NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: AVALANCHE v RED WINGS

May 17, 2002

Chris Drury

Adam Foote

Peter Forsberg

Mike Keane

PETER FORSBERG: No, you know, it's tough in the beginning coming back. I guess I'm doing many defensive things wrong. But other than that, I think it's getting better and better.

PETER FORSBERG: My hand is good.

ADAM FOOTE: Well, I think there is a lot of good players. Both teams are well balanced, and I don't know if the /PHAE will make it into that but we can't think about that as players. We have to be ready and go out and do our jobs.

ADAM FOOTE: There is two teams trying to get to the final, and two great teams. And over the years we have had playoff series and battles. You know, the main thing is getting to where we both want to go and we have to go through each other. And, you know, I think you said it: There has been a lot of new faces. And I don't think we can think of it as a rivalry and get distracted. I think we have to be focused on our job and not worry about what has happened in the past as a group.

ADAM FOOTE: I don't know, that's a big word. That's a strong word. Again, I don't think we can lose focus and get involved in things like that off the ice. I don't think -- that's a big distraction. I don't think we should get involved in that.

PETER FORSBERG: Of course I was hoping to come back in January. So, I mean, coming this far, and now we're here in Detroit playing the Conference Final, you know, it's on the way. I mean, of course, you dream about playing in the Stanley Cup Finals and winning the Cup. And this is part of the way. Of course it's been good. It is been a good run so far in the playoffs. But it's a long way to go.

PETER FORSBERG: Well, I don't know. Of course I had a few injuries throughout my career, but I think it's the way, you know, hockey is played nowadays. You have to play physical every game and every shift. You can't take a shift off. And you go out and play as hard as you can. If injury happens, it happens. You can't go out and think about it at all. You have to go out and do your best. That's what I'm trying to do every shift, game out and game in.

CHRIS DRURY: Well, I think certainly I'm aware of who they have in their lineup. When the puck drops you play to win and you compete, no matter who it is.

MIKE KEANE: They're very solid, get the job done, they're they intense, very disciplined. They've all played a long time. Fischer and Cheli had to take him under his arm I guess and tell him to play very hard. We know what they have to do. They're going to play lots of minutes so we have to get in there and make sure they don't do things they normally do that's get time to go make plays and be physical. It should be fun.

MIKE KEANE: I'm keeping my yap shut. I think everyone knows we match up very well. There is obviously great goaltending, sold defense, both very well coached, so, you know, with the last series I think it comes down to special teams, lucky bounce here and there. I think a lot of people wouldn't say it but this is the matchup a lot of people wanted this is a real fun time to play hockey.

ADAM FOOTE: I think they're very similar. They're both leaders on their teams and both players that came into the league and were power offensive players. In order to win, they both added defense to their game and they play all over the ice and compete every night and that's where they're very similar. If he wants to get down to analyze it, they're different scorers and things like that, but I think overall they're similar players. They've had similar careers and they do what it takes to win.

ADAM FOOTE: I'm not a goal scorer so I don't have to worry about it too much I think. You have to respect it. You look at tape. You have to get traffic in front of them. You see weird goals come in. You would see what a goalie would call a bad bounce. It's like any goalie, you have to take that approach. I don't think you can play mind games with yourself as an scorer as a team and get it in your head that you can't score on a guy like that. You have to keep it simple and worry about what you do and see what happens.