|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: BRUINS v BLACKHAWKSJune 21, 2013Joel QuennevilleCHICAGO, ILLINOIS: Practice Day THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Joel, how are you able to kind of get the offense opened up a little bit more after games 1, 2 and 3 were pretty tight? You played more of your style in Game 4. How were you able to do that and how can you do it again? COACH QUENNEVILLE: Well, I think sometimes the games seem to open up, and that game I think we got a lead. I think they had to open up their end of it, as well. All of a sudden pucks going in both ends more frequent than we saw the first three games. Tough to predict that. I think you want to forecast going into games. You want to make sure it's going to be tight. You expect them to play tight. They play with a purpose. We want to make sure defensively there's a purpose there. Offensively we want to make sure we make them play on their end a little bit more going into that game than the prior game for sure. But that's going to be an ongoing challenge. But that's what we want to make sure, that we make them at least turn and let's offense zone time. I thought we got to the net better in the last game than we saw in the first of the series. Q. First three games it seemed like you spent a lot of time on match‑ups, and Game 4 you just played your team and didn't worry about it as much. Is that the approach for Game 5 or now that you're at home, do you go back to it? COACH QUENNEVILLE: Yeah, I think the first two games at home here we were rolling lines, and even in their building Game 3. I think basically our focus is to get all four lines rolling in the game. The lines might have changed in a couple of the games. But we like the rotation, we like the balance in our lines right now. I think that we've got some production across the board basically. Every game is different, and we'll see how the game plays out tomorrow. Q. Any significance to Hossa missing practice and Mayers skating in his place? COACH QUENNEVILLE: No. We did that in the morning skate the other day. Hossa is fine. Q. What are the benefits and also the challenges of facing Rask night after night after night at this point? COACH QUENNEVILLE: Well, every game is different. You want to make sure that he doesn't get too comfortable. I thought we were very accommodating Game 3 as far as where we put the puck off the forecheck. A lot of right in his glove, no traffic, saw every shot. So I think we want to make sure that if we can get to the net is what we would try to focus on. Make it challenging for him finding pucks, and more pucks at the net. Put it in place when it does go to the net is what we would look forward to. They don't make it ease any that area, but that's our challenge. Q. Corey Crawford was sort of joking that last series people thought he was having trouble with the blocker side. Here he is the winning goalie, and yet he seems to be getting a lot of the attention over the glove, and just how he's handling that. COACH QUENNEVILLE: He's fine. I think that the scrutiny of goaltending at any stage of the season is at a different level of any other player, and I guess it's even more out there now that you're in the Finals. But Corey just seems to move forward whatever the challenge is, the next shot, the next game. He's excited about the opportunity. We're excited about what he accomplished. He won a big game for us, and that's where we're at. We're in a good spot, and he's moving forward, as well. I just think we want to make sure that we play strong in front of him and don't give up as many quality chances as we had in the last game. Q. Michal Rozsival had a pretty productive night the other night. What's been working well for him? And the second part is what's it mean to have a veteran who's had experiences like him come on the team? COACH QUENNEVILLE: He's been a real nice fit to our team since the start of the season. Rosy is productable, experienced, patience level with the puck is something we haven't in some time in that role. Only played half the games, but deserved a lot more minutes than that. Even the games he did play probably deserved to have more meaningful minutes. We felt when he did get more ice time and take on more challenges that we were comfortable with him against anybody on the ice. I think in that role, in that position, it really enhanced our overall team game. I think the depth of our defense from the outset of the season was probably the greatest improvement from last year to this year, and I think he's one of the big factors in that area. He's been productive all year long. You look at whether it's plus/minus, his patience with the puck and sometimes he has points to reflect it. His direct plays and putting the puck in right areas when there's no direct plays is very complementary to our team game. Q. There's a lot of big names on this team, Patrick Sharp sometimes flies under the radar, but just like in 2010, he seems to be the most consistent producer you have. Is he just a guy that embraces the spotlight? COACH QUENNEVILLE: Well, Sharpy has had a good playoff and I thought he scored a huge goal for our power play and for himself and for our team. The last few games, he seems like he's getting the puck a lot more and getting opportunities around the net. I thought that line was extremely dangerous last game, as well. Had a couple of better looks when he scored, too. So it was nice to see him in that area. Certain guys get opportunities and certain guys get a little bit more attention than others come Playoff time. But like we said all along, we don't care who scores, but we like the fact that he's been productive. Q. How if at all, do expectations change for Marian Hossa now that he's not practicing? He's obviously fighting something. And can you expect him to be the same player that he has been for you guys all year? COACH QUENNEVILLE: Yeah, we expect him to be the same. I think that one thing about Hoss, production offensively or responsibility defensively, complementing our team game in all facets of the game is what we look for. That consistency of what he brings day in, day out to our game is what makes him a special player and a valuable addition to our team. I think that all areas we're going to be leaning on him. No matter where we put him, you know he's going to get the job done. So I think we would expect him to be feeling a lot more comfortable even going into tomorrow's game. Q. How much does home ice advantage mean at this point of the series? COACH QUENNEVILLE: Well, we're happy to be home for sure. I know that losing Game 2 here was definitely a tough ending, and we had to get something in their building, so we want to take advantage of being at home. I know we had a big start here in Game 2, didn't sustain it. We're looking forward to taking advantage right from the outset of the noise and excitement in the building and use it in our favor. But sustaining it, that's what we'll be looking for. Q. Marian said he was limited and wasn't 100 percent. Even in that stage limited, what can he give you and how valuable is it that he goes out there even though he can't go 100 percent? COACH QUENNEVILLE: Well, yeah, I liked his contribution last game. Like I said that line was very effective for us. They generated a lot and useful in areas. I think defensively, too, you know Hossa is always going to be in the right spot and not give up anything on that end of it. Very happy to use him whatever number you want to say percentage that he's ready at. I think everybody has different limitations, but everybody is giving it their all. Q. Just back to Patrick Sharp, as long as we've been covering the team he seems to be that guy in the room who does his part to keep things loose, kind of a prankster and I know guys were bugging him after his goal celebration. Can you address when you have that good of a player who's also that personal in the room, how much value it is this time of year? COACH QUENNEVILLE: We've been through it, young guys that are working their way through it, and I think he helps with the younger guys. Knowing that I think at this stage of the game you don't want to get ahead of your experience, and that experience of past years or a couple years ago is certainly valuable. I think that his recognition of those type of guys, where they're at today, is very beneficial for our team and for our staff. Saying the right things, doing the right things, I think the guys have all had a pretty good contribution of making sure the guys that haven't been there are groomed properly and making sure the focus is in the right place. Q. What more do you need to see from Nick Leddy, or is his lack of ice team more about the other guys playing well? COACH QUENNEVILLE: I think we expect Nick to get back to playing more in tomorrow's game. I think as the game progressed last game, not getting him out there against the match‑up that we were looking was there, too. Then late in the game we didn't go there. I thought the five guys in our rotation were getting the job done. But every game is different, but he brings a nice guy from our back end that can move the puck and defend and do what we need him to do to get involved in the attack, as well, offensively. We be look forward to getting him more involved, as well tomorrow. Q. How pleased were you with the play of Viktor Stalberg during the last two games particularly the play with that line with Shaw? COACH QUENNEVILLE: Yeah, I think when you look at that line as a whatever number you want to quantify it or qualify it as, scoring off the rush, making plays, and spending some time in the offensive zone, they are all dangerous when they have the puck, make plays around the net. Got quick sticks. It's a line we hadn't gone to all year, but it's a line that is very dangerous, both on the attack and in zone. Make sure that defensively they do the right things so they can have the puck a lot. Like we said just a while ago, we like the four‑line rotation that we come out of that game with, and I think that's a line that could jump up and score a couple of big goals for us. Q. Of all the goalies you've coached over the years, which ones took it the most personally when they had a sub‑par game and where would you put Corey in that mix of guys who like to bounce back after? COACH QUENNEVILLE: Well, I've had so many goalies it's tough to go back there. But just talking about Corey's situation, Corey has had some games, whether it's a tough goal or a tough game. We had a big third period and he rallied and we rallied and got back and saw that in Game 7, as well. I think when you look at him, no matter the game, the situation, he's moving forward, finding the next puck and settling down and doing what he can do to control the next shot and save. His demeanor is the same. So I think he's in the right place. Q. Some of the guys were saying Boston's power play has been varying their looks pretty consistently and making things difficult. Do you see your PK getting back to where it was in the previous series? COACH QUENNEVILLE: Yeah, just looking back at the two goals last game, you look at the first one was one of those goals that, okay, I think it was very fortunate on their part. And then the next one was a bounce over the glass, bounce over the net, in front of the net right on their sticks. Sometimes they're going to go in. I don't think we did things that generated production. But hey, they've got some guys with patience with the puck and they've got some guys that can make plays and they've got some big shooters, so that's always an ongoing challenge. Q. (No microphone). COACH QUENNEVILLE: We're going to use him on the PK. We used him a little bit last week, too. Q. Boston seems to get a lot of credit in the series as a defensive club, but you guys are the ones that won the Jennings Trophy this year. What do you guys do when you're doing your best defensively? COACH QUENNEVILLE: I think pressuring the puck and taking away time and space and eliminating time in our own end is the best way we like to play our game. What we think the best defense is a good offense, having the puck and making them defend is what we try to do. Forcing the puck up ice as quickly as possible and have five guys basically in an area where they're all together offensively or defensively when the time rises and very active D on the offensive side of things. But make sure that when we are defending we're committed to that. Q. Your team is 8‑1 after Game 3 in the Playoffs this year. I was wondering if you thought is that just a coincidence or do you think there is kind of a learning curve that you go through each series and kind of figure out what teams are trying to do to neutralize your speed and skill? COACH QUENNEVILLE: I think every game is different, every series has been different. When you look back at the next game, whether it's momentum, whether it's that game particularly, it's tough to say what was the difference between 4, 5, 6. I just thought we had a real solid game last game. We knew we had to win on the road, put us exactly where we wanted to be exiting that game. Momentum is important in the Playoffs, even more so we think in the Finals. Let's take advantage of it. Q. The power play the other night, they finally converted. Do you think that will give the team more confidence starting tomorrow night? COACH QUENNEVILLE: I think it's going to help. Definitely the guys were pressing a little bit more in those situations. I thought there was a play recognition patience with the puck in certain areas. Obviously the production could help get them even more comfortable in those areas as we go along here. We're going to need our power play to score again, but that was certainly a big goal for us. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|