NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: DEVILS v AVALANCHE

June 6, 2001

Martin Brodeur

Patrik Elias

Scott Stevens

SCOTT STEVENS: Just going to go out there and play. That's our focus is on playing the game and whoever is in the lineup is in the lineup and we will go this from there.

SCOTT STEVENS: That's something we remember that we don't want to go through that same situation. We want to treat this like a Game 7; go out there, have our best game; play the same way we have been playing and see what happens.

SCOTT STEVENS: We have just got to play our game; not worry about what they are going to do. We have to go out there, establish ourselves, initiate, and play the way we have been playing. We don't really have to change anything. We just want to keep the goal in the same way an have the same focus.

SCOTT STEVENS: Well, we are desperate, but they got some veteran people there and they know what it is all about. If you think about they are two games away; we are one game away; not a big difference, is it?

PATRIK ELIAS: Sure does flatter me but it doesn't matter right now we haven't done anything yet and there shouldn't be any talking right now.

PATRIK ELIAS: It was a good practice. We have done same practices all Playoffs and it was no different today. The toughest game is ahead of us.

PATRIK ELIAS: Sometimes, you know, you have ideas your head like we were so close and you are thinking ahead which is the worst thing you could do. We have done it last year when we had a chance to win it at home against Dallas and we were battling; could have gone either way and we had to go back to Dallas. We certainly don't want to go back to Colorado.

PATRIK ELIAS: He looks good. He had a whole practice with us and he is fine.

PATRIK ELIAS: I think we were just worried about our game and get it didn't matter who is going to play between us. We did the same thing both games when we played with Sergei Nemchinov or when we played with Bobby. We just worry about our job and play as hard as we could.

MARTIN BRODEUR: Just sit down and look at their lineup. I think it is a scary thought. They are a good team and they are going to be really hungry and I think the respect that we have, you know, for that team is something that is going to bring us to make sure that, you know, we don't miss the boat and play real well.

MARTIN BRODEUR: The intensity we had in Game 4 we created a lot of chances to score. We created some turnovers and that really made us come back in the series. We played really well the whole game and we never really quit it even though we were down 2 to 1 late in the third and we were able to come back and win that game.

MARTIN BRODEUR: Well, a little bit. I think it's something that for sure he is going to try to erase. It's a tough situation for him, but for us it was a great one. So we will capitalize on that and move on and play well.

MARTIN BRODEUR: Yeah, a little bit, knowing what is at stake, it is right there, definitely it is exciting and you know, we are just happy to leave my house and going to go to the hotel so I don't have to hear from everybody. I think that is the hardest thing to do. But definitely for us, we know it is there and it is all up to us to go in and play well and give ourselves a chance to do it again.

MARTIN BRODEUR: It's a Stanley Cup, that should be enough for me to get myself going. I think it is great that we are playing against a great team, but that is going to make it harder for to close it down.

MARTIN BRODEUR: I am sure they are going to play desperate. They have to in order -- they have got get some goals; got to get some chances against. They have got to put us back on our heals, so definitely it is going to be a big challenge for us to make sure that we stay poise and stay patient throughout the opening maybe ten minutes or so of the game.

MARTIN BRODEUR: Bobby Holik?

MARTIN BRODEUR: Not really. (Laughs) He is smart -- no, he is a nice guy.

He is a guy that by talking to him you would never think he would go out there and play the way that he plays. That's what makes him so good. He is able to really make part of what hockey players and what human being is.

MARTIN BRODEUR: I think so. I think his role in the first couple of years was really just a fourth liner and next thing you know he wanted more and more and I think it really worked to his advantage. He started to get some goals and next thing you know he gets himself into being a checking player, able to chip in some goals and some big goals, really skilled player. He is a big man. He is really hard to play against.