NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: DEVILS v AVALANCHE

May 31, 2001

Martin Brodeur

Scott Stevens

SCOTT STEVENS: It is not the style, it is just not sticking to the game plan. We started the period great and worked real hard and then we just tailed off. We had a bad second period; from there it wasn't very good. Like I said we came out just like we wanted to come out but we didn't sustain it for the full period.

SCOTT STEVENS: It is only one game. It still early for that. We are still real positive. We know what we have to do. We had a good first period. We just have to keep going the same way. We changed our style or they came on or something like that, but it was a different game. We couldn't ask for a better start.

SCOTT STEVENS: Just got to keep fighting through it. They are doing a lot of clutchin and grabbin, clogging up the middle of the net making it real tough to hit goals. It is not time to get frustrated. It is a time to work through it. That's all it is, it is hard work. They worked really hard tonight and they got the win.

SCOTT STEVENS: Yeah, pretty physical. Good physical battle both ways. It was a good tempo. Like I said, just seemed to -- the momentum changed there. We had a good first period and then it just tailed off. We got to keep that up. Got to keep playing the same way. Can't get frustrated if you can't score a goal, keep your head up, keep going.

MARTIN BRODEUR: Whenever they got the lead I think that's where we kind of woke up a little bit, a little too late, but ^definitely ^ Devil it is a game of who gets the lead first and who plays the hardest.

MARTIN BRODEUR: I don't think we are having a tough time at all. We have a tougher time getting through their defense than ^Patrick ^ Patrik. I do not think quality chances are there for us to be successful offensively. I had to make some saves when it was 3 -1. When it was 1-1 we didn't get anything on them. But we got to keep trying to get through their big "D". They are really tough and they play the game hard. They hold us down and they play really great. We got to find ways to get more opportunities.

MARTIN BRODEUR: It is hard when you can't get anything going. I think it is a lot of the teams that played against us feel the same way. We are feeling it a little bit the same way. It is not that we don't want to work hard. ^it is ^ is it just they prevent us from getting to the puck because they just hold you down. They don't let you go in at all.

MARTIN BRODEUR: Yeah, I did. It took me a while to see him where he was exactly because he was coming down faking and next thing you know he came in the hole and I saw him and he just shot it right at my shoulder. So I had a hard time getting it in my glove, trying to catch it, instead of blocking it. It went through my glove.

MARTIN BRODEUR: Same type of game. I think we started real well; just a matter once again to get a lucky break on their first goal, the shot going wide and Yelle, hits his pants and it go goes in. From there they took over the game. From there it was a matter of time, the way we played in the second period, that they are going to score some goals and they did. We have got to play a little more consistent in our game, play 60 minutes instead of 20 minutes like we did today.