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NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: PENGUINS v RED WINGSJune 1, 2009Matt CookeSergei GoncharChris KunitzPITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA: Practice Day Q. How frustrated is it for you guys to know you're so much better than you were a year ago, yet you're in the exact same situation down 2-0 in the series? How do you handle that? SERGEI GONCHAR: You know, I don't think we should be frustrated. I don't think we are frustrated because the series is not over. We're playing better, we're having chances and the series is not over. Going into this series, we knew it's not going to be easy. We're playing against a great team. And we knew it was going to be tough. So the series is not over, and that's why we're not frustrated and we keep playing and doing the same thing. Q. Chris, can you talk about your line against Zetterberg? Can you talk about how it's going with your line against Zetterberg, how you feel the play has been through the first two games and if you guys are comfortable against that line? CHRIS KUNITZ: I think we've had our chances to score. We've had more in the second game than the first game. But they're good players, they're big bodies. They go to the net hard. They're good on face-offs and scrums up around the face-off circles. That's something we have to work at a little bit better. But I think it's been a fairly good match-up so far. But we definitely want to be on the score sheet a little bit more, and producing and helping out and getting a win. Q. Matt and Chris, you guys were in the same position against the Capitals. What did you guys learn from that series that you can apply to tomorrow and Thursday? MATT COOKE: I think it feels a lot like the same as Washington. We feel like we should at least have deserved a split, but that's not the situation we've been given. And we know that if we continue to play the right way and get to the areas that we need to, that eventually, you know, those posts are going to turn into goals and we're going to come out on the winning side of things. Q. Matt, the third and fourth liners are role players on Detroit are contributing to this series offensively at this point. With that being the case and it being so tight, as one of those guys and part of those lines is the pressure on you guys to try to come up with something and contribute in the same way and not just rely on the other guys? MATT COOKE: Yeah, I mean, you always want to chip in as much as you can. And sometimes it doesn't always mean on the score sheet, but mainly killing penalties and creating momentum for your team. Having the line out there and getting the fresh bodies out so that they can get the goal. But obviously, playing with Jordan and TK, and we want to help out offensively. We've been able to chip in here throughout the playoffs. Of the more we can do so, then the better chance we have of winning. Q. Sergei, Marc-Andre's acknowledged after the first two games that he hasn't been at his best. We had the third goal back last night. Is there anything that you say to him in terms of trying to maintain his confidence? What are your thoughts on that at this stage of the series? SERGEI GONCHAR: You know, Marc played great for us through the year, and he proved himself last year through the playoffs. We all believe in him so we don't have to say too much. Obviously we tried to cheer him up a bit, but I don't think we have to do much. He proved himself as a good goalie. And I do believe he's going to do a good job tomorrow. Q. You played in the Western Conference before, have you seen Detroit's game evolve over the years? They've always been a good skilled team, but it seems like the last two or three years, they've added that grit and they've become a better checking team. Have you seen that in your time in the Western Conference? CHRIS KUNITZ: I think so. They play the puck possession game, but they battle hard, for pucks on sticks. They're not the most they're really strong on the sticks. And they have a bunch of young guys that maybe they hadn't had before. They've played more of a skilled game. But they're definitely a good team, they're well rounded and they proved that in the first two games. Q. What needs to be done versus Osgood right now? I know at the end of the game there was a little pushing around him. But what really needs to be done? CHRIS KUNITZ: I think we need to put more pucks there but more bodies. It's the same thing with most goalies. If they can seat first one, they can get the rebounds. We had a few pucks laying around him last game. I don't know. We just couldn't get our sticks on them to bang them in the net. But the second and third chances we need to be closer to the net, we can't be shooting and hoping pucks squeak through and get in. We have to make sure they find the back of the net. So we have to get there quicker. We have to be able to get off our checks one-on-one and get to the net and bang those. And just better quality scoring chances when we get the opportunity, we've got to score. Q. How are you guys dealing with Detroit's trap defense and the interference that comes along with the neutral zone? MATT COOKE: I mean, just from my standpoint a lot of times we're caught. They have four guys standing within the red and blue line quite often with one defenseman back inside their zone ready to retrieve pucks. I think that for us the sooner we commit to chipping the puck in and going to get it, that gives them less -- they're not as close. It gives them less time to close on us. And they can't finish the check because if they do, it's interference, and we feel that give is us our best chance to get the puck back as if we put it in the area in deep sooner. Q. If you didn't know anything about these two teams or were just watching it on television, you'd say that at the end of the first game, Sidney was very frustrated and at the end of the second game, Geno was very frustrated, what do you guys say to them? I mean they're your two top players and they have to keep their emotions in check? SERGEI GONCHAR: I think you'd say that they're both really emotionally attached to the series. They both are dedicated to winning and helping our team win. They go out there every night and do the best they can. Yeah, I'm sure there's maybe a little bit of frustration that sets in, but I think it's just the emotion of the game. Wanting to do better and, you know, wanting us to win. Being able to get the first win on the board so it doesn't feel like we're in such a big hole, but I think being at home with different match-ups and different lineup, it will make everything a little bit easier, and maybe roll that momentum forward for us. End of FastScripts |
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