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NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: KINGS v COYOTESMay 19, 2012Antoine VermetteLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Practice Day THE MODERATOR: Questions for Antoine Vermette. Q. How was the day off yesterday? ANTOINE VERMETTE: Try to clear your mind a little bit. Obviously it was a tough loss for us. Try to enjoy the day and move on and be ready for tomorrow. Q. It takes a special team to come back from 3‑0. Talk about where you are and if you think you have that special team to do it. ANTOINE VERMETTE: Yeah, we believe we can do it. This is a team who has been successful in that department, especially on penalty killing part. They don't give you much. Five‑on‑five, five‑on‑four, they're really aggressive. If you have a chance, it would be a great time to take advantage of it. Q. Seems like it would be human nature when you know you have to win four games, a hard hurdle to get over. Your past experience as a team help you? ANTOINE VERMETTE: Yeah. Through the year, actually you try to learn from the past. Certainly, you know, when you face elimination, you play for your season, you put everything out there. It's all we can ask. You have to work hard, try to win one period and see where it's going to take us. It could be overwhelming if you look at the big picture. We're certainly aware of the situation. I don't think it's any good for us in the preparation to look back too much or look too much ahead. Work hard, take one period at a time, see how it goes. Q. Any encouragement knowing the Flyers did it a couple years ago? ANTOINE VERMETTE: Yeah, it's possible. It would be a great story, something I wish I can tell my kids down the road. It's possible, you're right. Q. A lot of frustration. Some of that probably stems from what they're doing. Do you feel you have yet to play a Coyote‑type game? ANTOINE VERMETTE: Yeah, you're right. They play well. You got to give them credit. They don't allow us to generate our game or momentum when you want to do it. Certainly in that series, so far we couldn't impose that rhythm that we'd like to. Q. When adversity comes tomorrow, it always does in a game, how do you manage the moment? ANTOINE VERMETTE: Yeah, I mean, it's just taking a moment, take control of whatever you can control out there, whether it's details, draws. It's challenging at some point, but if you really try to focus at your task on the moment, don't worry about all the outside things. Q. You've been around this team for a while. How is the mentality? ANTOINE VERMETTE: We're doing good. Obviously we would do better in a different spot, no doubt about that. This is a great group. Good teammates. A lot of experience in the room, as well. You know, guys through their career learn how to manage a moment and not get too emotional about the past or try to predict the future too much. So I think that's the key. That's one thing we've been trying to do today. We came in, had a good group practice, tried to make the best out of it, move on. Q. You talk about hanging on the game, be an opportunistic team. Why has it been tougher to hang around these games? ANTOINE VERMETTE: Well, they play good. I mean, they don't give you much. They are persistent on the forecheck. We close tight areas in the corners, in front they play hard. They do the same type of game we want to play. Q. We've seen a few of the lines back to where they were earlier in the playoffs. Do you think that might help? ANTOINE VERMETTE: Yeah, hopefully. Hopefully. Whatever could work out there. I mean, at this point, we put all the individuals aside. We want to win. We want to play hard. Doesn't matter who you're playing with. Q. Ray is 40 years old. He said that's the best eighth‑seed team he's seen in a long time. ANTOINE VERMETTE: Yeah, he's right. I mean, it's probably a little surprising if you look back a couple months, look at their team, being in that position towards the season at the end. They're certainly well‑balanced. They have a good team. They're playing good as a team, as well, not only do they have good individuals. If you're going to make it that far at this point, you need to play as a group. THE MODERATOR: Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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