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NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: SABRES v STARSJune 19, 1999Lindy RuffBUFFALO, NEW YORK: Game Six Q. Things seemed to get pretty nasty yesterday with remarks from both sides. Is that just gamesmenship leading into the game? LINDY RUFF: We didn't write the comments. I think we said a few, but I think they got out of proportion a little bit. Q. Still given the way the game ended the other night and whether they were taken out of proportion or not, some things were said yesterday, given those factors, what sort of game do you expect tonight? LINDY RUFF: Well, I feel it is going to be very intense obviously. I don't think either team can take needless or stupid penalties but we want it to be a very physical game. I think we would even be willing to play without referees. (LAUGHTER) Q. Is today an optional skate? LINDY RUFF: It was a modified-optional, yeah, like drag cars, modified-optional. Q. Explain that a little further. LINDY RUFF: Some guys had an option; some guys didn't - (LAUGHTER) - so that would be a modified-optional. Q. Obviously you have talked about this being a do-or-die game. Does the thought of Dallas winning the Stanley Cup here in Buffalo on this ice tonight motivate your team even further the thought of that happening? LINDY RUFF: Well, it is something we definitely don't want to happen. Our team -- I liken the atmosphere around the room. There is an air of confidence about going into this game and there is no way we want to see another team celebrate in our building. Like I said, I really believe that our team is going to bring the best game and it is going to be their best effort. We have got to score some goals obviously to win the hockey game. That is going to be our goal. Q. You had some great success with the lineup going into Game 4 and you tended to modify that going into Game 5; then reverted to the Game 4 lineup. Is that more of the likely matchups we are going to see on the lines tonight? LINDY RUFF: Well, great success - I mean, we scored on two mistakes. We are trying to find some combinations that that can generate some chances, shift-in/shift-out, obviously, you know, if you look at Game 4, we got a breakaway off a puck that bounced off a stick and we got another goal off a give-away. We are trying to find three or four lines that can consistently sustain some pressure and score some goals off of making nice plays or generating chances offensively. I think on the road we tried to put a little grit in every line and didn't worry about matchups a lot. We got the Peca matchup quite a bit in Dallas, but we tended to put a little size in each line and a little grit and tried to play four lines against them. We got beat by a powerplay goal is what happened. Q. You guys are getting beat up again in your own newspaper, front page picture of Peca looking dejected; suggestions that Satan is missing in action; your players are down; they are out. How do you respond to what your own media is suggesting that your players on are their last leg? LINDY RUFF: I think they are trying to motivate us again is what they are doing. They obviously took about 48 pictures of Peca and finally caught him with a little grimace on his face and that is the one they chose to use. That can be used as motivation. There is no "Down" in our room. There is no dejection. Our team is looking forward to putting a two-game winning streak together and they are looking forward in playing in front of their home crowd tonight as was Dallas in Game 5. We are not down. We are not worried. We are not worn out. We are ready to play. End of FastScripts.... |
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