NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: CAPITALS v RED WINGS

June 13, 1998

Peter Bondra

PETER BONDRA: It is going to be hard, but we have to fight and try to stay positive.

PETER BONDRA: It was tough for sure. But, basically one shot beats you, it was hard, but they played well and I don't think -- I thought we are capable of playing better, I believe, especially myself, but, well, we paid the price, just make mistakes, just stop playing a little bit and basically that is what caused us, especially on the second game.

PETER BONDRA: Well, that was early in the game but that was the kind of goal -- I mean, basically it is hard to say, but we kind of -- early in the game we killed too many penalties that probably is what caused us a lot of energy and you don't have a lot of -- just to try to put the puck at the net; especially at the end of the game.

PETER BONDRA: Sure, we play hard but all of a sudden we stop and make a couple of mistakes and cause us probably the game. Basically we just have to go out next game and try to play 60 minutes and doesn't worry about anything else; just work hard and hopefully we will win a game. I wouldn't say defense against their forwards. They are coming back hard and they don't give you much room for a shot or anything to do with the puck. So, basically they coming back and you feel they are behind you so you have to get rid of sooner or you try to change some things, try to make a play, and it is not working so far. So, sometimes you have to try to keep it simpled (sic) up in the chase and hopefully you can create some chances by that. It is a little bit different style, well, you know, we pay the price for it, I guess so far, still they didn't get Stanley Cup yet. They have to win the four game and we will tried to win one at a time.

PETER BONDRA: Sometimes, he tried to -- tried to choose the right thing and sometimes tried to take it responsibility on your shoulders and try to shoot the puck, and sometimes the right thing turn against you. I thought I should -- I should take the shot and I keep the puck a little longer on my stick and try to maybe feed that or try to skate it a little bit to the side and hope something open up for me. But that was wasn't the right choice for that time, but well, that probably that is one of the mistakes I made tonight too.

PETER BONDRA: You can't win four in a row one night. You basically up there and try to win one game and go from there.

PETER BONDRA: Well, you think about it, we had chance to win, especially either game we had chance to win but somehow we didn't get through and basically you learn as a player and hopefully bring something from it and hopefully it is not going to happen again for you.