|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: OILERS v MIGHTY DUCKSMay 21, 2006Randy CarlyleScott NiedermayerANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA: Game Two JAMEY HORAN: Questions for the coach. First question back here, coach. Q. Coach, it seemed like you guys really improved over your play in the first game, what was your assessment? Seemed like you got a lot of traffic but still weren't able it score. COACH CARLYLE: Again, I thought that the hockey game was played in parts for us. We had opportunities for offensive zone cycle and whatnot. We maintained a fairly good puck possessions for periods of time, but we didn't find a way to get the puck inside often enough, similar to what the Friesen goal was. We didn't get inside on it, and you know, subsequently we didn't create enough on the offensive side of it. We played or -- it was better effort than we had the other night, and we have to find a way to change the momentum here. Everything seems to be going their way at this moment, and we have to find some way to turn the tide. Q. Part of that, on the offensive end, they seemed to do a good job in their defensive zone and the goalie looked like he had a pretty good game? COACH CARLYLE: Yeah, their goaltender, you know, there's been so much made of his role, I think at times, again, he is in position and we're not, you know, getting enough traffic. And then when you get traffic around him, he finds a way to be pretty acrobatic for the referees, complaining about the traffic, and his mask has come off a couple times because he shakes it off and all this kind of stuff, and it starts to slow down the game when you have momentum and that's a veteran move. But from our perspective we have to continually be strong on the cycle and take pucks to the net and not waiver in that. We've got win more one-on-one battles, also. We did a better job of that tonight, but we didn't do enough of it. JAMEY HORAN: More questions for the coach. Q. You may have answered it already, but just the prospects now obviously with the 2-0 deficit, we just entering must-win stage? COACH CARLYLE: I think you approach it is, as I talked about it earlier, is the momentum is in their favor and we have to find a way to turn that momentum in the other direction, to turn the tide on it. We have worked extremely hard in this hockey game and didn't get any results for it. So our level of commitment has to rise beyond what we did today. And you know, you're not going to win many hockey games scoring one goal and that's what happened in those two games. Q. Randy, you may have again answer this earlier, but what -- how effective was Edmonton in defusing what you were trying to do in terms of crashing the net, more forechecking, this sort of thing? COACH CARLYLE: Well, they've changed their system of playing. Historically, they were always a two-man aggressive. Now they're much more of a one-four in trying to keep four guys above the puck. It's pretty simply, you know, to notice the change that they've put in place. At times they've got four guys above the puck and clogging up the neutral ice. I don't know if you'd call it a trap. It's not a traditional trap. But in our chip-and-support game, we've got to find a way to get that puck into more difficult areas for them to recover the puck and thus take it to the net more often. I thought tonight we are guilty of trying to be to fancy at times. When we had opportunity and people going to the net, we stopped up instead of getting the puck into that critical area and forcing them to play stronger in there. Q. Randy, you had the one seemingly really good power play in the third there where you got a number of chances. But otherwise, is that an area where you would like it see some real improvement in? COACH CARLYLE: Well, obviously when you have opportunities, those are key points when your power play is either bringing momentum for you or taking it away from you. What happens is your frustration level goes up and then the puck starts to bounce away from you and you start to do things that are uncharacteristic. And that's where the lack of execution seems to, you know, grasp your hockey club. What we try to do is just stay the course, settle down, do the things, you know, concentrate on moving the puck, and moving the puck efficiently and effectively into areas. And you know, at times we looked like we had decent puck possession and other times we tried to do too much with it. JAMEY HORAN: Thank you, coach. COACH CARLYLE: You're welcome. JAMEY HORAN: We have Scott Neidermayer here for questions. First question for Scott? Q. Scott, Randy sorted of alluded to it. I mean, you certainly did a lot of things, got a lot of shots. Maybe even got a few more second chance in the first game. But were there times where you guys were maybe trying to do too much with the puck? SCOTT NEIDERMAYER: Yeah. That sometimes happens when you're not scoring. You know, I think today's game was better where we had more chances and we could have scored more. Obvious, their guy played well at net and made some big saves for them. Another game like that and I think we're going to find the back of the net more than we did tonight. JAMEY HORAN: Next question for Scott. Q. You probably in your career have been down two games before a series going on the road. You're obviously confident you can go up there and do what you have to do to get back in the series? SCOTT NEIDERMAYER: Yeah. We just got to look at the next game right now and be ready to play that one. We know it's going to be full energy in that building. The city's excited up there. We're going to go up there and play as hard and as well as we can in two nights and try to get the job done that night. Q. Scott, just a general question. Do you think this deep in the playoffs desire wins and that tenacity and the heart is really the most important thing that comes out at this point in the season? SCOTT NEIDERMAYER: Yeah. I think that's the playoffs period. That's the bottom line. But there's more to it than that. You have to have some confidence with the puck around the net, confidence with each other, but it does come down to desire and doing the little things as well. But there's more to it than that, but that's a huge part of it. JAMEY HORAN: Anything further. Thanks, Scott.
End of FastScripts... |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|