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NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: DEVILS v AVALANCHE

June 5, 2001

Martin Brodeur

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY: Practice Day

Q. Nobody gets a better look at what has gone on the last two games than you do from your end of the ice. What allowed you guys to really seem to pick it up two or three notches in the last two games?

MARTIN BRODEUR: Well, I think our speed has been has been greater than the first couple of games that we have played in this series. I think it created a lot of offensive opportunity for us. We are able to begun the puck and get it back, by ourselves. It's like anything, when the puck goes in for you it makes it a lot easier.

Q. Seems like your determination from the start of Game 4 through last night is just like you said, looks like it has been at a different level than it was in the first three games?

MARTIN BRODEUR: You have to give some credit to the Avalanche. I think earlier in the series they played us really good. We had a hard time getting going. It's like anything, you learn how to play some teams and we were able to get on them as much as we could in the last two games. That's where I think our success has come from.

Q. Do you feel like you are wearing them down at all with your style of play?

MARTIN BRODEUR: We are a team that plays with most of their players and in a long series it gets harder and harder. But now it's a great situation for us. This is a team that will never quit and we will play one more good game.

Q. Is this a tough spot to be in when you kind of you are happy but then you don't want to jinx anything as you --

MARTIN BRODEUR: It is a great spot to be in. You are here to win the Stanley Cup and we have an opportunity to do it in the next game. But definitely it's something that you don't want to overlook things and just go on and get the job done. That's the bottom line.

Q. Scott said that this is really Game 7 tomorrow. Is that kind of or the next day, I should say. Is that really kind of the attitude throughout the locker room?

MARTIN BRODEUR: It was Game 7 after Game 3 (laughs) we needed to win every game. It is like you don't want to get behind the eight ball at no time in the series, and definitely in the next game it's going to be a huge one.

Q. Do you think fans realize how huge this is? I asked your teammate the same thing, do you feel that you are getting the recognition in the tri-state area?

MARTIN BRODEUR: I hope so. I think we have been here - this is the second time in two years that we are playing for a Stanley Cup. These people that are coming to see us are really enjoying themselves, and when they expect us to win. Sometimes it is hard when you don't play as well and you don't get the response that you like. It is like anything, when you play well, the fans will be there.

Q. You said the other day that last year you were tired obviously a lot of overtimes before you got to Game 6?

MARTIN BRODEUR: Don't jinx it. (Laughs).

Q. You said you wanted to feel tired. You just (inaudible) do you feel as exhausted as you were?

MARTIN BRODEUR: No. Like I said I think the overtimes, I think it really drained a lot of people last year. So far it has been okay. There has been a pretty good series for as far as being tired. It has not been overly physical. I think everybody feels pretty good. Now the adrenaline is picking everybody up.

Q. Do you look back on the other two Cups that you have won here and kind of think of what those feelings were before -- (inaudible)

MARTIN BRODEUR: Well I think the first one Game 4 so we had lots -- we just wanted to play well. We knew that we had lots of chances at it. The other one was a tough one with all the overtimes. So each year is different the way that you play the series; the team that plays you, the way it is, we are going against a bunch of guys that's got a lot of character, guys that really want it and the other guys that want it and came through with big-game situations. It will be a great battle in a couple of days from now.

Q. Does it get easier?

MARTIN BRODEUR: No, never, never does (laughs) I guess when you get older you feel more of the pressure knowing that you people expect you to win. Now we are expected to do well because we are up -- we are up with two games to play.

Q. You won 40 games this year. Where does that accomplishment rank to what you are doing now? Does it mean anything at all?

MARTIN BRODEUR: Nothing (laughs). This is what we play hockey for, the regular season, you know, it's the regular season anybody can be good in the regular season. You just got to go on and do it in the Playoffs. That's where it counts and that's where everybody plays the game for us to be successful in the Playoffs.

Q. Early in the series, I mean, the guys who were being counted upon on this team you know, producing the numbers, the goals anything like. That it is no coincidence that you played two of your better games and Sykora and Gomez and Mogilny everyone has picked up these last two games and you have won.

MARTIN BRODEUR: I think you need your big guys to come through for you when you want to be successful. Same thing with Colorado they need their big guys to do well if you want to have any chance. It is just something natural that one game, you are supporting cast will take you up and win a game like we did in Game 2. For the most part you need your guys that are supposed to come through for you come through.

Q. Last year you were expected to close it out in Game 5. Now people are expecting you to close it out in Game 6 here. Do you take anything from last year?

MARTIN BRODEUR: I think it is not -- every time you play a Game 7 it's a toss of a coin, you never know what is going to happen. So definitely it's a good opportunity for us. Just have to go out and play our game and don't really think what is going to happen after the game. Just make sure we are playing really well and if we do play well the outcome will be there for us.

Q. Do you finally get the sense after all -- (inaudible)

MARTIN BRODEUR: I think confidence-wise a lot of guys find themselves in the last couple of games and I think that's what -- I think the momentum is picking up because knowing that guys are doing well and I am sure they don't want to stop at two games of doing well

End of FastScripts....

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