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NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: OILERS v HURRICANESJune 7, 2006Jussi MarkkanenMichael PecaRALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA: Game Two Q. (Inaudible). MICHAEL PECA: I just think we're becoming too impatient in our game. We're getting caught into the river game that they like to play and be successful at. That's not our way and it opens us up to become vulnerable, that's when they pick us apart. Q. Blocking so much shots in the first period is that frustrating? MICHAEL PECA: That's always frustrating as a team when you're getting open looks and the other team is blocking shots. And we have been on the other end of that. You know, it affects positively when your team is blocking those shots. We have got to find a better way. We had a lot of guys that were open off the side that we have got to do a better job of getting our head up, looking where they're open, because as a goalie he comes way -- they got two or three guys that are trying to block shots at the same time. We have guys that are open, we have just got to get our heads up and look for them. Q. Considering the effort, how disappointing is this? MICHAEL PECA: It's disappointing. I am not going to kid you about that. You know what, you are supposed to win your home games. I guess that's why they have earned the home-ice advantage. And we have been in this situation before and we're not particularly interested in historical percentages on, you know, what the stats are being down two. We're the only ones to have been in this spot so (inaudible), we're going to leave the baggage in the locker room and get prepared the next two days for a home game. Q. Tough situation for Jussi coming in and do you feel like maybe it was a little tougher on him than it needed to be? MICHAEL PECA: We kind of abandoned him when we continued to take penalties, you know, the last thing you want to do is to continue to give a team more opportunities to try and score on a guy who hasn't played in four months, but we did that and, you know, but at the same time he made a lot of saves for us. Hopefully I can draw confidence from that. Q. The play seems like even, it goes back -- is it execution, is it in the details -- (inaudible)? MICHAEL PECA: It may be a little lack of execution on our part as well. When we get pucks in and we do the things, we're getting chances. We'd like to get the pucks in when we get those chances. Like I said we're coming out of that at times and getting involved in this trading, rushing chances and we can't do that. We have got to play -- we don't have to feel like we have to win 4-3 or 5-4. We can go in and play a solid defensive game and win 1-0, 2-1. Q. (Inaudible). MICHAEL PECA: I think it was frustrating. I think equally frustrating coming out of Game 1 when we had the extended 5-on-3 and 4-on-3 and couldn't get a goal. To their credit, they are doing a great job in those situations and we got to get our power play to, you know, get it going for us and help us build some momentum. I don't like to feel that we need our power play to get goals to win these hockey games. We have got to do a better job 5-on-5. Q. Did this team feel different going into this game -- (inaudible)? MICHAEL PECA: I will be honest with you, not one guy appeared to change his mindset or change anything that he was planning on doing. I mean when I prepare for game, I am not, you know, I don't really remember who was starting as goalie, to be honest with you. And okay, Jussi is starting, you know, we're more focused on wanting to play our team game and in that it is playing responsible defense, supporting our defense, supporting our goaltenders in units of five, regardless of really who is in net. Q. What about the penalty, problem how do you explain that? MICHAEL PECA: That's inexcusable. I think the second period there's no reason for us to take as many penalties as we did. In times like this when they have got a very good power play, it's going to hurt you and it did, in the third period when we're trying to continue to be physical, we can't do it in an irresponsible way and to continue to give up penalties because, one, we're making ourselves look bad, and two, we're leaving our goalie out to dry and we have got to do a better job of that. Q. Does this prepare you for another 0-2 deficit? MICHAEL PECA: I don't know, it is what it is. They won their two homes. Now our goal is to go back and win Game 3 at home and hopefully springboard from that. Like I said, we are the only eight seed to be in this situation, so really history doesn't mean a whole lot to us, what you can or cannot do in certain situations. We're feeling pretty good about going back home. Q. Going into the third 2-0, and you know, with it being with just over two seconds left (inaudible)? MICHAEL PECA: You know, it was a little deflating without question, but you know, we have -- you know, I think we learned a little bit about what we need to do and what we can't do in the first two games. We have got to recapture the little things in our game that are missing. Q. (Inaudible). JUSSI MARKKANEN: A lot of penalties and they capitalized on their chances. Q. How did you feel about your night? You seemed fairly comfortable, how would you size it up? JUSSI MARKKANEN: I felt fine. I felt good from the first minute and had a couple of saves, and felt good. Obviously, you know, didn't work out very well, but like I said I felt good. Q. Seemed like a lot of weird goals, high bounces, off skates, maybe you couldn't do much about them? JUSSI MARKKANEN: Yeah, you know, it's a funny thing when you kind of feel that you see the puck well and kind of play good, but in the end you still giving up five goals and you lose a game. So there's some place for improvement definitely, but at the same time, like I said, I felt good, I will build on that. Q. How do you think you will feel next game more comfortable? JUSSI MARKKANEN: I felt pretty comfortable from the first minute, from the warmup, and well, like I said, I definitely want to build from here and feel that I am able to play and I am able to help the team win. Q. A lot of guys in here have been saying that they feel a little bad, like they left you hanging out to dry a little bit tonight. JUSSI MARKKANEN: Well, of course we took a lot of penalties, but it's part of the game, a game that sometimes they got a lot of chances and you got to be there for making those saves. Q. Craig said once he made the decision to go with you, you are going to go all the way. Does it give you the feeling that you can ride this out a bit? JUSSI MARKKANEN: That's what he said? Q. Yes. JUSSI MARKKANEN: That's news for me, but obviously, I just try to focus for Game 3, just get this over with, and like I said, I felt pretty comfortable, and hopefully when we play good, bounces start to go our way too. Q. How much are you looking forward to go home? JUSSI MARKKANEN: It's going to be real exciting, have a couple of days to get our game together and be ready on Saturday. Q. (Inaudible). JUSSI MARKKANEN: There's nothing I can do about it. I just focus and try to get ready for the next shift and something happens, happens. But like I said, I was very confident out there. Q. Did you watch Ward at the other end very much? JUSSI MARKKANEN: Always you see the other goalie. I obviously didn't look that much, but well it's a shutout, so he played pretty good and when it was 2-0 in the second we had a couple of really good chances and we couldn't capitalize. I think that was the difference tonight. Q. You have two days instead of one to gather your thoughts before the first home game. JUSSI MARKKANEN: I was really well rested for this one, so I don't think I am tired. (LAUGHTER). I don't think that's a problem for me. Q. You have played one playoff game. There had to be a moment tonight where it hit you -- (inaudible)? JUSSI MARKKANEN: Obviously it was a big thing for me, for sure, and it will be in the next few games, too, but at the same time, you got to -- you can't play if you don't give yourself a chance to be good out there, and I felt that's what I did. I enjoy it, and we'll see how it goes on Saturday.
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