NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: DEVILS v SENATORS

May 13, 2003

Pat Burns

COACH BURNS: That and other things. I don't think just the penalty killing. I thought first four penalties we got there was a couple that were deserved for sure. But our penalty killing has been good all year long so I don't think it has changed there. I thought that we had a lot of energy. We had good legs. We were rested. I thought all those things really fell into place.

COACH BURNS: I don't know if that's -- I don't know if that's a stat you can really go with and say that that makes the difference in a game. You can score one goal, they can come back and pound two on you then it doesn't mean anything anymore. I won't worry about that. I think we look at the overall game. I think our start was better. Even though we were killing penalties I thought our start was much better.

COACH BURNS: They are still good and creative. Nobody is changing our thinking on that. They are a good hockey club, but so are we. We are a team that deserves to be where we are today because we worked at it all year long. We didn't come in here through luck like everybody said. We had to battle our way through during the regular season like everybody else. And we will to battle our way through two rounds of the Playoffs. Nobody gave us much credit for the regular season or the Playoffs. I think now it's a situation where -- they are an excellent club. We reacted to something and I am sure they will react to something. That's normal.

COACH BURNS: Meaningless. Meaningless. I don't think that you can say that. That could change -- this is the Playoffs; this is different. Again just like -- I just stated we reacted to a bad first period the other night and came back and almost pulled through. Tonight we -- you know, it was different. Now, I know with the talent and skill level and the fundamental hockey club they have they are going to react. These are two good well-structured hockey clubs. You are going to have some back and forth. We said this could be a long series and it could be.

COACH BURNS: That's why he should be the MVP in the League and that's why there's no question in my mind that he should be the Vezna winner because he has done it all year long.

COACH BURNS: Huge goal. 2-1 game like that and the end of the second you score one that kind of hurts them a little bit.

COACH BURNS: They had 7 instead of 5. I don't mind if they call it. But sometimes you get upset just to get a point across.

COACH BURNS: I don't know. You will have to ask Jacques that. I don't know if I am in position to answer that.

COACH BURNS: I liked it. I think it was a decision that we talked about and had to make. I think that you know, it's a situation where you know, we felt we had to do that one. We felt that we would give a little bit more. I don't think they -- they didn't -- Albelin scored a big goal but I don't think it was the decision of the game or the decision of the century. It wasn't something that really made that much difference. Big four defensemen played most of the ice time, but I don't think they made any plays or got us in trouble. I don't think Smehlik or Albelin did anything. Got to give credit to Richard. He hasn't played in a while. Played in over a month. He came in, we told him to keep it simple. That's what he did. He gives us size back there. Around the net he's a big strong guy he knows a lot of those Czechoslovakian players over there. He knows how they play. I thought that to would be a little bit of an advantage for us. I think the decision Lou made of us going back home was a good decision. We were rested. You could tell he had energy.

COACH BURNS: Nobody wants to get pulled from a lineup. Nobody wants to get scratched. I think that's all part of it. It's not being punished. I don't think we are punishing these guys. I think it is a question of we feel that making a change at one point in time is sometimes a breath of fresh air. It's something that the guys go, whoa, let's go here and it picks up a team. But I won't call it a punishing stretch. We are not blaming anything on those two individuals in the last game. There was a situation where they maybe gave a couple of -- gave have away too many but I am sure they watched the game tonight and we told them to watch it tonight. You should look at it because more than likely you will probably get back in there along the way somewhere.