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NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: BRUINS v BLACKHAWKSJune 11, 2013Jonathan ToewsCHICAGO, ILLINOIS: Practice Day THE MODERATOR: Questions for Jonathan. Q. Talk about the main concerns you and your team has for what Boston can bring to the table when you meet them tomorrow night in Game1. JONATHAN TOEWS: Our concerns? Well, I think we're very aware that it's going to be the toughest series we've had, the toughest team we've faced so far. Basically these guys know how to win. They're a lot like Detroit and Los Angeles. They have so much experience. They didn't get here by luck. They have guys all over their lineup top to bottom, role players, score goals all season, understand what it takes to win. They don't have a lot of holes in their game. We feel like we're the same team. It's just going to come down to who wants it more. I think there's a lot of similarities between these two teams. Again, we have I wouldn't say concerns, but things that we're thinking about and we know we have to be aware of when we go out there and play them tomorrow. For the most part, as it always has been, it's about our preparation, us getting off to a good start in the season. Q. Have you changed as a players since the last time you were on this stage? JONATHAN TOEWS: To be honest with you, I ask myself that question. When pucks weren't really going in, didn't seem to be contributing the way I know I could throughout the playoffs, people say whatever they want to say, but I think when it comes down to it, I haven't let it bother me and I haven't let any of that sort of thing hurt my confidence. I don't think anything in my game has digressed in the last couple years. I think I've only gotten better. I keep wanting to assume more responsibility in all parts of the rink. I want to improve every part of my game. A lot of people on the outside watching, the easy thing to notice, when you score goals, when you score points. At the end of the day, that's how you win games, by scoring goals. I still feel like there's a lot of good things in my game that could change tomorrow. I could score a couple goals, and next thing you know, no one's really worried about that anymore. I know that's the way things are, so I'm not too worried about it. Q. What has Tuukka done so well in the playoffs? JONATHAN TOEWS: I've watched Boston a few games here and there, not that closely where I've noticed anything about him as a goaltender. He's a talented guy. He's a big goaltender. But the video we watched the last couple days of what he does well, we faced some pretty tough goaltenders in the last few series. Nothing changes. We have to make pucks tough to see for him, go for rebounds, second, third chances, all that sort of thing. We'll find ways to score on him. So nothing changes there. Q. (Question regarding team defense.) JONATHAN TOEWS: That's part of our team maturity. We've understood to win games, that's what we have to do. Doesn't matter how much skill you have, I mean, we got skilled players all over our lineup, guys that can make plays, beat players one‑on‑one when they have speed. The more you try to make those fancy plays, the more it's going to end up in your own net. Especially with a short season, throughout the playoffs, how defensive teams play, you can't be out there trying things all the time. You got to be smart, work for your chances. We've understood that all year. I think that's why we've been so consistent, is everyone's bought into that. At the end of the day, guys want to win games. That's the most important thing to us. We have a chance to do something special here. We've all set aside our personal agendas for that. Q. (No microphone.) JONATHAN TOEWS: We've seen every team try to do that to us, stuff after the whistle. It's nothing we're going to get into it. Nothing changes there. Sometimes you boil over a little bit, you get into it. That's the way it is. You can't back down in some situations. For the most part, that's not part of our game and we're not going to get into it. We'll try and carry the play between the whistles. Q. You were three when Jagr first played. How much do you appreciate a guy like that? JONATHAN TOEWS: It's pretty amazing. He was probably one of my favorite players when I was a kid. I think I wore No.68 when I was playing summer hockey a couple summers, had his Coho Jagr stick. I looked up to him. Now here I am getting a chance to play against him in the Stanley Cup Finals. That's pretty amazing. I remember talking about guys like Teemu Selanne this year. I guess Jaromir Jagr, Nicklas Lidstrom, guys like that, when they're not playing anymore, you remember the chance you had to play against them, with them, whatever, realize it's a special honor. Doesn't take away from the competition. You always want to prove yourself regardless of their age. I'll definitely try to take it to him tomorrow. Q. Can you imagine being 41? Would you want to be playing hockey at 41? JONATHAN TOEWS: I won't comment on that. I'll check in with you in about 15 years or so (laughter). Q. (Question regarding the Bruins and Penguins series.) JONATHAN TOEWS: Yeah, I mean, for them to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins is a huge feat. Even more, the way they did it in four games. They didn't take one night off. They found a way to win those tight ones. We know if we get into a tight game, an overtime game, it's going to be a battle that can go either way. Obviously we believe we can come up on the winning side every time. But I think that's what makes you realize how competitive they really are, how tough this series is going to be. I'm sure their confidence is flying high after that series, but they realize it doesn't mean anything now, that we're a different team. Same thing for us. Q. When it's all said and done, you and the Bruins are the only teams to have won two Cups in 10 years... JONATHAN TOEWS: Last time we won it, we had the best summer. There was so much going on, we were in a way relieved to get away from it, get back to training camp, get into the season and everything after that. Once you win the Cup once, you feel like it's yours. You don't want to give it up. We lost in seven games the first round against Vancouver the next year. Doesn't change anything. We wanted to win just as bad. You want to win every single year when you get that chance. I think you look at the final four teams in the Conference Finals this year, there's four teams that have some pretty immediate Cup‑winning experience right there. As a team, as an organization here in Chicago, we definitely want to prove we're that team that means business. We want to be in the hunt for it every single year. Q. Patrick Kane said you're finding new ways to lead this team. Is that true? JONATHAN TOEWS: Maybe. I mean, again, I don't know how that comes off. I know everyone has their tough moments. For the most part, I try and stay positive. I don't think there's any time for any sort of weakness during the playoffs. If you're not scoring, if you're not doing something, if something's not going well, you can always find it in yourself, find a way to bring something good out and help your team in any single way. I don't think there's time to sit there and feel sorry for yourself, let your confidence go down the drain. I mean, I think that's why I take being the captain of this team very seriously. You have to be very unselfish. I keep saying over and over, if you don't score goals, if you don't contribute offensively as much as you think you should be, you can't let that affect you. There's a lot of other things you can go out there to help your team. That's what I've tried to do. Q. You talk about feeling that ownership of the Cup in 2010. Do you remember the feeling the next year, them taking 'your' Cup? JONATHAN TOEWS: Mostly I was glad that Vancouver didn't win. We still felt kind of that someone else was taking our trophy away from us. I guess I meant what I said there, that once you win it once, you feel like you're that team that's good enough to go there and do it again. Here we are. We battled back. Had maybe two tough years where we lost in the first round. You go home pretty disappointed. It's a long off‑season to sit there and think of what you can change, what's going to help you get back to where you want to be. So here we are. We have a great opportunity to get back to where we were in 2010. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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