that is being pretty much the same way we looked at it all year, this could be our last chance so we have got to to make the best of it.

PATRICK ROY: Well, it means a lot to us. From Day-1 we mentioned that we had to play with consistency through the season and I truly believed that that paid off and that's the reason why we are here today because we played like that all year and we didn't have to make much of adjustment in the Playoffs. We mentioned what it means to us to win for Ray and I think everybody knows how much I love Ray and how much I feel it is a privilege to play in front of a player like him who has done so much for this game.

PATRICK ROY: I never really put a number of years. As long as I enjoy myself and as long as I feel like I could help my team to win, I guess I'd like to play. But you know, for me, to be here today, I think it is great and it is a great chance and hopefully we will be on the winning side.

PATRICK ROY: Well, we are a bit different. I think Marty is the best in the League to handle the puck. There is no doubt in my mind he is playing the puck superb. He has been consistent to me, throughout his career so far and I always-- a lot of people said that he was protected by a great defense, defense system all that, but you still have to make the saves and that's what he has done every year and you have to appreciate that.

PATRICK ROY: Well, depends what you say by the word "Friends." But I had the chance to meet Marty through All-Star games and stuff like that. I met his dad many times at The Forum, but I don't recall to remember Marty when he was younger and all that.

PATRICK ROY: Every time, I mean, we always have a lot of fun when we play like the All-Star Game and stuff. I am not going to call him on a Tuesday night and see how he is feeling all that-- (LAUGHTER) -- but I mean I have a lot of respect for him and for what he does and that's it.

JOE SAKIC: Well, I don't know if it feels any different. That was for me, anyways, it was the first time there, the experience of it was just unbelievable. It has been awhile since we have been back and it feels good to be back and have this opportunity to try an win another Cup.

JOE SAKIC: It is definitely a grind. I mean, you have your ups-and-downs all along the way. For us we did the job. We found a way to get here. Beat some pretty good hockey teams. I mean, it don't get any easier now. It is only going to get harder. That's a great hockey team on the other side. And we are really looking forward to the challenge.

PATRICK ROY: I always enjoyed the ride every series are different. There is always something happening in a series. Adversity a lot of times is a big part of it. We face adversity against the Blues when Peter was injured all that, I am extremely proud of my teammates to see the way we handled it, especially in the first game was to me a big key and here we are today, I mean, the guys on this team deserve a lot of credit for what they have done and we are in the big dance and we should look in a way as very positive.

PATRICK ROY: I am a bit surprised to hear from Larry, I played with him in Montreal and he was not a vocal person when he was a player there. But everybody has to have the right to have their own opinion. If Larry thinks that way, he has the right to. I don't think it should be a big story or a big deal. I think we are just going to go out there and believe in our chance and play one game at a time. That's what we've done all year, and that's what we certainly want to do in that series.

PATRICK ROY: Not really. If you look at -- somehow Playoffs are a different season to me. I look at the series against Vancouver, we lost two games in Vancouver against one win and we won both games in Vancouver. I don't think we had one in L.A. for so long and we went out there and we won two games of three. And then same thing against the Blues we haven't beat the Blues in our own building and we won three games there. I rather look at it a positive and find solution instead to try to look at a negative side of it. Looking at the tape and that's what I want to do, try to find solution.

PATRICK ROY: You know when you face a guy like Marty he is going to play good games. Then I feel like I have to have a good start and make the saves. But sometimes I feel like we put too much on goaltending. As a goaltender, I mean you want to give your teammate a chance to win games. Doesn't matter how well you can play some nights, you need the goals scored. You can stop all the shots, except one and you could lose 1-nothing, and big deal. You lost the game. As a goalie what you want is winning games; doesn't matter how but as long as you win. This is where I want to -- I just want to make sure I will remain focused and concentrate as well as I could, and try to make it one save at a time and most important, have a good time and really enjoy myself out there.

PATRICK ROY: Not really. We all -- I think we are all athletes with a lot of pride and we all want to do well, but some nights you can't match up with the other guy. You don't face the same shots, I mean, I think it is unfair to try to judge yourself with the other guy.

JOE SAKIC: We got a lot of leadership in the dressing room. We are a veteran team and we have played all year with key guys being out and we have managed -- I think it really helped during regular season when we did have injuries, we found ways to win hockey games and in doing that, we built up our confidence and I mean it was unfortunate the way we lost Pete for the St. Louis series, but we knew we weren't going to have him for the rest of the Playoffs. Our goal still didn't change. We right from the beginning of the year we wanted to win the Stanley Cup. That was our goal. I think everybody else really picked up their game, you know, obviously you can't win this time of year without great goaltending and Patrik has gave us a chance to win every game and everybody else has really chipped in, we have picked it up defensively. Our defensemen have just played outstanding and we found ways to chip in and get goals in and that's what it comes down to this time of year. You can't -- every team has injuries an things like that. You can't focus on. That you have got to look ahead and look for the solutions to win hockey games.

PATRICK ROY: Be unfair for me to try to name one guy that was better than another. I think everybody was special at their own way, and I am thankful for all the ones who really helped me out.

JOE SAKIC: I had some good coaches in minor hockey too, the best one, the one that I had the longest was Dave Patsur (phonetic) there in Burnaby, and we had some pretty good teams there. We weren't Bantam championship Purolator Cup and Air Canada Cup so we had some if you know.

JOE SAKIC: I don't know if there is any added pressure. There is enough pressure as there is out there. We just want to have fun and they have played tremendous, especially last series last couple of games against Toronto and against Pittsburgh, they really moved the puck well and I thought dominated out there. I mean it is something that wove to may attention to that line. We have to try and play well defensively out there and not turn the puck over because I mean that line they got a lot of speed.