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NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: LIGHTNING v BRUINS

May 19, 2011

Guy Boucher

TAMPA, FLORIDA: Game Three

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. What's the biggest difference coaching in the NHL Playoffs to NHL, maybe there aren't any, but what's the difference you have?
COACH BOUCHER: I didn't really think about it, to be honest with you. Maybe I should. I guess what's similar is the fact that every day is a very intense day where you've got to find solutions and you're playing against the same teams all the time, and it becomes a battle of details and I don't think that's any different from any league.
I mean, basically from one league to another, players are better. Coaches are better. And you gotta be better. But in the end, the same kind of feeling. It's a do or die every game.

Q. Dana Tyrell skated without a red jersey. Any update on him? And also anything new on Kubina?
COACH BOUCHER: Kubina won't be playing today and Tyrell is ready to go, so we'll make a decision after the warm-up.

Q. (Indiscernible)?
COACH BOUCHER: No, Kubina (indiscernible) we're going to wait.

Q. Talk about the role that Dwayne Roloson plays in your offense, having him back there, the way plays, how well he's been, how good he's been, what that does for your offense, the attack?
COACH BOUCHER: Roloson?

Q. Roloson, having him back there, the way he's played throughout the Playoffs and throughout the year, what that does for your offense.
COACH BOUCHER: For the offense?

Q. Yes.
COACH BOUCHER: I was hoping for the defense it would make a difference, but for our offense, to be honest with you, he's not a guy that's going to overhandle the puck much, so we're not waiting for him to transition the puck. And obviously when you feel secure about your goaltender, it has a tendency to help you be confident about your offense.
But having said that, last game was the game we had the most chances the entire year. And it didn't help us. Our defense is what we needed to focus on last game. And in both games we scored five goals.
But it's one we didn't win. Obviously it's because we didn't play as well defensively. We gave away rushes. And so I think our focus has to be defense first like it always has been when we have success.
We know if we have success defensively, we've given ourselves a much better chance. Very good team on the other side, and they can scores some goals. So if you give them break-aways and two-on-ones and three-on-twos, it's certainly going to help them and gain momentum and the way we gave the puck back from our zone last game, having the puck on our stick and turning it over, we created a lot of offensive zone time for themselves which I feel we certainly could do better at.

Q. How extensive was the discussion about pulling Roloson the other night? Was there a lot of back and forth or was it something that you knew?
COACH BOUCHER: Well, I knew what my feeling was. But you need to respect the player, too. You need to make sure you do the right thing. I think if you leave him in, when you take him out (indiscernible) goal, you know, people in the stands probably screaming at him. I don't think that would be right. It wouldn't be respecting him.
I know he wanted to stay to battle, but he also understood that by changing something it might change the outcome of the game. And it almost worked.
He's the first guy to want what the team needs at that point. So we certainly didn't lose confidence in Roloson. We left him alone with break-aways and two-on-ones and stuff. It was just about respecting him and trying to see how we can turn this game around, because we were getting a lot of chances, but it just wasn't turning our way.
So giving a different look. Seguin had played outstanding for us since December 15th. He's been a .940 average. So we knew he would be going in there playing well.

Q. In the few games you've actually pulled him this season, what characteristics did you see in him the following game that you expect to see in tonight's game from him?
COACH BOUCHER: Calmness. For him, he's built some mental tools over the years that some young guys don't have. And that is for him it's all about a 12-hour thing. Beyond 12 hours, you can't even talk to him about it because it doesn't exist.
And it's a great mental tool that takes a long time. And it takes a mature man to be about that. So that's where he is right now.

Q. So much is talked about of that second period in Game 2. When you look at it, you won five of the six periods played so far in this series. Is that lost in the translation here?
COACH BOUCHER: Not for us. Not for us. But it seems for a lot of people it is. You know, we lost a game in Boston. If you were to tell us that before going there we would win one of the two, I think anybody would have taken it, but now since that's the last game we've played, it's the weird thing. If you lose the first one, win the second one against Pittsburgh - that's how it was. We lost the first one, won the second one, everything was great coming back home and people say we've got momentum. We lost the two after that.
So I think that losing that game certainly puts us in a position to look at the details that can make the difference. But it certainly didn't put us in a place where we don't feel confident, obviously. It's the game where we had the most scoring chances in the entire year, the regular season and Playoffs. So we know offensively we did some good stuff, but I think we wanted it too much offensively, and obviously five on three in the first period for me killed us more than anything.
You've got a team that's coming off hard. You give them the puck a few times at turnovers and get a five on three, it has a tendency to hurt you. Even then it was 2-1 after one. Martin St. Louis with a break-away could have made it 3-1 right off the bat.
So I think the idea was we were a little too eager in the second period to put the game away at 2-1. And that's not us. When we act like that, we're never any good. So we reloaded for the third period; it was a little too late.

Q. You talked about obviously the series are games of adjustments for both teams. How much goes into anticipating what Boston's going to do or teams are going to do to adjust here? Is that a dangerous area that you go into? Do you try to fight an anticipation game?
COACH BOUCHER: You always want to anticipate. But what the danger is spending all your time anticipating and not focusing on what your team is supposed to do and what they've been doing all year up to the Playoffs. That's what we did for the third period in Boston, we didn't add on stuff. We made sure we did and focused on the things that made us successful for so long and make sure we do that today rather than just focus on who is playing on the other side, are they going to change the forecheck, do something in the power play. They've had some success, doing some things the last game. We want to be able to defend that.
But beyond that you gotta watch out. Over the years (indiscernible) I always want to plan everything, and that wasn't so good. So hopefully I've learned.

Q. I was wondering what you guys - what you thought of how you played Seguin in the third period and what you need to do going forward tonight as he's obviously a player you know a great deal about and have scouted him, but just wondering where you think the priority needs to be defensively with him?
COACH BOUCHER: Well, the first two games it's clear. I think the players and everybody underestimated his speed. And that's the main thing. His speed is obviously a weapon for him and for his team. And being a young guy, having success right away, certainly takes a lot of nervousness away. And for us we know that he's going to be on the ice. We have to be able keep on him.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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