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NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: BRUINS v CANUCKS

June 6, 2011

Claude Julien

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS: Game Three

\ THE MODERATOR: Questions for Coach Julien.

Q. Claude, do forwards need to get more licks on their defensemen in order to make breaking out the puck more uncomfortable? Against Tampa, end of the series, their D men really didn't want to go back there and get it after a while. Can you do that in this series, too?
COACH JULIEN: I think we can do it. I think we have to. I think what you're alluding to is playing more of our game, that's basically what we've been talking about now for the last couple of days. We certainly don't feel like we've played to the level that we can. That has to improve.
Better puck management, as you've heard me say now for three days in a row, is about putting pucks in the right place and creating that forecheck that we want to get. It's also staying away from those turnovers. That's a big part of the game.
If you can manage that part of it, a lot of the part that you like about your game will come back, so...
I agree with you.

Q. The biting incidents have taken on lives of their own. I want to talk to you more about Max Lapierre taunting with the finger. What do you think it says about sportsmanship or lack of sportsmanship?
COACH JULIEN: I can't really talk about their team. I'm going to talk about mine because I don't handle those players. I don't deal with those players on a one-on-one basis. It really isn't up to me to I guess comment on it. If it's acceptable for them, then so be it. Certainly wouldn't be acceptable on our end of it. I think you know me enough to know that. Not much I can say on that.
The NHL rules on something. They decide to make a mockery of it, that's totally up to them. If that's their way of handling things, so be it. Again, we can't waste our time on that kind of stuff. We really have to focus on what we have to do. The last time I looked, we're down two games to none, and all our energy has to go towards that.

Q. You've been through this so many times with your hockey team, the collective mood of the team this morning as they get ready for the challenge of tonight?
COACH JULIEN: If you had a chance to go in the dressing room, you noticed that those guys are in pretty good spirits. I think, like you said, we've been through it. You always have to find the bright side of things.
The bright side of things is we're down to two teams, we're one of the two, and we're fortunate and happy to be here. For us to look at it any differently, and then to come today hanging our heads is ridiculous.
There's a lot of time to get back in this series. We believe in it. The only thing left is to go out there and show it. That's what we're getting ready for, is a big tilt tonight that we think is an important game for us and will hopefully turn this series around.

Q. Now that you're back at home, kind of going through your regular routine, does that help that you have the morning skate, guys can go about their regular routine?
COACH JULIEN: Well, you hope so. At the same time I think after traveling the way we traveled yesterday, it's important to have that morning skate, loosen up a little bit. The game is not till 8:00 tonight. It gives our guys some time to get some rest and hopefully be ready for tonight's game.
It's always nice to be home. You got your fans behind you. That's an advantage obviously to the home team. We expect to use that to our advantage.

Q. Claude, your fans are very loud, supportive. When things don't go well for your team, they have a tendency to get on your team. Can that be intimidating or force your players to perhaps get out of their game?
COACH JULIEN: Well, I guess somehow we seem to want to look at the negative side of things. I think it's a very positive thing to be at home. We have an opportunity to make it positive by having a good start, giving them a reason to cheer.
I heard some boos in Vancouver the other night in Vancouver when we started taking the game over. I don't think Vancouver fans are much different.
I mean, if we're going to kind of compare, all buildings are the same. They expect their teams to do well. No different here. High expectations, just like there is in Vancouver.
If you want your fans cheering for you, you give them a reason to cheer. That's what we need to do.

Q. Where would you judge the emotion level of your team right now after two games in terms of confidence? Is it even keel still?
COACH JULIEN: We're very even keel. Again, you ask your team not to get too high when things are going extremely well and not too low when there's challenges. There's something we've been doing through the playoffs. It's helped us through some tough times and it's certainly helped us succeed in times when things are going well.

Q. Have you contemplated any lineup changes for tonight?
COACH JULIEN: You're going to see 23 guys out there on the ice today and we'll make some decisions after warmup (smiling).

Q. Did Vancouver present a different defensive game the other night, particularly along the boards, forcing you to go up the middle?
COACH JULIEN: Well, I think what they showed us, I think they showed us in the same two games. I think we need to get better, like I said, in the decisions we make with the puck in the neutral zone, find those areas where we should be moving it. A lot of times we moved it in areas where our guys covered and there's a turnover. They were really good on the counterattack. A lot of it is about making the right decision through the neutral zone.
I don't think they've changed their game at all. Anybody who has seen them play all year, seen them play against us in the first two games, they're doing the same thing. They're very aggressive in the neutral zone. Even on the draws, they send two guys to our D.
It's not an easy thing to get through, but we're certainly going to find the solutions and hopefully you're going to see those tonight.

Q. Their fourth line made the most of their minutes in Game 2. What would you like to see your fourth line do to counter that?
COACH JULIEN: You've seen them kill mostly penalties. The fourth lines haven't been utilized that much on the five-on-five situations. I know now they've got Malhotra back, they seem to want to use him a little bit more, which is probably the right thing to do.
But we feel our fourth line that we have is certainly capable of matching that. Again, they're throwing their body around. We need to throw our body around, as well, finish our checks like we've done all years. Again, this is a seven-game series. We all know that eventually it takes its toll. I don't think they have a different mindset than we do because they're being as physical as we are, as well.

Q. Do you guys work with any kind of fatigue company, military sleep experts to plan your travel and your rest for your guys?
COACH JULIEN: I would say not like Vancouver does, because obviously they've got a really tough travel during the regular season. We know they deal with that.
We don't during the regular season because we don't go out of our time zone much. But we certainly have done our research here in these playoffs. That's an important thing that we had to do here in making sure our guys are as well-rested as possible.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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