NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: CAPITALS v RED WINGS

June 8, 1998

Peter Bondra

PETER BONDRA: We will see. I guess we have to play hard and play same old way we did early in the season and we will see what happens. It is a good team. But I like our chances.

PETER BONDRA: Well, this is a veteran team. They have been through a lot of -- they won -- they are the defending Stanley Cup Champion and they have a solid "D" and blue line and good goalie - Hasek was there, too, but overall it is a well balanced team, full lines, and look at their lineup, any line can put a puck in the net so, we have to be ready for them.

PETER BONDRA: Sure, if you watch TV it is all about ratings, but we are right now very confident team and we are a veteran team we don't have a lot of young players in the lineup so a lot of guys, they know what to do to get ready for the big games.

PETER BONDRA: For sure, you know this. You see the highlights on TV. You can't concentrate on the long shot, but the long shot, you -- never is bad shot; especially in overtime and Hasek is a good goalie. You have got to shoot from everywhere. It is a big game, so you never know.

PETER BONDRA: For sure, start of this year like we have a lot of heroes in our locker room; not just one or two guys are winning the games. Different nights, different people step up and get the job done like look at Todd Krygier, Brian Bellows. We have a lot of confidence, like I said, and we believe in ourselves that we have a good team.

PETER BONDRA: It is always pressure, but not much. You don't let yourself get the pressure; don't put yourself in that position where you have to score every night which is good, but you go out there and have fun and play as a team. It is very important.

PETER BONDRA: For sure something improved, especially myself, especially this year. Before that I have never been that far and people said: Wow, he is good in the regular season, but if he can do it in the Playoffs and score big goals for a team - well, I try to do that and I mean, hopefully my name will be recognized more and not in just Washington, but everybody in the U.S. and Canada.

PETER BONDRA: For sure, that is how we get success and the people know you: Hey, this is a guy that scored overtime goal or, you know, was a guy who really scored a lot of goals, not just the regular season, but Playoffs too.

PETER BONDRA: My strength is probably speed and shot, but you can't do -- you have to give a lot of credit to your teammates and if you have a decent center like I have, it is easy -- not easy but your chances are greater to put the puck in the net.