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NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: KINGS v DEVILSJune 9, 2012Peter DeBoerNEWARK, NEW JERSEY: Game Five New Jersey – 2 Q. What was the difference in the last two games? COACH DeBOER: I mean, not a lot of difference.  You know, I've been singing the same tune since Game1. I said even when we were down 3‑0 that I didn't feel that the series was that lopsided. Our best players were our best players tonight, Brodeur and Parise, Kovalchuk. That's the key this time of year. Q. When you're walking down to these briefings, do you have to think up new ways to describe how well Martin Brodeur plays and what he means to this team? I'll ask it again tonight. COACH DeBOER: Yeah, I wish I was that eloquent that I had more ways to phrase it for you. I mean, what else can you say? I mean, his performance speaks for itself. It's a timing of it. You know, I think the fact we're 9‑1 or 10‑1 in Games 4 through 7 in a series is a testament to how he enjoys that type of pressure. Q. How important was the importance shown by Bryce Salvador, the patience on the second goal? COACH DeBOER: Yeah, that's something that he's really kind of mastered here over the last month of the playoffs. He's had great composure back there for us, getting shots through. We wouldn't be here without him. Q. With Quick making a mistake on the first goal, how important mentally for your team is it to get that kind of play from a guy who looked awfully perfect early in the series? COACH DeBOER: Yeah, well, we needed the first goal. Regardless of how it looked, we needed the first goal. I thought they controlled the first period. They were the better team in the first period, which was a little surprising. I don't know whether it was nerves for us or what. But they controlled the period. Marty made some big saves for us. We capitalized on a mistake. But it's nice that we're finding some holes in them right now. Q. Did you get a sense, when you were talking this morning, that Parise was about to do something big? COACH DeBOER: Yeah, I mean, I go into every game expecting Zach to do something big. He's that type of player. I think you guys just pissed him off. That's all. Keep doing it (laughter). Q. Do you sense a change in the demeanor on the bench when you get that first goal? COACH DeBOER: Well, yeah, your crowd gets into it. For sure. The first two games of the series, we're at home, we didn't get the first goal either game, we lost both games. We couldn't get any momentum. We found a way again tonight like we did in Game4 to get that ball rolling and it's critical this time of year. Q. What do you say to the team to keep them focused for the next game? COACH DeBOER: I don't think we'll have to say much. They're going to award the Stanley Cup to somebody here in the next two games. There's only two games left in a season where both teams are going on a hundred and probably ten games. So this is probably right where you want to be. I think we'll put our best foot forward. Q. Was there a different level of desperation shown tonight when a guy like Zubrus comes sliding across to make the play he made, then the breakaway being canceled out by Zidlicky? COACH DeBOER: I don't think so. You're in the Stanley Cup Final. That desperation has been there right from day one. I don't think there's in a heightened desperation because you're in Game5 or 6. We're playing for keeps. The Rangers, we had to play for keeps every night there. There was high desperation. It was the same against Philly. It was the same against Florida. We wouldn't be here unless we had that desperation every night. Q. Are you a believer that bounces eventually even out over the course of a series? COACH DeBOER: I think that's pretty fair. Q. Obviously you didn't want to be in the situation of having to come back from a 3‑0 deficit. You've dealt with it. Is there a certain excitement about attempting to do something only one team has done before. You're on the cusp of making history. COACH DeBOER: We're not thinking that far ahead. We've got to win another game in order to keep playing. I said all along that our group has a confidence in itself. We didn't feel we belonged in the hole we were in. We felt if we kept playing and got some big performances that we could climb out of it. We're slowly doing that. But we've got some work left to do. Q. Do you think this is a team that can make history? COACH DeBOER: Oh, I don't know. We're just trying to win a Stanley Cup. Q. Your thoughts on Tallinder and Sykora, throwing them into the fire these past two games? COACH DeBOER: Yeah, you know what, I thought Tallinder was fantastic again tonight. Skated the puck out of trouble, composure. He was the most rested guy we've got. He was out for five months. You can see the fresh legs and how he looked. I thought both teams looked a little fatigued as the game went on. We needed his fresh legs. And Petr Sykora gave us some good minutes again. Q. Can you talk a little bit about the resiliency of your team, once again being pushed to the limit, now continuing to play your season. COACH DeBOER: Yeah, I mean, we've been counted out right back to last summer and the pre‑season predictions all the way through. One thing about our group is that, you know, they believe that we can win. They believe we can win every game we play if we play the right way. It's just a matter of stringing together a couple more here. Q. Did you find that this was the most physical of the games so far? A lot of dirty play back and forth. COACH DeBOER: I don't know about physical. It was a little chippier tonight. You can see the frustration around both nets because both goalies are playing so well. They're low‑scoring games. Every game has been physical. Q. Were you caught off guard early on by the turnovers, sloppy play? COACH DeBOER: We played a real poor first period. I don't know why. Again, I'd like to chalk it up to maybe nerves or being at home. I'm not sure. I give L.A. some credit. I thought they had a fantastic first period. But we can't afford to play 20 minutes of hockey like that again or we're playing with fire. THE MODERATOR: Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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