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NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: KINGS v BLACKHAWKS


June 6, 2013


Bryan Bickell

Viktor Stalberg


LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Game Four

THE MODERATOR:  Questions, please.

Q.  Viktor, you talked about Duncan yesterday.  Hearing the suspension, were you surprised?  How do you press on without him?
VIKTOR STALBERG:  Yeah, you know, it's unfortunate that happens.  But it's part of the game.  They made a decision.  We'll respect that.  Do our best without him here tonight.
It's a big loss for us.  I'm sure other guys will step up and be able to fill his minutes without a problem.

Q.  Viktor, can you talk about your post‑season.  Didn't start out the way you want it to, now coming on.
VIKTOR STALBERG:  To be honest, I'm not really disappointed how it's been.  I think it started out pretty good.  I thought our line was effective the first series.  It was a big part of us winning that series.
Whatever happened after that, happened.  Put it behind you, try to go on and play our game.
I feel like we've been playing well this series, as well.  Just don't seem to get our bounces around the net.  Do everything you can to keep working hard.  At the end of the day, hopefully you work hard enough and it's going to start going in at some point.
Can't look at the numbers too much.  I think as a group we've been playing well.  Look to keep improving as we go along.

Q.  Bryan, this is the first with Duncan being out.  How confident are you top to bottom?
BRYAN BICKELL:  It's been like that the whole season.  You know, if someone comes out, someone steps in.  I know Dunks missing this one game, there will be big minutes spread around our D.
Last game wasn't our best game.  We just need to bounce back and bring it tonight.

Q.  In the last game, obviously it was tough getting some space to operate.  Talk about the importance of that.
BRYAN BICKELL:  We need to stick to our game plan.  I know the first half of the game we were doing the opposite of what we wanted to do.  Then the third, we realized the situation we were in, then we picked up our game.
We kept it simple.  We were going to the net for second and third opportunities.  We need to bring that at the start of the game today.

Q.  Bryan, the D men have been pretty aggressive moving forward to create scoring chances.  Will that change at all with Duncan out tonight?
BRYAN BICKELL:  No, I don't think so.  I know it's good for the forwards to see the pressure on the blueline, keep offensive chances going.  For the D jumping in the rush, it helps us forwards, gives more opportunities to get more scoring opportunities off that.
But, you know, I don't think it's going to change.

Q.  Viktor, Hjalmarsson was talking yesterday about how the forwards let the defense down, there wasn't enough coming back and helping.  That's a big part of the team game you play.  With Duncan out, does that make it even more difficult?
VIKTOR STALBERG:  As forwards, we need to help out no matter who is playing back there.
With Dunks out, we have to take more responsibility.  Last game, it's not the way we wanted to play.  We didn't have enough speed.  No one was really helping each other out, supporting the puck.  Kind of led to us standing still.  That's not how we're going to be successful.  Simple as that.
We're a speed team that's going to generate offense by skating and using our feet.
Didn't do it last game.  We'll be back here tonight doing that.

Q.  Somewhere in the back of your head are you thinking, Everyone is watching now, this is where we can make an impact?
VIKTOR STALBERG:  Yeah, I think people are watching you all year.  Certainly there's more eyes on you at this point of the year.
You try not to think too much about it.  It's about winning right now and doing everything you can for the team.  Whatever happens, we'll take care of that.  Right now it's about this group, this team, winning right now.
BRYAN BICKELL:  I concur (laughter).

Q.  Speaking of that, your dad told one columnist that you started figure skating at five, that he has a picture of you in a tutu somewhere.  Can you confirm that that picture exists?
BRYAN BICKELL:  Yes, yes.  I did start figure skating.  It was more can skating, we call it.  I think my parents going into the hockey, they wanted to teach me how to skate first, then learn the hockey.
But, yeah, there's a picture floating around somewhere.  He says it's on the wall.  It's not on the wall.  He's making that up.
It was all in good fun.  You know, it is what it is.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
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