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NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: BRUINS v CANUCKS

June 6, 2011

Alain Vigneault

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS: Game Three

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. I asked Coach Julien for his thoughts of Max Lapierre sticking his fingers in the face of Patrice Bergeron and taunting him. He said that kind of thing wouldn't be accepted around here, meaning Boston. I'm wondering if you're condoning it?
COACH VIGNEAULT: If that happened in between whistles, I didn't see it. I focus on the play that's going on between whistles, so I can't really comment on that.

Q. Your team obviously has had success throughout the season rolling four lines. At this stage I'm sure all the players want a lot of playing time. How do you balance that, deciding to roll four lines?
COACH VIGNEAULT: Well, in the first game of these playoffs, we had eight days in between games. I played a shorter bench 'cause our guys were obviously fresh. In the second game, we tried to play a little bit more four lines. I think our fourth line got in between six and eight minutes which, you know, depending on the opposition is not a bad number. So that permits our top guys to play anywhere from 18 to 20 minutes, have good energy. That's what we had in the first game. That's what we had in the second game.

Q. Why have your third periods been so good? How do you guard against a letdown in Game 3 like you've had in other series?
COACH VIGNEAULT: Well, I mean, most of the year we've been real good in the third period as far as pushing the pace. We're the team that scored the most goals in the NHL. We just continue to play. That's what we're going to try and do tonight.

Q. Does that speak to composure on the part of your team to keep it together in the third period?
COACH VIGNEAULT: I just think it's about the way we play. It's a type of game that, you know, we want to keep going forward, we want to keep going north/south. That's what we've done all year.

Q. Manny going to skate? What's the latest?
COACH VIGNEAULT: Day to day.

Q. (Question regarding the faceoff.)
COACH VIGNEAULT: The one guy that has been having issues in the faceoff circle is Hank. All the other guys have been fairly close to their normal percentage. Hank's aware of that. Manny was good. So hopefully we'll have Hank be a little bit better tonight. He takes a lot of draws in the other team's end.
Obviously, we'd like to start with the puck instead of chasing the puck in that end.

Q. Alain, what kind of challenge does that present, obviously they're going to try to change the matchups on you?
COACH VIGNEAULT: You know, wasn't really concerned with the matchups they were looking for in the second game. I was more concerned about how we were going to play, how we needed to play on the ice. I don't think that's going to change here in Boston.
We've had a real good road record, whether it be during the regular season or in the playoffs. We play to our strengths, and that's what we're going to do tonight.

Q. All the work you do with sleep experts, is this where it pays off? Do you believe you have an advantage because of that?
COACH VIGNEAULT: I don't know if we have an advantage. I do know that we're more accustomed to traveling than Boston. We're more accustomed to time zone changes. We've done that all year long. Because we travel the most in the NHL, that's one of the reasons why we try to get a scientific approach to where our guys would have the utmost energy.
I think throughout the season, it's worked out fine. Hopefully in the playoffs, we'll find out.

Q. You were here before Mike brought that in three years ago. Have you noticed a difference with the players over the three years that you guys have been using this?
COACH VIGNEAULT: I do know that obviously our record is better. I do think that, combined with both Roger and Glenn monitoring our conditioning the way they do, it certainly seems to be beneficial.
If you look at our third periods, they seem to have the energy to keep pushing forward and keep playing well.

Q. The other night without Hamhuis, you chose Alberts. There were other options. Speak a little bit to the depth that you have on defense, what a luxury that is at this point of the year.
COACH VIGNEAULT: Well, I mean, it's something that because of the injuries that we had throughout the season we used 13 defensemen. We used quite a few players in our back end that gave them experience. With that experience, they've been able to contribute to our team.
The guys we have right now that are available, Alberts and Ballard and Tanev, all three guys, they bring different things to the table. At this time we feel that Alberts, with his size, with his physicality, is what we need in our lineup right now.

Q. Alain, you used Hamhuis and Bieksa as a shutdown pairing. With Rome there, do you see it the same way?
COACH VIGNEAULT: You can't really replace a guy like Dan Hamhuis and what he brings to the table both offensively and defensively. Obviously it doesn't have the same dynamics of when Dan is there.
With that being said, we have a lot of confidence in Aaron. Right now we're trying to roll our six D's, spread the ice time so that we do have the right energy, the right execution on the ice.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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