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NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: LIGHTNING v BRUINS

May 21, 2011

Teddy Purcell

TAMPA, FLORIDA: Game Four

Tampa Bay Â– 5
Boston - 3

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Teddy Purcell and Ryan Malone. Questions.

Q. Teddy, between the first and second period in the locker room, what was it that changed things for you guys?
TEDDY PURCELL: We've been in that situation before and (indiscernible) had to stick with it. And we'll go out in the second period and execute.

Q. What happened really in that first period? You guys fell in that big hole. There were some turnovers and stuff, talk about what happened there.
RYAN MALONE: We gave them their opportunity there and they capitalized on it. We all kind of talked about that. Obviously eliminate their mistakes and stick with the plan. And all year we've been pretty resilient and having kept up with some big goals, and the guys stayed even-keeled, which was very important.

Q. Teddy, take us through your two goals.
TEDDY PURCELL: I was coming off the change on the first one. And Gags and Pugsy did a real good job causing pressure and taking them in. And Gags made a real nice play out to me just kind of faked the shot that he committed to me and just put it on net and Tomas was a little opposition.
And second one was the same shift. We came down and were putting pressure on them. And (indiscernible) made a good pass across the ice. And we had guys at the net in numbers there, and I don't think Tomas saw it. I put it on the net and luckily it went in. So it was a good chip for me and it's one I'll always remember, that's for sure.

Q. Ryan, could you talk about the mindset now going in 2-2 rather than 3-1 obviously back to Boston?
RYAN MALONE: Obviously we didn't want to dig ourselves too deep of a hole. It's now the best of three, and we know nothing's really been accomplished and they're going to be ready and it's going to be a battle here to the end.
We're expecting seven games, and last game when their goalie says he has an easy game, that's our forward's job to make sure we get in there, take his eyes away, and make it hard on him. I thought tonight we did a lot better job of getting bodies in front of him and whacking away at those pucks around his feet.

Q. Teddy, Coach said you raised your game to another level in the Playoffs since the beginning of the first series. How do you feel your game has changed, and is it more of a confidence thing at this point?
TEDDY PURCELL: I think so. I think it's a combination of a couple things. It's confidence and just experience in Playoff hockey. The young guys who haven't played before have asked guys like Bugsy and Vinny and Marty and Kubes and these guys who have been there before what it's like, but until you actually experience it, you don't really know.
The beginning of the Playoffs, Coach said we've got to learn quick and learn what it takes, and I think we're doing a really good job of that. And everyone always knows that people need to step up in the Playoffs and it's a lot of fun to contribute and we have a lot of guys doing that. I think that's what's making us successful right now.

Q. Ryan, we came in a little late. So Simone said it was a calm discussion after the first period. But when you go down 3-0, are you thinking in that intermission: Let's make it 3-1? Is 3-3 even in your mind at that point?
RYAN MALONE: No, not at all. I think first we knew we had to kill off a penalty and then you can't think you gotta score three goals and we know we're not going to score three goals in one shift. So it's one at a time. And we knew we had 40 minutes left with lots of game left.
And like I said, we have a resilient bunch of guys here that we're going to play to that final buzzer, and tonight we got a couple of bounces that everyone -- you know, top to bottom, later on in the line, once again, and that's what we needed to know for us to maybe come in there and shut the door, I think it's great for him. He's been working hard, and he's a great guy and good things happen to good people.

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