NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: SABRES v STARS

June 12, 1999

Lindy Ruff

LINDY RUFF: No. Best part of Dominik's game is playing the puck. He can't going around playing careful this time of the year. He is going to go out and play it like normal.

LINDY RUFF: We can't be concerned with that at all. Obviously we are going to worry about how our team is going to play. Obviously got to make more adjustments to create more offensively and whether he plays or doesn't play, we know he is a good player. If he is there, we deal with him; if not, we got to go on. We know they are still a good team.

LINDY RUFF: There is a small amount of baiting going on obviously. I don't know who is going to get the hook first, but you can't treat a goaltender like a defensemen. The rules state that goaltender is not fair game. You have got to make attempts to get out of the way not to hit him. We realize there is going to be some accidental brushes but if you hate goaltender you are going to be penalized. We can't go out and take needless penalties. We can't run Belfour over and that is not our purpose. Our purpose is, you know, trying to score goals and win a game tonight and create some traffic in front of Belfour. So that is the end of story on that one.

LINDY RUFF: I think they find it humorous. They like reading some of the stuff and they think it is interesting too, at the same time, and we have had a lot of fun in the past six weeks and there has been a war of words in every series and it has been great. I think a lot of is posturing, anticipation, and Dallas obviously thinks that if they can beat us into a few more penalties maybe they have got us where we want them; maybe we are thinking the same. Maybe we are going to bump into Belfour; maybe we are not. Who knows. I will tell you after the game tonight.

LINDY RUFF: Well, some of the big parts of the game and special teams is a big part for us. It is a big part for us. Going into their series their penalty killing was No. 1. We found a way to score a few goals on them. Their penalty killing has been pretty good. They haven't given us a lot of chances but the chances we have got we have managed to take advantage of. Typically in a two-minute span you are hoping to get that one good chance. There has been powerplays that we have had where you haven't had that chance and when we have had that one good chance in two minutes we have scored. Overall I think their penalty killing has done a pretty good job. Their powerplay has had a lot of chances. I think there has been a few penalty kills where our goaltender has been the best penalty killer. A lot of teams, that is the key.

LINDY RUFF: Well, I think in Game 1 a lot of it had to do with the amount of penalty killing we did. Basically took us out of the game even strength. And the fact I didn't use him in that situation, but from here on in, our penalty killing was really good with the six guys we have been using didn't really want to change things, it seemed like we were having some pretty good success; we are going to slide him back in that shorthanded situation, try to get him involved more and I think it is a little bit of a fallout from the lack of playing in that stretch where he was out with his ankle. But I think as the game goes on you are going to see him pick up speed here.

LINDY RUFF: I think everybody understands that when he is in that position and a guy is coming on him, he is not fair game. But at the same sense, he is going to get bumped. Guys going to try to go around him. We understand that. Just as the rule states you can't run him over though. If Belfour goes behind the net, I think Belfour played the puck over 30 times last game, he played the puck out of net more than Hasek did and we didn't lay a finger on him. I don't think a stick touched him.

LINDY RUFF: I think all goaltenders do. I think that Belfour uses it. Hasek uses it. All the best in the League use that.

LINDY RUFF: Nothing to do with sentimental. Rob will play tonight. He was one of our better goal scorers in that Toronto series. (LAUGHTER)

LINDY RUFF: I think everybody is looking forward to playing at home. I think there is a lot of pressure every game. Game-in/game-out there is pressure. There is pressure for us to win one in Dallas. Now there is pressure to play well at home. In the same sense we are really looking forward to playing in front of our crowd, to our fans. A lot of family. There is a loft distractions but still it is a great time of year to be playing. I think our players will be jacked up being at home and they have played well throughout the Playoffs here at home. So I don't expect anything different.

LINDY RUFF: I don't think they feel that pressure. I think they just feel a little bit of the pressure to play well, just play well, I think we outskate them, outwork them, outhit them, you know, it is going to result in a win. I think that is the only things you can control. You can't feel the pressure, boy we got to bring something special here to Western New York because somebody else hasn't done it. Our focus is just the first period tonight and how well we are going to play and we will see what comes of.

LINDY RUFF: Well, I think at this stage of the game you have got to treat every game like Game 7. Every game really is a game that you want to win. I mean, you can't say, well, we didn't treat that extra special because it was only Game 3. I mean, every situation is you got to give it everything you got at risk of injuring yourself, of dropping down and blocking shots when you are not a shot-blocker. Everything -- the passion has to be there as if this is the Final game of the season. That goes for game-in/game-out from our standpoint. We want to play every game like it is the last game. We have done that since Day-1 and we are going to continue to do it. The emotional part of it, you know, we have talked about the penalties. We can't be crazy about just because our crowd is jacked up we are running around with chickens with our heads cut off. We got to be in control. They probably got to weather a storm for a little while. We hope we give them a storm to weather.

LINDY RUFF: Well, I think they are using that as he is dropping it as a distraction or a way to stop the puck. He drops it because he thinks his reflexes are quicker without the stick in his hands. Typically blocker saves -- now you can look at the Master Card commercial, where he lays down and throws his blocker across the crease. If he had a stick in that hand, I don't think he makes that save. But -- probably be doing Visa then. (LAUGHTER) But, no, I think the arrangement has been while it helps him -- he does it for reflexes alone. He likes to be there with arms up, legs post-to-post and I don't think the intent is to break up a play.

LINDY RUFF: Lindy didn't talk to me. (laughter).

LINDY RUFF: (laughs). I actually did have a conversation with -- you know, the line is clear, and I will say it again, goaltenders are not fair game. That doesn't change in the Playoffs. You have got to make an attempt to not hit a goaltender. If it is an accidental brush it won't be called. If you go out of your way to hit him it is a penalty. He is not treated likes a defenseman. Goaltender is not a defensemen. Rules are different. Rules don't change for the Playoffs. So we understand that.

LINDY RUFF: Well, I think it bodes well, really. But I think now that parity is at a premium too where there is a lot of good players out there and the gap between the superstars and the real good players isn't that big anymore. That if you have got three or four lines and you play like a team maybe you are not that -- the so-called superstar, but you are darn good player you could still be successful. If you have got some good players like that in your system that are playing your system, you know, you can build a good team. I think the payroll is at a certain level. If you put certain amount of money in the right areas, where you got to spend three or four, five million on a couple of players, I think our money on our goaltender is well worth it. You build around it. You can keep that payroll at a reasonable level.

LINDY RUFF: No, he will not play. His back is still isn't good.

LINDY RUFF: Curtis has had a fine year. I think it started last year in the Playoffs when he replaced Peca on that top line, played against Lindros in the opening round for a couple of games; just kind of blossomed from there, started off the regular season with a bigger role, was on a successful line with Grosek and Satan and was probably one of our better lines in the first 30 games, if not our best line. And he just had a good all-around year. Throughout the regular season and the Playoffs he has been a big factor. Obviously down the middle since last year taken him off the wing and putting him in the middle, I think it has made a big difference in his game.

LINDY RUFF: I think if you actually had the actual count of guys that were banged up, bruised, groins, shoulders, everything else, the count would be unbelievable. Although, our team is 100% healthy at the time. (Laughter)