|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: SHARKS v CANUCKSMay 19, 2011Todd McLellanSAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA: Practice Day THE MODERATOR: Questions. Q. Is it effort, technical stuff? COACH McLELLAN: I think that we have a group of players that can take their intensity level up. I believe that they're more competitive than they're showing right now, that the team is a sum of its parts, and we need more parts to participate at a higher level for us to have a chance at success. Q. (No microphone.) COACH McLELLAN: Plus-minus. I think you have to watch the game. I know you've followed us throughout the year. You've seen the effects that some of these players can have on a game. You haven't seen that in the first two games. I think it's evident from some of them. For us to win one game, that's all we want to do tomorrow, win one game, not the series, they have to step their game up a little bit. Q. (No microphone.) COACH McLELLAN: Not surprising. Sometimes it goes your way, sometimes it doesn't. The other team is out-battling us in areas that we need to be stronger in. Give them credit. Don't take anything away from that team. They're doing what they have to do to be effective. They're doing that at an optimal level. We're doing it, but our level isn't optimal enough. Q. (No microphone.) COACH McLELLAN: Well, composure. Obviously anybody that watched the game last night, we lost our composure. Made far too many trips to the penalty box. That's often a result of frustration. It catches up with you. It was interesting because the game was still 3-2 halfway through the third period basically, 12 minutes left. I thought prior to that we already lost our composure. It wasn't like we lost it when it was 5-2 or 6-2. We lost it at 3-2. That's not the sign of a team that can win a series. That has to get better. There's other areas on the ice. I talked about the play along the boards, the 50/50 pucks. So there's areas there, as well. Q. (No microphone.) COACH McLELLAN: That's a really good point because unless you make it clear and you bring those individuals to the forefront, sometimes it's easy for them to look to the guy next to them and say, Well, must be talking about that guy. It's our job as a coaching staff to address individuals and let them know that, Hey, we are talking about you. That's done. It should be very clear from a staff to a group of players that we need more from them. Q. (No microphone.) COACH McLELLAN: Sometimes it's done as a group, whether it may be a D pair, it could be a line, an individual thing. Sometimes it's done in the locker room in front of their teammates, pure pressure. Everybody responds differently. Certain individuals, it has to be dealt with a certain way. Others, it can be wide open. Q. (No microphone.) COACH McLELLAN: Somebody had mentioned to me that he talked about the hit. Q. (No microphone.) COACH McLELLAN: Well, you know what's interesting with that is that he's right, we were undisciplined in the third period. I'm the first to admit that, and our team has to be a lot better. But, you know, I refer back, we're always watching other games, I think it was a month ago today that Chicago beat them 7-2. There was a lot going on on the ice at that time. Alain decided just to leave it at that. That's what we're choosing to do. Q. (No microphone.) COACH McLELLAN: I thought Ben Eager was one of our better players as far as forecheck, creating scoring opportunities. He had a number of shots on goal. He played with an energy and passion that was required of him. As I said last night, he took penalties that we cannot take. Is he an asset or a liability? He was both last night. We can limit the liability part, we've got one heck of a player. Q. (No microphone.) COACH McLELLAN: I would agree with that assessment. It's very accurate. We felt going in, especially after the first two series, the way we played down the stretch, that the Pavelski, Mitchell, Wellwood line had really contributed to our success, helped us get to this point, and were factors. They haven't played that way the first two games. But with that being said, the Couture line hasn't either. We have two lines that we have to find a way to get going. Jumbo, Patty, Seto for the most part, their line has been competitive, involved in the game. They're playing against the other team's checkers. We've got a group of six forwards there that have to find a way. Logan's game has been good, too. We have a group of six forwards that has to find a way to leave its mark on the game. Q. (No microphone.) COACH McLELLAN: Yeah, when you have three lines, Vancouver is proving that right now, when you have three lines you can trust, put out there, they can play well not only offensively but defensively as well, it's a powerful thing. Our Heatley, Couture and Clowe line has been a tremendous line for us. For as much as the other players have played well, they really contributed to getting us to that point. They haven't been effective enough. They haven't skated well enough. They haven't won enough battles for us to win games in this series. That doesn't mean they won't do it. We're counting on them doing it. Tomorrow will be their opportunity to shine. Q. (No microphone.) COACH McLELLAN: No. What's worrisome is about the way we played in this series, the two games. We can't tie or attach this series to last year's. Chicago played a different game. I thought, in particular, if we want to do that, I thought our first two games against Chicago last year were much better than against our first two games against Vancouver this year. We came out on the losing end of it. I don't think it's fair at all to our team and to the players in the locker room this year to attach it to last year, and I don't think it's fair to Vancouver. They're a different team. They've earned two wins. Full marks for them. Q. (No microphone.) COACH McLELLAN: Can be better. Q. (No microphone.) COACH McLELLAN: Well, if you look at what Devin does well, Devin puts himself in a position to shoot the puck. That's the first thing that he does. He ended up with zero shots on goal last night and a minus three. The second thing that he does well is he skates, he's quick, he hunts pucks, he stays in battles. When he's doing that, he's very effective. He didn't do much of that last night as well. So can be better. Q. (No microphone.) COACH McLELLAN: Potentially. Q. (No microphone.) COACH McLELLAN: It's played a factor. But their mobility and their ability to jump into the rush and create offense is maybe a little underestimated in the league or under-valued. I don't know if many realize how effective they are. The team, Detroit, is the premiere team when it comes to that. The ability to jump in and get going. We seemed to play somewhat effective against them in that area. We can do a better job in that area. Q. (No microphone.) COACH McLELLAN: Get to an opportunity with a different matchup at home, which we'd like to take advantage of. Time and space. I thought Nashville did a better job of limiting time and space, Suter and Weber in particular, so we can be better in that area. Last night they ate us alive on the power-play. They got a lot of their points in that area. We can't put them in that situation for 9:54. Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
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
|