NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: DEVILS v SENATORS

May 20, 2003

Pat Burns

COACH BURNS: We had a good meeting this morning and talking to the players, I put the question to them: If we would have said in September we would be in a situation where we would be in Game 6 up 3-2 up against the best team in the National Hockey League, everybody would have accepted that. I think that's the position we are in right now. They are a very good team. It was the best team in the League. I have said it and they have shown it. They are a good team and we have to be prepared for that. It's not just going to happen. If anybody here believes that it's just going to happen, it's not. We have to make it happen ourselves.

COACH BURNS: Well,whether it becomes real important or not that I wouldn't say it's -- it is important but I wouldn't say it's the whole pivotal point of the hockey game because we have proven both ways. We have scored first and we have struggled and we have -- they have scored first and they have struggled. So I am just talking about momentum of the hockey game, of the emotions, because of the structure of both teams, two good teams and this is what Playoffs is all about. Playoffs is about inches. It is about breaks, it's about bounces. This is what it is all about. That's what makes it fun. That's what makes it interesting and that's what makes it a great sport. At this point in time where we are right now, there's three teams remaining who scratched and pulled to get to the position they are and it's all about going up and down, and emotions and you know, you can look for errors, you will find mistakes on the ice, you will. Because if there was never a mistake I'd say there would never be a goal. But it might be an inch over the top of the goaltender's glove instead of some, you know, it happens that way. That's how come these momentum swings change.

COACH BURNS: What mistakes are you talking about?

COACH BURNS: If you don't know them -- you have to tell me what they are then I can tell you how we're going to fix them.

COACH BURNS: An overall better game, that's all.

COACH BURNS: Not really anything. I just explained the whole thing. It is about two good teams playing for a chance to go on. Home ice really doesn't really make a difference right now. Record doesn't make a difference.

COACH BURNS: Well, again, it's all a question of regroup. You can talk about mistakes all you want, but it's a question: Are you regrouping the troops and being positive with them and talking about going forward? It's not what we did last night that makes any difference today. It's what we're going to do tomorrow night. That's the whole thing. I can sit there and show videotapes all day of every little missed pass or bad pass that we made, but that's not going to accomplish nothing. It is what we're going to do well tomorrow night. The bouncing back part, I think it all has to do with character. I think they have the character. They -- I compared them to the hazing victims the other day and they were. They bounced back from that in one period they came right at us, and bounced back. Now the ball is our court to do the same thing. Good news is we have two chances do it. They have one.

COACH BURNS: We'll see that too. We're going to discuss that tonight, and we'll see that tomorrow.

COACH BURNS: I will put the question to you. How would you like to see a game? Would you like to see a lot of penalties or would you like to see flow and action? I think anybody here would say yes. I don't have a problem with what was called yesterday. I have a problem with what wasn't called yesterday. I don't think that there were penalties that changed the whole -- I just disagree with the calls at this point in time of the season - where the flow is so important -- nobody is going to go out and do something real stupid to really get a penalty at this time of year. I think both teams, the coaches have cautioned their players about it. Little minor hookings and holdings, that's all part of competing right now. That's the big thing. And I think both teams have been scolded and told about it. I don't think anybody is going to go out and do something real dumb.

COACH BURNS: I never really counted them. I don't know, but it's a good point. You probably have the stats. I know you are great on the stats. You probably have it. It could be, but you know, it depends how the crowd re -- I don't think the crowd reaction makes a real difference now. I think the more the referees you see now, the more experienced they are, the more they have been through these situations. That I think -- that's the safe part; that's where I feel good. I know you are going to have guys that have been around for a while who have been through these things before that they have, you know, I have confidence in those guys now. The other guys who are younger and will be there one day, but it is like a young player playing this time of the year ---

COACH BURNS: No, it's just a fact. It's not something we want to do. It's fact. They have one; we have two. It's just a statement. I didn't think that it is a good thing or not. We certainly like to feel -- we would have liked to have finished it last night. But that's the good thing.

COACH BURNS: That and we missed the net. How about that?

COACH BURNS: I don't think so. I just -- I thought -- when you miss the net I almost count it as a turnover because you are giving the puck to the opposing team. You never know what is going -- comes out and ends up on your stick somewhere. Whereas, if you do hit the net then they have to decide -- the goalie has to decide what he has to do with it - rebounds, they are fluttering all over the place. When you miss the net I almost put that down as a turnover.

COACH BURNS: You know what, the percentages weren't that bad because I thought that too but I looked at the percentages today and they weren't that bad. I thought they were worse than the other game that we played here. We had a couple of guys that were like 2 and 13 or something like that. It was close, 46 to maybe 40 something, real close anyways. I didn't think -- I don't think any of the faceoffs were the direct cause of goals. Except the one in the offensive zone where we wanted to get position before we got possession and when they scored on their shorthanded goal, but I thought Gomer battled that faceoff good, we just happened to jump by the puck instead of worried about the puck trying to get into position too quick.

COACH BURNS: It's a powerplay. This isn't Play Station. I wish it was.

COACH BURNS: Like I said, they asked me to evaluate the poor kid. I don't know him. I said that last night I am not a scout. I am a coach. The kid, I saw a couple of shifts, he's a big -- looks like a big strong kid, he has an opportunity. You know, when young players have opportunities like that, you know, most of the time they will jump on it. But whether he was a dominating factor in the game, well, you saw the game. I don't know if he was that dominating.

COACH BURNS: Powerplay play chances?

COACH BURNS: We're going to give them chances on the powerplay. Like I said, that's the powerplay; that's why they call it that. You are at a disadvantage. But they scored one. How many have they scored since the start of the series? They scored one. And you know, it was one of those -- they have the second best powerplay in the League all year; sooner or later the average says they are going to score one or two along the way.

COACH BURNS: We're getting into dangerous water here. We're getting into dangerous water. That's enough of that. Next question.

COACH BURNS: Why would they?

COACH BURNS: Well, I don't know either. I would love to give you an answer to that one, but I don't know how I would answer it. If you are ahead in the series you are ahead in the series. Statistics say that you should be at an advantage if you are ahead in the series, but that's just stats. That's all it is.

COACH BURNS: We have of those big plastic weenies tomorrow night. (Laughter) Weenies versus towels. Anything else?