NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: AVALANCHE v RED WINGS

May 19, 2002

Scotty Bowman

COACH BOWMAN: I think there were goals, but there was a lot of out-numbered chances by both teams, and, you know, when you get out-numbered chances, it's tough -- tough to make saves or you've got to be fortunate. That was the story of the game. They seemed to have a few more early in the first two periods, and we had ours in the third period. There was more scoring chances than I thought in the game, you know, from what the other series were like, and where we were, I don't have the exact number, but I know it was well into the double digits for both teams.

COACH BOWMAN: They've played the last two-thirds of the season. They have been a good two-way line for us, Brett has maybe been the, you know, the scorer of the three, but they just had good chemistry, and two young players that, you know, have been overshadowed by a lot of other players. Just that they have been responsible defensively and we watch sometimes who they play against, but since Pavel has come back, we put him back in the lineup. He was pretty tired towards the end, being only used to 50 games where he came from. Now it's over 80 something, so the line functions well together and mainly because they have been good both ways.

COACH BOWMAN: Yeah, with Igor, he didn't skate again today. He'll be very doubtful for tomorrow's game. It's a knee injury. He's never had that kind of an injury before to his knees, but, he's very good defensively. It gives us an opportunity to use four lines a bit. We still use it now, but we have to double up somebody for the most part. It's tough to play Colorado for two real rookie centers. We put him sometimes with Jason Williams. The games are so tight, but I guess it was -- maybe further down in the series, it would be a little different, because we certainly don't have much fatigue. We had a week to rest up, and we had -- like we had a six-game series, a little bit of travel, and a five-game series without much travel. That's basically what Stevie, you know, it's tougher for him to play our system at center than on the wing, but then he moved back into center. It seemed to give us a spark. It would depend on how much he can play if we decide to use him on wing or center.

COACH BOWMAN: We watch the games. There is not as many games to watch now, but I think everybody watches hockey. There is a lot of downtime you're going to spend watching other games.

COACH BOWMAN: The games against Vancouver, we had a team that we knew not only the way they ended the regular season but the way they played the full second half. I think in the Western Conference, there is a lot more balance than a lot of them, because teams don't get the same credit or rating but San Jose won one game less than Colorado. Vancouver had the best record in the second half. In the first two games, I don't think it's as much as the way they played as the way we were concerned going in. They -- there was quite a few deflections that beat our goalie and then we ended up getting the deflections when we went out to Vancouver. Even in the series with the Blues, you know, after they beat us pretty bad in Game 3, we had a real good bounce in Game 4 when the puck hit Steve Yzerman and went into the net. Yesterday's game with Colorado, how many times -- especially the first two chances that Darren scored on get time to T it up, and, you know, you put a lot into the shot and you pick the top corner, and I think it's just breaks really, because they had a big chance when it was 2 to 1, when we had a shot blocked, and of all guys to be coming into the wing was Rob Blake. He can shoot a puck like most forwards, probably harder. The pass came to him, and I think he was being pushed a little bit from the back by I think it was Jiri Fischer, and he didn't get everything on it. It just happens, sometimes you get everything on it. I think that's what happened to McCarty. You know, we had a chance earlier than that probably when Brett Hull broke down. He was talking about it this morning, that it was a pass across, and he wanted to get -- he wanted to do what he wanted to do and Patrick got across and blocked the shot. He said, you know, if I would have tried to get it up high, the goalies take a lot of the down low plays away. He didn't have enough time to get it up high. I think what's happening now is what happened in the first series. We didn't get bounces in the first two games, and I thought we got a lot of bounces in the Vancouver series to beat them out in 6. We had a shot from the neutral zone that won a game for us. Maybe, sometimes you look back and say we got a break here and there, but I thought yesterday's game was pretty even. I thought in the third period we capitalized on our scoring chances. It was a big relief to get the fifth goal. They still came back and made it 5-3. If it was 4-3, it's even a tighter squeeze to get through the clock.

COACH BOWMAN: I don't know if we want to trade chances all the time with this team. I think if we create our offense normally without trying to push it and get in defense. We got caught a couple of times. They're probably the fastest transition team we've played. I don't know another team that's as strong in the rush. They get a lot of their plays on the rush, which means turnovers, and you've got to be real careful because they get up the ice, so, I think we have to just have to -- if the offense is there, you take it, you can't force it. You've got to play like a patient game and obviously you have to make the best of your scoring chances. They're a team, like I said before, the rush really is a big part of their attack, and if they catch you out-numbered, you saw the two goals they scored at the goal mouth. Those guys are goal scorers. Sometimes guys drift behind the net, but they stayed in front. So, I think it's going to be -- I can't really tell after the first game, because there wasn't a lot of scoring early in the game, it was only 1 to 1 and 2 to 2 at the end of the 2nd, but we both can put the puck in the net, but I think we both want to play better defensively. I know we do. We had 16, 20 chances probably in the game, and when you do that at home, you've got to be careful that you're giving them a lot of scoring chances. They had a couple really good chances. The second period has been their best period all through the playoffs. We talked about it.

COACH BOWMAN: I think the practices. The good goalies that I've seen in the league, they don't take many days off. They practice, and then their game, if they're not up to their game, they want to work it out in practice. I think that's why they're so good. They're -- they know themselves, and if they have a weakness or a stretch where they're getting beat on certain plays, they want to get it out into the practice thing. I would say his ability to -- we didn't burn him out this year. We thought he was going to play 50 to 60 games. I think he did, and, you know, we had some stretches where we he had to count on him a lot, but I don't think we -- I mean, I think it was a different year for him, because we had quite a bit of offense for the most part. Goals were hard to come by this year for everybody, but his big suit is he does like to get out there and get certain shots, get certain drills, and get tuned up for the next game.

COACH BOWMAN: He's the same he is all the time. He's playing real hurt. May be the layoff. It seems during the first and second series as the games were coming every second day that he did pretty well. But, you know, we also have to be careful how much he's going to play. I think we were going to play him yesterday 15 minutes, he ended up with 19 minutes. Without Igor, it was probably a bit of a stretch. We may have played him a bit too much, but, he -- you know, when we moved him with Sergei it seemed to help a little bit in the third period especially he did take all the faceoffs.

COACH BOWMAN: Those kinds of situations he hasn't missed a game in the playoffs. I think the way he's overcome the pain, he's got pretty good assurance what he can do and what he can't do. You know, it's not going to get -- it's a pain issue with him, but he plays with pain. So unless there is something dramatically changed in the next 24 hours or whatever it is, he's going to play.

COACH BOWMAN: I don't think anybody else got injured. We don't have a lot of guys who are going to put it in, so we will have to wait and see who skates or who doesn't skate tomorrow that we think might, but I think we'll be close to the same lineup.

COACH BOWMAN: Forsberg is so strong off the wing, and because of his all-around ability, he -- I don't know if he or Sakic quarter-back as much, but I think the dangerous part is they get a lot of good one-time shots from Blake and Sakic, and a lot of teams have one shooter you've got to focus on or he's going to burn you. But they kind of -- Sakic ends sliding down the right side and Forsberg can -- he's a great play maker, so he can set up either one. They have a pretty good down-low play to Drury they haven't used a lot. See, what happens is they -- they leave Sakic and Forsberg and Blake for the full power play, and it is possible now, because there is stoppages and there is some power plays it goes a full two minutes. But not very often. There is usually a faceoff or something, they interchange two guys. Drury goes off, and another right-hand shot goes on. I would say it's the options they have for their shooting. Blake, the way he can shoot, the way Sakic can shoot, pretty tough to -- you know, obviously you would try to not get in your own end as much as you can. That's not as easy as said because we back it off the line and carry it in. They don't shoot the puck in a lot. They get you backing up, and then because they're good players and have confidence -- I think when you look at the top three guys, Sakic, Forsberg and Blake, give you a lot of options that you have to defend against, so I think the -- obviously it starts with penalties. It wasn't a penalty-filled game. The last penalty was only 19 seconds. I think we had four penalties and they had two in the game, and each time got -- well, they got power play goals with the last one and we got one. That only shows you on -- I don't count the last power play, so six power plays, three goals, and that's the form you don't want to take a lot of penalties. I think that's what their hallmark has been in the series thus far, because they had a little bit of an edge against San Jose, not much. One game they took a lot of penalties. They did about the same thing against LA, they were shorthanded, only 20 minutes in seven games. We have been cutting down on our penalties of late. I think that's the secret. The foolish penalties or careless penalties, now we've only got nine referees left, so don't forget the referees are more concerned as the series wain down. The players are more attentive to what they can do and can't do. You can say there is arguably -- say there is not so much to call for the referee. I think both of these teams have the ability to play without a rash of penalties. My first choice would be not to take lot of penalties. If we get into a penalty-filled series, I really don't -- I can't talk for them, but we don't want to put them on that power play unless it's, let's face it, a penalty is supposed to replace a scoring chance. It's stretched out a little bit now, especially in the offensive zone. I have been talking to our players about it. We have an experienced team, not a lot of young guys trying to get the edge. You just got to be careful the games are going to be called pretty closely. They're not going to let anything get out of hand. That's what we have to be careful of.

COACH BOWMAN: No. I knew he would come back. I didn't know when. I think he had a good rehab -- he hadn't played for a year, but, you know, he obviously was injured, he had the sickness, and he's fresh now. There's not a player that during the year had to play 25 minutes a game. I think he could do it, but the big thing coming back in the playoffs is, you know, I'm waiting to see. Now, in the other series with Toronto, you had a player like that pretty fresh, it could make a difference. I think that's what happened with Forsberg. I think they always thought he was going to come back. He came back I think a month earlier than they gave him. I think now that he's probably not going to wear down as much as some players might. The first two rounds would have been a plus for him personally rather than a minus playing so many games.