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NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: KINGS v COYOTESMay 16, 2012Dustin PennerLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Practice Day THE MODERATOR: Questions for Dustin Penner. Q. Talk about the physicality of that second game. Do you expect more of the same in Game3? DUSTIN PENNER: In the Playoffs, you have to come to expect the unexpected. I think we knew that was a possibility last game. We can't change the way we play. We can just go out and control what we can control. Q. You have done a good job this entire playoffs of not having that retaliation, staying away from after the whistles. Have you talked about that? DUSTIN PENNER: We talked about that a lot since Game1 with Vancouver, just playing between the whistles, making sure we don't let anything the other team does affect how we play the game. Q. How quickly after Game2 has Darryl reset it for you guys, put the last two games in the past? DUSTIN PENNER: Yeah, he's done that all series. He did that even before the playoffs. We had that mindset where it didn't matter what you did last game. I think we've developed that mentality on our own with his help. He doesn't have to be as stringent on it after the game. We know what we have to do. We know what's been working for us in the past. It's up to the leadership group, to each man, to focus on what's got us to where we are now. Q. How much does that play into you grabbing control of games and series early? How much does that mindset play into that? DUSTIN PENNER: It's a huge part of it. We try not to take anything for granted from the other team, especially starting each series on the road. We want to get that edge where we can steal one in their building. Right now it's working out well for us. Q. The discipline on this team, you showed a lot of it last night, took advantage of the power plays. DUSTIN PENNER: Yeah, I think that's what good teams try to do, they try to play in between the whistles. They don't get over‑emotional, take reckless penalties. Q. You were saying last night this team still hasn't played its best game yet. Where do you think there could be improvement? DUSTIN PENNER: Power play. I think we sometimes pass up a lot of key scoring opportunities to make an extra pass that gets blocked. I don't think there's a team that's made it far in the playoffs resting on their last game, what they did, saying, ‘that's the best game we played.Â’ It's that constant drive to the perfect game, as close as you'll get, that I think makes a team successful. Q. They really have been keying on your captain. How resilient was he in that last game? DUSTIN PENNER: It's almost comical to watch because you think he runs on batteries sometimes. He keeps on going. You knock him down, but you can't keep him down. He takes a lot of punishment because he gives it out. He's been that type of leader all year, not just last game or last series. Q. I know you probably don't want to look at too big of a picture. Has there been a point where you guys thought a Cup run might be real? DUSTIN PENNER: When we clinched a playoff spot, that's a great thought, we had a chance. Q. You have a chance because you were in there? DUSTIN PENNER: Yeah. It's kind of like poker. A chip and a chair (laughter). Q. You could see things coming together, you had the right elements? DUSTIN PENNER: Yeah, from the guys that had been here before, we'd seen certain pieces of the puzzle on prior teams that either won it or been to the Stanley Cup finals, on the team we have now. Obviously, our goaltending has been great all year. You guys have alluded to that in the media. The best thing about that is it hasn't affected how he plays, talking about Jonathan Quick. Our defense, starting with him, but from the forwards getting on the forecheck, it's been great all year. We're the second lowest in the league, and that's because we bought into a team concept. Starting with goaltending. It's continued on by our defense who get the puck in the forwards' hands, don't make too many cute plays, simplify the game. Q. Thursday night the Staples Center is going to be rocking. Do you have to keep that in check? DUSTIN PENNER: Yeah. You don't want to use that energy in a negative way or a way that gets you off your game. We love the support we're getting from L.A., especially when we're in the Staples arena. It's been great. We look forward to every home game we have. THE MODERATOR: Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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