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NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: PENGUINS v RED WINGSJune 10, 2009Rob ScuderiJordan StaalDETROIT, MICHIGAN: Practice Day Q. For both of you, how do you remain confident going into a building other than an overtime game this year, and Game 5 last year has been fairly horrific for offensively, defensively, pretty much across the board? JORDAN STAAL: I think we've just got to stay confident in our game. Again, you know, every night we know if we play the right way we'll be fine. You know, last night you could tell everyone was comfortable in the room and ready to play. We knew if we played the right way we'd come out on top. We just feel the same way coming into Game 7. Q. Can you address what Dan Bylsma has brought to the team since he joined the group in mid February? And how has he helped you guys get to this point? ROB SCUDERI: I think just Coach Bylsma has brought a new sense of confidence into the room. At the time when they made the switch, things weren't going so well for us. And our confidence wasn't there even though we had a good set of young, core players and it just wasn't there. Sometimes when you bring in just a philosophy it just helps. And I thought it was pretty good from day one. And, obviously, we went to the playoffs and we're here now. JORDAN STAAL: Yeah, I think Dan brings a lot of energy every day. You know, sometimes you don't even think he sleeps at night. When he wakes up in the morning he's ready to go every time. And it's always nice to come to the rink and have him jumping around and excited to go out and play some hockey. So he's always fun to be around with. And he's fun to play for. Obviously, everyone wants to work hard for him. Q. Was there a moment or a game where you finally said you know what, maybe this is going to be okay? Maybe we will make the playoffs? Maybe we have a chance to get back to where we were last year, sort of a defining moment, if there was, during the regular season? ROB SCUDERI: I thought, for me, it was when we went on a five-game road trip. We were in 10th or 11th place. And we went on a five-game road trip. We won the first three, and then we made a couple of trades after that, picked up a couple, picked up Billy and Adams. I thought after that once you saw the team play we had a realistic chance of really turning this around. For me, that was a turning point in the season. JORDAN STAAL: Yeah, I think that was definitely a turning point for myself as well, that road trip. I think we knew coming into it if we didn't have a great road trip it would definitely be difficult to make the playoffs. I think we got every point, pretty much every point possible. So it was a great road trip, and I think that really turned things around. Q. Dan was just talking about a picture he had kept from his Game 7 when he had a chance to play in 2003. I'm wondering, are either of you guys are the sort to keep mementos from your career, and what sort of stuff you're hanging on to from the Stanley Cup? ROB SCUDERI: Well, hopefully a ring, I think, that would be nice. I'm not much of a memento guy myself. You know, I think a picture would be nice, but that's pretty much about it for me. JORDAN STAAL: Yeah, me neither. A ring would be nice, but a few pictures here and there. You know, maybe with my brothers and stuff, or a couple of pictures, but I'm not big on that stuff either. Q. Do you have a favorite Sidney Crosby leadership moment from the Final? ROB SCUDERI: I think the best thing about Sid's leadership recently is he's just doing it on the ice. Some guys are good talkers in the locker room. He does that at times. But I think the best thing that he's done is just played his game. Even last night he didn't have a ton of points, but he played his game, he played our system. Maybe he didn't get a whole lot offensively, but he didn't give up anything defensively. To me, that is the mark of a good leader. I'm sure he wants to make an impact on the game. But at the same time he wants to be a good team player. So for me it's just going out there, playing our system and playing his game. Q. If I'm not mistaken, I think you did have more ice time than Sidney last night. But generally speaking, you probably don't get the amount of ice time commensurate with your abilities. Does it ever -- do you ever think about that? Does it ever bother you that probably on a lot of other teams you'd have a much more prominent role, but on this one, you don't? But you're in a pretty good situation? JORDAN STAAL: We're here, yeah. I obviously wouldn't trade my spot for anything considering the way this team comes together, and the way we play. It's fun to win games. It's fun to go out and play hard with a team that has so much character. It's a lot of fun with the guys in the room as well. So I wouldn't trade my sport for anything. Q. Dan talked about the last shift of the game how you came off and were exhausted and sort of gave him the look like you wanted to go right back out because Zetterberg was out there. Can you talk about that shift, specifically, and how much of a challenge that was for you to go toe-to-toe in a game like that and bite into that? And Rob, can you maybe afterwards address the job Jordan did against a pretty good player? JORDAN STAAL: Yeah, it's obviously a challenge to play against that line. And obviously, I was feeling pretty confident last night that we could get the job done. And at any point any player likes to get out there. I was just looking at the coach to hopefully get the nod to get out there. So I was just excited to go out and play. ROB SCUDERI: We're all confident in Jordan's abilities. He's got a lot of offensive talent. But at the same time he's a very responsible two-way forward. May not be the favorite label that any forward wants, but it's something that you need come this time of year. He added it at both ends of the rink last night, and that was huge for us. Q. Have you talked to your brother at all about the Game 7 experience? Or will you talk to him about it? JORDAN STAAL: Well, he's on the beach somewhere on vacation (laughing), so I haven't called him about a little advice. I watched his Game 7. I think I understand, I think everyone in this room understands the stakes, where we're at. We're just going to go out and play. We're going to play as hard as we can, and we'll go from there. Q. There have been moments certainly in this season, but in the playoffs the past two years where your big two, Sidney and Geno, have sort of taken over games. Is there something you see before a game either in the room or in warm-ups at a morning skate where you kind of get a feeling this is going to be one of those nights? ROB SCUDERI: I don't know. With those guys they're always -- you're not quite sure what's going to happen that night. They're both so skilled and talented that they might, maybe you don't think they're doing much for the first period or period and a half, and all of a sudden they just turn it on for 30 minutes and they're unbelievable. But that's the type of talent and will they have sometimes. They're not the type of guys that settle for, you know, a half-assed effort. They always come out hard and they play well for us and that's why they're leaders. Q. Some of the Red Wings are going for their third, fourth, fifth Stanley Cups especially with the same team. Can you see that happening in this day and age with the free agency and salary Cap? Is it something that is remarkable? ROB SCUDERI: I think it's pretty special. I mean, given the way even our team from the Cup run we had last year, we lost some significant pieces. And that's what happens when you have success. Other teams want a piece of that. And I think it's pretty remarkable what they've done over the past even since whatever, '97 or '98 when they won their first Cup. Ever since then they've been a dominant team. And I think it's pretty special the way they run their organization. End of FastScripts |
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