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NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: PENGUINS v RED WINGS

June 2, 2009

Nicklas Lidstrom

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA: Game Three

Pittsburgh Â– 4
Detroit- 2

Q. Malkin is essentially their key. Talk about his two assists on the goals tonight, please?
NICKLAS LIDSTROM: Yeah, he plays real well. He's good with the puck, and if you give him time, it's hard on the power play to give him pressure on it. He's very good with the puck to find the open players. Even finishing, too.

Q. Talk about the shots tonight?
NICKLAS LIDSTROM: I don't think you saw that third one. Looked like he got screened a little bit on the third, on the winning goal.

Q. What do you have to do to stop their power play?
NICKLAS LIDSTROM: I think we have to try to do bigger in the lanes. I thought we were a little too deep. They've got to find openings the way they did. So play the position a little bit better out there.

Q. Did you think this was your best game of the series?
NICKLAS LIDSTROM: At times I thought we were taking the game over especially late in the second period, I thought we were taking it over.
But you still have momentum swings back and forth, you know. The power play worked well for them tonight. They generated a lot of chances and scored a couple of goals on it, too.

Q. How much did you guys capitalize in the second period and really dominate?
NICKLAS LIDSTROM: It could have gave us a lot more confidence coming in here with a 3-2 lead. But they played well in their own zone. And I think we have to continue to play the way we did in that second period.

Q. Considering they haven't called very many penalties in the series, were you surprised of that Ericsson call?
NICKLAS LIDSTROM: I was a little surprised to see that call. It looked like they hit somewhat from behind late in the game in their corner, too. So it was a little bit surprising.

Q. Was fatigue a factor out there for you at all? It looked like it may be.
NICKLAS LIDSTROM: I thought we felt great coming in here in the second. We were carrying the play, but they came out with a good push in the first five minutes. And they gained some momentum in their power play, too. They were having the puck pretty much the whole power play and scored with 30 seconds left on it. So I think they pushed us back on the power play.

Q. Is it tough to gauge what is interference from game to game? You know, as you change cities?
NICKLAS LIDSTROM: I think the first two games they kind of let it go and let us play. Now tonight I think they were a little more picky. You've got to be more careful keeping the stick lower or not interfering with players when they're dumping it in.

Q. What do you have to do now to reestablish yourself and take over the series again?
NICKLAS LIDSTROM: We have to regroup and come back with a strong effort on Thursday. But we had some good moments in this game, but I thought that our special teams was the difference tonight. Their power play really worked well for them.

Q. There were six guys on the ice there, did you see that?
NICKLAS LIDSTROM: I didn't see it, no. And I guess the ref never saw it, either. I never saw it.

Q. As far as the line shifts go, is it like a chess game out there for you guys? It seemed you were out there every other shift.
NICKLAS LIDSTROM: A little bit. Yeah, sometimes you're out there rat the start of the shift, and you get out as quick as possible. You're looking for match-ups. Especially being on on the road. You don't have the advantage of the last change. You've got to be more alert and coming on and off the ice that much quicker.

Q. Did you handle that as well?
NICKLAS LIDSTROM: I thought we did. I thought we handled it well. Sometimes you have to play against a line that maybe you're not supposed to match-up against. I thought we handled it well.

End of FastScripts

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