NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: PENGUINS v DEVILS

May 18, 2001

Sergei Brylin

Scott Gomez

Bobby Holik

Scott Niedermayer

SCOTT NIEDERMAYER: Yeah, I'm sure. I'm sure that not only about my health, but just about stepping in and trying to play steady and jumping into the playoff action again after taking what, two weeks off or whatever, that was a big adjustment as well. I felt good with how it developed in the second game.

SCOTT NIEDERMAYER: Yeah, I think those two things combined are my strength. I'm not the biggest guy out there. I'm not the most physical. I can't really on those things. That's probably what I do is use my skating to get into position and try to figure out what the play is going to develop and try to close it down with my skating.

SCOTT NIEDERMAYER: No, not really. I like them right out of the box. So I guess after a few weeks of sharpening, I put a new set of steel in, but other than that, nothing too fancy.

SCOTT NIEDERMAYER: I don't like them too sharp.

SCOTT NIEDERMAYER: I think for the most part over the last four or five games this team has played well. I think in Game 2, obviously there was a letdown there, for sure, but over the last four, five, six games, we've been playing pretty well, and I think that gives us confidence that we are going to come out and have another good game tomorrow

BOBBY HOLIK: Really, there's no difference right now. We have to continue to try and play our best, and it's a long way from anything being done here and both teams know that. We just have to continue focusing on being our best. I think what my opinion was, because we had -- we didn't have the last chance, we want to make sure the changes go exactly the way we want, because, you know, we go out on the ice first, so maybe with Carpy with more experience, it worked, but whatever the reason was, it worked for us.

BOBBY HOLIK: Maybe. He overlooks -- no, not necessarily. But he helped Larry to see, you know, see what's happening, because sometimes it's a lot, with a game like this was last night, if you want to get the right players matched up with the right players on the other team. I don't know if that was the reason, but to me, it appeared that way.

BOBBY HOLIK: Too soon to tell. There's no way to compare this year against last year, unless -- until it's all over. So, we are still working on being successful. I know a lot of teams would be happy in this situation, but we are not. We are not where we wanted to be. We have a long way too long.

SCOTT GOMEZ: You know, that's what -- we've got away from that, but at the same time, it's got to start like that. You know it, would be nice -- it would be great if we played another game like that. That really build the confidence. I thought after Game 1, we -- you know, we were kind of thinking that way. Then we -- you know, we came out in Game 2 and we got the lead and then -- yeah, I think it's important. If we can really build confidence, we play a good game and maybe get something rolling. Just like you say, we've been up and down, we've been inconsistent and when you get into that, it can be find of tough, but I think we should start.

SERGEI BRYLIN: I don't know, I don't think so. But it seems like there are occasions it works; we play better on the road than we do at home, but I don't know. Probably maybe we just -- you know we are not trying to put any show on the road, we are just playing simple hockey. That's what makes us successful, I think.

SERGEI BRYLIN: Second game is always, you know, toughest game. First game, you are so excited to be back and the adrenaline is going, but last night it was kind of tough start for me. I couldn't free-skate; I had no legs. But later in the game, I felt fine. Second and third period, I think I was skating pretty well.