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NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: BRUINS v BLACKHAWKSJune 22, 2013Joel QuennevilleCHICAGO, ILLINOIS: Game Five THE MODERATOR: Questions for Coach. Q. What is it that allows at this time of year guys like Shaw and Paille, bottom six forwards, to make such a major impact and get game winners in such big games? COACH QUENNEVILLE: We found throughout this Playoffs, it's a lot of games and a lot of nights. The top lines, whether they neutralize one another, the production might come from those second, third and fourth lines that somebody jumps up, scores a big goal. Obviously scoring is not always high most nights. Last game was kind of a fluke. But at the same time we don't care who scores goals for us as long as we get some production. A lot of nights it could be any line that can score. We feel we've got some balance on our lines and all lines are capable of making plays and scoring. I think Boston has got a capable lineup. Q. When the teams are so evenly matched, does home ice mean less or does mean more? COACH QUENNEVILLE: We're happy to be home. Certainly we've done some good things this in building. Excitement right off the bat is going to be real. Let's take advantage of it. We did in the first two games here. We didn't sustain it Game 2, but certainly we know we had it going in a tough building to win a game. Let's take advantage of where we're at today. Q. Will Hossa play tonight and how does he compare now to maybe where he was a few days ago? COACH QUENNEVILLE: He's fine. He's going to play, and we'll say he should be better. Q. Your comment on Jonathan Toews' words about Chara, are there certain ways we can expose him, we can out work him? COACH QUENNEVILLE: Well, I know that's an ongoing battle, ongoing challenge. Big minutes, big man, positionally strong and aware. I just think that whether you're going away from him or at him, you've got to do some things to play in your favor. But it's not an easy job, and it's not an easy challenge. But I think no matter who we're out there against we want to try to make them play more in their own end and we want to make sure the most important thing is we get to the net. Q. Piggy‑backing off my initial question, but here in the final two or three games, do you need your stars to play and produce like stars as you got in the last game, Toews, Kane, each getting goals? COACH QUENNEVILLE: Yeah, you'd love to see some production across the board, but it's tight out there and usually those guys, a lot of games, whether they've got the top match up defensively and they've got a top line offensively that knows how to play in their own end. So scoring is limited in a lot of games and scoring opportunities are even tighter. But it's tough to forecast and predict that type of stuff. You've got a balanced lineup and scoring might be tough, but I don't care where it comes from. Q. Coming into this series in all the Playoffs, I think you guys have only given up three goals on the penalty kill, four in this series, I believe. Is there anything that's changed from then? Are you pleased with the effort at this point? COACH QUENNEVILLE: Yeah, I think they've done some different things. You look at the last game, one had the puck on our stick and the another one was bounced over from the glass, bounced on top of the net right on top of their stick. I think the way we're doing things and evolving what they're doing to us is something that we'll always be continuing to move forward and aware of. But we scored a shorthanded goal last game, which is big for us, as well. I just think just continue to try to be aware of what they're up to and nullify as best we can. Q. Two questions: In your opinion how is the ice this morning, and do you agree as most people believe that a better ice serves your team better against most teams, maybe even this opponent, as well, because of your speed? COACH QUENNEVILLE: I thought the ice was fine today. It's kind of one of those days with the humidity and it will be a little warmer out there today. But the building and the Playoffs have been fine, the ice has been fine. We talked about that going into that game against Detroit with the stones, and I think everybody had no problem with the ice. I think sometimes late in periods you've got to know that it gets a little bit worn out in both buildings, and you've got to be smart in those areas. Q. A bunch of goals this series off deflections from the point. As a former D man, is there a certain skill or awareness to shooting from the point that allows the best possible chance at reflections? COACH QUENNEVILLE: Yeah, there's definitely a thought process going into what's going to give you a chance of getting not just the puck through to the net and a chance to get deflected, you've got to make sure that you've got to get them off the ice and you've got to make sure there's a lane there. You need some luck around the net, too, the bounces going your way, whether it hits the stick or a shin pad off of one of their players, and sometimes it's a second opportunity. So just getting it through is what we're looking to do. I'm sure they're thinking the same way. They've got some big point shooters, but sometimes they have been finding a way through. I think quick sticks at the net, whether you see it or not, be there. Q. Not just on the ice but off the ice, how is Viktor Stalberg handled this post‑season, the couple of benchings, the limited ice time? How has he been in the room with you and handling it? COACH QUENNEVILLE: Well, I think nobody wants to miss games. Everybody wants to play, especially time of the year. It's a process that we're going through as a team, and as players you've got to adapt to it. Keep yourself ready, keep yourself in tune. We were telling Viktor at the top of the series, You could be coming in at the most important game of your life and our season, so be ready, keep yourself in the right frame of mind and have the right approach. I thought he's been fine when he got injected into the lineup and I think he's progressing on the right track. Q. You guys are essentially going into Game 6 with all the overtimes and when you look at the two games here, and how close the teams are, as a coach, do you prepare for it at all going into a game, the possibility of it in terms of how you deal with your lineup and so on? COACH QUENNEVILLE: Well, I think that whether you're looking at the length of a game going into it, I think you're playing to win the game in 60 minutes. I think that's your thought process. As you go along you're just dealing with trying to play the game accordingly afterwards. We like playing games. When I say that, games in close proximity. We feel having a balanced lineup of using four lines keeping everybody in tune and fresh in the games. So we'll look to play the game like it's a 60‑minute game and go from there. Q. They've talked a lot about your quick starts in most of these games in this series. How much of that has to do with your speed through the neutral zone and how much has to do with getting the puck deep and puck possession early in games? COACH QUENNEVILLE: Well, I think that we always talk about getting off to a strong start, be it here or away. I think that we've been pretty consistent in our preparation all year long. I commend the veterans and leaders in the room for getting the guys focused in the room. Preparation is important, but at the same time, whether it's the speed or the simplicity of how we want to start games or attack teams is something that could be it. But I want to make sure that we always prioritize the importance of the start. Q. Has it been a challenge for you personally dealing with the momentum swings game to game in this series? COACH QUENNEVILLE: Well, I think both teams come out of Games 1 and 2 with a big let‑down knowing that they were there and it was a huge disappointment one way, and we had a huge win in Game 1. So it was good feeling, bad feeling. Exiting Game 3, certainly we definitely got our attention losing back‑to‑back games and trying to get that momentum out of their building was something if we felt we could win that game, we're sitting exactly where we wanted to be coming here for Game 5. Momentum in this playoff has probably swung both ways several times. Let's try to sustain it here, and we know the importance of having it, especially in the Finals. Q. After scoring six goals last game, is there a balance between feeling confident that you can score against this team and guarding against the mindset that you've figured this out? COACH QUENNEVILLE: Offensively, I don't thing we want to think that we're going to be scoring at that rate. I know scoring has been tough the prior two games, and we haven't generated a ton of scoring chances. Last game, we had some higher quality looks than we've seen throughout the series. But tough to forecast what's going to play on that front. Let's know that we can't give up the quality we gave up last game, and I think that having a better, more consistent approach, both sides of the puck, and knowing that it'll probably be tighter played by both teams, knowing that. Taking advantage of the score and the clock and how you position yourself throughout the periods, I think that'll be reflected by the score. Q. Rate the difference in winning the face‑offs in Game 3 and Game 4 and how that affected the result. Was it as big a deal as we might think? COACH QUENNEVILLE: I think it played a part early on in the game. I thought we were much more effective than in the prior game. They got better as the game went on. I just think starting with the puck is key. I think having it against this team is important. When you're at a disadvantage, that big of a variance, you're definitely against it, and I think especially in the big face‑offs, the critical ones, especially starting special teams plays a huge importance. In that scenario we've got to make sure that we're better at it. Q. A lot of the talk about the Bruins is their ability to come back in games and whether it's a product of what they did in the first round with Toronto, but at the same time last game, your team showed the ability when Boston was bringing it on, you kind of counterpunched and took it back. Where does that come from on your bench in that Boston is a team that just seems to give other teams the feeling that they're getting back into it, your team fights back. COACH QUENNEVILLE: Well, we came back in Game 1 two goals late. When we were pressing or the ability to make plays, there's a lot of guys in our locker room or on the bench that can deliver, the back end being active, as well. And sometimes when you're pressing offensively it's probably easier to manufacture with the risk behind you, as well. When you've got the lead, I'm not so sure we want to be in that exchange of high quality. I like the response when we made it 3‑2 and up 4‑2 and obviously 5‑5 and then 6‑5, obviously scoring some big goals there. But we feel there's production throughout our lineup. At the same time let's not get carried away knowing that we've just got to think of one side of the puck. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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