NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: DEVILS v SENATORS

May 18, 2003

Martin Brodeur

Scott Niedermayer

Scott Stevens

MARTIN BRODEUR: Definitely it's going to be pretty tough but it's not something that it's not doable, I think. I look at them and I see what we accomplished in 2000, you know, we won the first game in Philly and lost three games in a row and next thing you know we're -- out backs were against the wall and we were able to win a game; next thing you know you go to the next one and go to the next one. So definitely by experience we did it, so we know it's doable. In these Playoffs a lot of weird things happen. So for a lot of upsets, teams coming back on teams, so you have got to be aware that it's one of these years in the Playoffs and we're going to have to bear down and really be good.

SCOTT NIEDERMAYER: Yeah, I would agree with what Marty says. It's definitely possible and we basically have to look at this game as the one that we have to win and just prepare our best and be our best out there. To beat this team we have to be at our absolute best and that's what we have to do tomorrow.

SCOTT STEVENS: We know anything is possible. Nothing is guaranteed, and we're playing the best team, best record they had all year, was Ottawa, so I am sure they have put a win of 3 games together many times. I know it's different in Playoffs but they are very capable of winning three in a row, like I said last night.

SCOTT STEVENS: I don't think -- I don't think I'd be talking with that right now. I think I am going to stay positive and just go out there and play our best game and go from there.

SCOTT STEVENS: I would think we know that in this room and the competition we're up against is capable. It's not like we're playing a weak team. We're playing a very strong team that has a lot of depth and can score goals. It's possible to be brought up, but I think right now we're just thinking about playing our best game and going from there.

MARTIN BRODEUR: Well, yeah, definitely when you are one win away from going to where everybody else wants to be in the League, it's definitely hard to stay focused, but I think the fact that a lot of the players in our locker room have been there before and know exactly how hard it is to win that last game in the series. And it's hard to win the first series the last game and it's a little harder to win the second series but now we're in the Conference Finals

so we expect this game to be the hardest one to win and if we don't accomplish that as soon as we can, we give them a lot of confidence and knowing the experience that we had in the Playoffs with us being given some confidence at one point, we were able to come back against Philly. That's one thing we don't want to give to a team that's so good and so deep and so well coached.

SCOTT STEVENS: I think coming back and winning is the most memorable thing, how about that? But I think that was a point where Larry just said you guys are letting yourself down without playing the best hockey you can play at this time of year. I think that's what really, you know, sank into our heads and we realized he's right and we were cheating ourselves a bit and not playing the way we can play or playing the system. I think that's what really sunk home, and definitely helped us overcome that series.

SCOTT STEVENS: Was it mentioned? I don't think it was mentioned. I think we realize we know and you get a little more experienced as you go on in the Playoffs; we realize what is at stake. We had to take that experience from the first two rounds and not give a team life. I think that's what we talk about more is don't give a team life or a feeling that they can come back and win. That's what we have to try to establish tomorrow night. It's not going to be hard obviously in this building with the fans behind them. They have played very well at home so it is going to be very difficult, but we know what we're up against. We have to go out there and have a solid road game.

SCOTT STEVENS: No question it was definitely, you know, he had a lot of positive things to say, it wasn't a time to panic. It was early. And we came back from two goals which probably helped our confidence a little bit after that defeat, and you know, Pat knows what to say at the right time and that was definitely -- I think helped the feeling in the dressing room by being positive in saying we didn't expect a short series and definitely helped us come around for Game 2.