NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: HURRICANES v RED WINGS

June 12, 2002

Sean Hill

Arturs Irbe

Aaron Ward

AARON WARD: It's great if that's what their focus is now. That's good for us if that's the concern right now is the parade route. Just maintain our focus and prepare for Game 5, and we should be all right.

SEAN HILL: I definitely think they can. When they have stood behind us like they have all year long and, especially in the Playoffs, we definitely want to get back there for another game. Obviously in order to do that we have to win Game 5. And, you know, it was great to see them up, even though we were behind in the game. And obviously we weren't going to win that game, but for them it would still be backing us. Of course that makes us want to play that much better in Game 5 and get back there and give them another game.

SEAN HILL: I think it will have an effect on them. His play is over 20 minutes a game. He's probably been their most physical defensemen. He's one of their top four. And I think we definitely rather would have taken a five-minute major at that point in the game, though, than have him be out for a full game. But obviously we don't have that choice. But, you know, he's a big, strong kid and hopefully we can take advantage of his absence.

AARON WARD: Ditto.

ARTURS IRBE: Well, I have seen it all, I think, throughout the Playoffs. We have got to the point where our backs are to the wall, and you guys have mentioned it. And we all know. We have been there before several times during the season, during the Playoffs, and I have been one of those guys who has to carry part of the load. I can't really change my game or start to sweat because of that, because it is not going to do any good. Got to do what I do the best, and everything else will fall into place.

SEAN HILL: Yeah, I think obviously there's pressure on us as well with our backs being against the wall. But if Detroit wins tomorrow night, that's what everyone expected. But we're not about to buy into that at all. We still think we have a good chance in the series. We have played very well on the road the whole Playoffs long, and even before that. From about the halfway point of the regular season, we have been a real good road team. We have to take it one game at a time, and we think we still have a good shot at this thing. We are going to go in and play our hearts out tomorrow night, get back to Raleigh and get things going there. Our main focus is just to play that strong road game that we have been known for and get at it right away.

ARTURS IRBE: Well, it was coming back from my injuries, off ice injuries, so I guess that's the toughest situation. When you are not sure if you are ever going to play hockey, that's the toughest one. And I have dealt with it, so this is not as bad. We just have to win and take the game as the last game of the season. We have to prolong our season one at a time, and it is not as bad. I am playing hockey, so I am enjoying it.

SEAN HILL: I don't -- it's tough to say. I think we have been playing pretty desperate hockey the whole time, the whole series, and to answer your question, like that's tough. A lot of times there is games where you don't have any hits, and sometimes they don't present themselves. And then there's games where it seems like every time you go in the corner you have a good chance to hit someone. As far as hitting being, you know -- a lot of hitting being the definition of desperation, you know, that's tough to say. You have to take them when you can, but you can't go out of your way looking for them, especially against a team like Detroit with -- they have such crafty and smart forwards that, you know, if you get run out of position looking for hits all the time, they will make you pay for it on the scoreboard. You have to walk the fine line, but definitely we're going to play a desperate style of hockey, and we are going to try and play desperate within our system.