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NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: LIGHTNING v BRUINS

May 24, 2011

Claude Julien

TAMPA, FLORIDA: Practice Day

Q. Any update on Boychuk?
COACH JULIEN: No, nothing's changed. Everything's fine.

Q. I'm guessing you want your team to come out of the gates a little faster in Game 6. It was a victory, but (indiscernible) in there quite a bit. Is there something more you want to see from your team?
COACH JULIEN: We've been accustomed to having decent starts. And I think the last game wasn't one of those. We were still able to hang on and eventually give ourselves a lead. But I think we know we can play better than we did last night. And that's the positive that you can take out of a win, knowing that we're a team that plays better than what we showed.
So we're going to need that kind of effort tomorrow if we plan on winning the hockey game, because they're going to play with desperation. They're a good team. We've said that all along. They're a dangerous team. Offensively they create a lot of opportunities, even if you play well defensively, they're going to find ways. So we have to be on top of our game tomorrow.

Q. With that said, you said you didn't want to get to a Game 7. What did you mean by that and that mindset?
COACH JULIEN: Because you want to have a mindset of winning Game 6. We talked about don't think ahead and don't think of the past. We need to think of the present. Tomorrow is an opportunity to come out and play the best game we can, and it's as simple as that.

Q. When you were following, or maybe you didn't, Lightning, whether they were going with Roli or (indiscernible), do you pay attention to that or do you care what they're going to do?
COACH JULIEN: No, it didn't really matter to us. We were prepared for either/or. We've done our scouting reports and everything on everyone before the series even starts.
And we didn't really care. That's something that is up to them. That's their choice. We just have to be ready to play. Whoever is in the net, hopefully we've got the right I guess scouting report on him, and we can take advantage of those areas.
And we were prepared for either/or.

Q. Two-part question. What do you look like the penalty kill (indiscernible) in the series and can you talk about that?
COACH JULIEN: Heading into the series, we knew that they had an advantage, and that was the part of the penalty kill was very good, special teams was certainly given an edge, a good edge to Tampa's team.
And we knew it had to be better in regards to both. And although our power play has scored but hasn't been the best, we've been able, with our penalty kill, to neutralize theirs to a certain extent as well.
And right now, between the two teams, you know, the special teams P.K. and P.P. are about the same. So that's something that we've managed to do that was important for us. Because had we not done that, I think the series might be in a different place right now.
As far as Dan Paille is concerned, I think he's done a great job penalty killing. He's a guy that has a lot of energy, forechecks well, puts a lot of pressure on the other team, especially up the ice. He's done a great job of that. So this is where he's always excelled and this is what we needed from him. He's played just great in regards to that, and he's been a real important player for us as far as our penalty kill success is concerned.

Q. How does a guy like that, the minute he's on the ice, not (indiscernible), how does he keep himself going and have that energy? Is it just the...
COACH JULIEN: It's focus. It's focus. Guys understand they all have roles to play. If it's five, six, seven minutes a game, those are important minutes and players realize that. And whether you play six minutes and then most of it's P.K., if you've shut down other team's power play, you've done a great job for your hockey club. You might have guys played 16 minutes and not done as much as you have in five because of circumstances.
So I think they understand that they're just as important as anybody else, and then we let them know they are.

Q. So that last one, sent out Bergeron, Kaberle and Kelly, the three centermen, just how comfortable is it for you as a coach to have three guys like that?
COACH JULIEN: I think you're right. One thing I wanted to do, I didn't know if there would be an icing, which side the faceoff would be on.
We had two right centermens and the left, and I thought that was important. But at the same time, even more importantly was the fact that those guys have good speed. They were really, really good at putting pressure on Tampa so that they couldn't get themselves going and getting in our own end as quick as they would have liked to.
And I thought they did a great job at even the interchange for the neutral zone, when the one guy forechecked and moved to the other side, they did a great job of interchanging. And we kept the pressure on those guys. So I really liked the job they did at the end. I thought that was really important for us.

Q. How important is it for you guys not to fall into this trap of relying too much on Timmy, especially after a game like last night and how would you assess how you guys played in front of Timmy?
COACH JULIEN: You don't want to rely on your goaltender. He's an important part of our team, and it's nice to be able to rely on him, but you don't want to go into the game relying on him.
You want to do your job. And there's going to be some games, like we said yesterday, that what's important is a win is about finding a way. And you fall down 1-0 in the first two minutes of the game, and, you know, it's a team that usually shuts other teams out pretty good.
We stayed the course. We weren't our best, but we stayed the course, and we found a way to get back into the game.
You have to credit our guys for doing that. I thought as the game went on, we got a little bit better. Even the second half of the third period, first half, you had a couple of real good chances. But we did a decent job at taking away some of their desperation and then having some of our chances ourselves.
So I don't think it's a matter of relying on him. But it's also nice to know that he's a very reliable goaltender. Now it's up to us to pick up the slack a little bit. And I think after last night we knew, even after the win that, we were a team capable of playing better. And when you win a hockey game, and you know we can play better, I think that's a positive.

Q. You said not wanting to rely on him, but when he has one of those vintage performances, do you think that spearheads the effort of the team as well?
COACH JULIEN: Sure it does. Sure it does. And just have to look back at every year at the Playoffs, teams that have had success have been able to rely on very good goaltenders.
We're in Tampa right now. The year Tampa Bay won, had it not been for Khabibulin, I'm not sure they would have had a Stanley Cup, because he stood on his head in a lot of games. They were a good team. But Khabibulin was a great goaltender for them. Those are things that in the Playoffs.
You want to give them credit, but at the end of the day it's a team thing. When you've got a hot goaltender, it just makes you that much better.

Q. Going into Game 6, knowing what you were able to accomplish in the first two rounds against those opponents, is it an encouraging sign for you knowing that your team has done those things going into tomorrow night?
COACH JULIEN: Well, it's good that we've done it. But then I've got to go back to what I've been preaching all along is you don't want to rely on the past. You want to do what you have to do tomorrow in the present. But knowing that you've done it before is something that can certainly give you some confidence.
But we still have to be able to repeat it. If you rely on the past, it's not going to take you too far. But if you're willing to do it, and then tomorrow we need to be a team willing to do it, we're going to be fine.

Q. I'm sure you looked at the tape of last night's game, talked over everything you need to. I'm wondering, in hindsight based on what you've seen about the power play (indiscernible), if you use that again?
COACH JULIEN: It's always a will-see kind of an answer. But I liked what he did in front of the net. He's a big body, a big presence. And seems that when he's in front of the net the guys don't hesitate to shoot either, because they know he's there.
But you gotta be able to get control of the puck. Gotta be able to move it around. Gotta be able to bring it to those shooting areas, because if you don't do that, it doesn't matter if he's in front or not, it's not going to change much.
But the guys that were out there managed to get control of the puck and managed to get a couple of quality shots. And I thought he did a great job in front.

Q. (Indiscernible) in the postseason?
COACH JULIEN: Well, as I've often mentioned, I think that was the goal, when we got those guys, that we would have some depth as far as faceoffs and centermens and guys that can also play the wing.
We said that all along. We really felt that that kind of hurt us last year when we ran into some key injuries. We didn't have the depth that we wanted up the middle. And those guys sometimes are hard to find.
But they've given us that. And it's certainly made it a lot easier because both seem to have their turn as far as being hot in the faceoff circle, and we've been able to utilize them in those areas. And obviously Bergie being as reliable as he can be, he's given that much more strength in the faceoff circle.

Q. Are the fans going to see you at the Patriots game waving the flag?
COACH JULIEN: Been there before. A few more people to go through, though.

Q. I know I asked you this a couple of series ago. But has Belichick reached out to you at all during this, the last two games?
COACH JULIEN: I think what he's done is reached out to us by doing what he's done. I think coaches understand -- and I would be the same way -- I would never dare call him or any of those guys when they're in the Playoffs.
But I'd certainly be there to show my support, which I did the Patriots when it was time and I've done it for the Red Sox. I've been there a few times. And I'm a big fan of those Boston teams, the Celtics included. And I think it's about showing support.
You don't need to necessarily talk unless somebody really needs to talk to you. And I think if I reached out to him myself, he'd be more than happy to talk to me.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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