NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: MAPLE LEAFS v HURRICANES

May 18, 2002

Bates Battaglia

Sean Hill

SEAN HILL: Not a whole lot, to tell you the truth. We had a lot of chances to score. Obviously, we didn't capitalize on enough of them. We are just going to try to keep playing the same hockey we have been and work hard at getting them to the net.

SEAN HILL: Not really. You know, we had to -- we had watched the Toronto series really closely and we realize they battled hard every game. We realize there's going to be a lot more work in the trenches than there was against Montreal. They block up the neutral zone quite a bit better, and there's not as much carrying the puck through the neutral zone and you have to dump it in on them. Their defensemen are pretty mobile and they move the puck well. So you have to have good dunks and create pressure fast. That's one thing we are going to have to improve on in the next game. We knew it was going to be a battle against them, they are a very good team and they battle every night and that's what's gotten them here.

SEAN HILL: I think you can always do things better and always be a little better prepared, but I don't think we were caught by surprise by any means. You know, I think we came out and played the kind of game we want to. We just have to do things with a little bit more determination and a little bit more of an edge.

SEAN HILL: Yeah, we will have to be. We had that same problem with Montreal. They were blocking a lot of shots, as well. I think when you put up as many attempts as we have that you are going to get some blocked, but obviously we are going to have to work on getting them through a little bit better, whether it's shooting between their skates and their stick or taking a couple of steps and getting around them for faking some shots. We'll have to get a little more creative and try to get the pucks to the net where we hopefully have our forwards waiting for them.

SEAN HILL: I think if we are having success up high, then they are going to cover up high; and if we are having success down low, they are going to try to focus giving away the shot from above. You know, I think it's a cause-and-effect relationship obviously. We want to try to move the puck around all sides and get everybody handling it and try to get it moving a little bit more than they were. We seem to be keeping them maybe on one side and not making their forwards move as much as we should. We made it a little bit easier on them than we had to.

BATES BATTAGLIA: Yeah, he gets us going and besides that, you have video. When we go in to play a team we know a lot about them and we know what they are doing and I think that's a big part of our success.

BATES BATTAGLIA: Oh, definitely. He always tells us to think about it that day but let it go. Tomorrow is a new day and just go from there.

BATES BATTAGLIA: Well, you always want to come out strong and flying and doing everything right. I think we'll be ready. We had a couple of days of practice to work on a few things and we'll be ready to go.

BATES BATTAGLIA: I think one thing in particular, was we didn't play a whole lot of five-on-five right away, so it's tough getting used to seeing what we saw in the neutral zone. I think we got a pretty good idea now, and we're definitely sticking to the same game plan.

BATES BATTAGLIA: That's something that forwards can't help too much with. You've got to know there are going to be a few guys laying down in front of shots, and you have to either find a way through or just step around them. It doesn't have to be a big slapper, just get it there.

BATES BATTAGLIA: Well, they have a lot of guys back, so I think we'll probably have to drop a lot of pucks. As far as skating, it's going to be quite a bit tougher. But our main goal is getting it in deep. So whether we skate it in or dump it in, that's what we have got to do.

BATES BATTAGLIA: I think the biggest thing is we did not move it quick enough in the neutral zone. We had time to get it up and in, but I think we hung on it a little too long. I think the quicker we move it, the better we are.