|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: BLACKHAWKS v SHARKSMay 21, 2010Todd McLellanCHICAGO, ILLINOIS: Game Three SCHUYLER BAEHMAN: Questions for Coach McLellan. Q. You've talked before about your disappointment, how deflating that first goal was the last time. Is that anything you can actually coach out of a team or you're at the mercy of the moment to see what happens? COACH McLELLAN: Well, we can address it before it happens. But, you know, we'd like tonight to score first, maybe put them in that situation. But I don't think there's anything magic about it. We've been able to overcome it for the most part, 90, 95% of it throughout the playoffs. Anything that didn't go our way, we seemed to hold our heads up high, put our noses to the grindstone, start working again. The other night it just felt different. We'll have to take the test tonight. I always use that term. We'll take the test tonight, and if we're in that situation again, we expect out group - coaches, players, everybody involved - to respond appropriately and get going. Q. Can you talk about the starts that you've had in this series, if you get off to a good start again, making it count, making them pay. COACH McLELLAN: Well, I think it's real important because both teams play at a high pace and with a lot of energy. The question before was we saw the impact of maybe not scoring first and how it can affect your team. We'd like to have the same start we had in the last two games, but we'd obviously like to find a way to finish. If we can do that, it puts us in more of a driver's seat than the backseat. We'll be looking to do that. Q. A lot has been made of the matchups. Does mixing the lines, if, in fact, that may occur, help negate that a bit? COACH McLELLAN: It potentially can. You know, if we get to that point and we do it, we'll have to monitor it closely. Ultimately it's almost nine players versus nine, then you have your fourth-line guys that have gone out and worked real hard on both teams. Our nine, regardless of who they play against, they have to find a way to make an impact on the game. I thought the Scotty Nichol/Jamie McGinn pairing with whoever they play with, if that's the route we go again, have been effective and worked real hard. We have to get our nine guys producing when given the opportunity. Q. Seems like if you look at the record, they're 3-3 in the playoffs at home, 7-1 on the road. Do you think maybe you can come in here and take advantage of a distraction factor at all? COACH McLELLAN: What we're counting on is Chicago to play their best. That's how we plan. We don't count on or take for granted they have a 3-3 record, they may be distracted. We can't look at it that way. We have to be prepared for their A-plus game. We will be. We've got to go out and play it that way. If, for some reason, they're not, we need to take advantage of it. But we're not looking at it that way. Q. You haven't played here in a while. Anything unique about this building with the anthem and the crowd? COACH McLELLAN: Not necessarily. You know, certainly the energy in the building and the anthem help the Blackhawks. You feel some shivers on the bench when you're the opposition. It can get you going, too. I know some of our players when they first experienced it, they enjoyed playing in that environment, the noise and the excitement. There are some rinks you go to in the league where you've got to find a way to poke yourself, get yourself going. This isn't one of them. Now we're in the semifinals, obviously fighting for the Stanley Cup. If you're not prepared to play in this type of environment, shame on you. Q. Over the last two days your team has seemed very poised and confident. I was wondering what you thought of the mindset? COACH McLELLAN: I like it. I like the fact that our leaders have shown some passion and some emotion over the last couple days. It's certainly needed and wanted. But yet in the locker room, when we have our meetings, they're very attentive. They are under control. So we're doing all the right things. We're saying the right things. It's about now putting it all together and getting out there and competing and looking for the results we need. SCHUYLER BAEHMAN: Thank you very much, coach. COACH McLELLAN: Thank you. End of FastScripts |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|