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NHL STADIUM SERIES: RANGERS v ISLANDERSJanuary 29, 2014Alain VigneaultNEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK RANGERS – 2 ALAIN VIGNEAULT: I see everybody's staying where it's warm. Q. Interpreting the win, how much do you feel that luck played a part tonight for your win? ALAIN VIGNEAULT: I think like in any game teams work hard. They make their luck in their bounces. Obviously, tonight the conditions, the puck was bouncing quite a bit for both teams. It made it challenging to make plays with the puck. But I thought for the most part both teams battled really hard. It was a very competitive game and we were able to put one more past their goaltender than they were able to put past ours. Q. Do you think having the ability to play on Sunday and come back gives you an advantage to know what to expect tonight? ALAIN VIGNEAULT: I don't think so. I don't think it took them a long time to figure out that the puck was bouncing, and that it was going to be challenging as far as making the plays that sometimes you're capable of making with the puck. But I do feel in today's game or tonight's game our response after they scored, how quickly they responded really helped us in that third period. I thought in the third period we had better looks and good, quality chances and we were able to get it done. Q. When you used Carcillo he was a guy that you brought in and didn't cost much. But what affect has he had on your team? ALAIN VIGNEAULT: Well, he brings energy like we expected him to bring. He brings bite to that line. That line can give us with Brian and Dom can give us some good, greasy offensive shifts where they're spending a little time in the other end. What they've done the last little while, and it's probably why we're winning more games right now is a you need contribution from your whole lineup. We're getting that line that's scored us some big goals. Like they did tonight, that was a huge goal are us on that third period. Q. Can you pinpoint anything specifically about the Rangers ability to play outdoors? ALAIN VIGNEAULT: Yeah, I don't think there is anything specific. We knew the conditions were going to be a little challenging coming in. It was a little bit nippy out there. I don't know how it was in the stands, but it was a little bit nippy. We tried to play with the elements that were and the quality of the ice. I don't know if it was the ice or whatever, but it made it challenging for the players. But for the most part I thought we did a pretty good job. Q. You talked a little bit already about Carcillo and Dom. But you've got Carcillo scoring the game winner tonight. Dominic Moore contributing a few points the other day. I know you weren't here, but Mike Rupp scored two goals in the win against Philadelphia two years ago. Do these types of games lend themselves to the non‑traditional scorers maybe plotting a few home? ALAIN VIGNEAULT: That's a tough question. I think throughout an 82‑game schedule different guys have to step up on different nights so that your team has success on these nights. It was Rupp a couple years ago. It was Dom last night, and tonight Carcillo stepped up at an important time, and that's why we won. Q. Big four points in a tight conference right now, outside of the whole Stadium Series, all the extracurricular stuff, what is the biggest, positive thing you've seen from your team as a whole here gelling these past couple games? ALAIN VIGNEAULT: Our guys are definitely getting themselves well prepared to play whichever opponent we're playing. We know that all the games are going to be tough and challenging. They're going to be hard‑fought. Again, even in the New Jersey game, it was a 7‑3 game, there weren't a lot of chances on both sides. We were just able to bury ours. Tonight it was a hard‑fought chance. They're going to be very close, and we were able to score one more than they were. That goal that Pouliot scored at the end of the second I think really helped us moving forward and definitely helped us in that third period. Q. What did you learn about these two teams during the Stadium Series? ALAIN VIGNEAULT: We can play through cold, I guess. Tonight some of those shots where our guys went down to block some of those I'm going, oh, that must hurt a little bit. Because it was, to say the least, very nippy. We had some big blocked shots. Callahan at one point, Marc Staal in at another point, they were coming right down. It takes a lot of courage to do those things on a night like this. Our guys did it, and we've got to keep doing it if we want to win and get into the playoffs. Q. Once you got the skate and the family skate and all the fun stuff out of the way on Saturday, did the focus from then turn from having two Outdoor Games to having two division games? Did things change from there? ALAIN VIGNEAULT: The focus changed on one game at a time. We got ready for Jersey. We had a game plan there. Tonight we got ready for the Islanders who they've given us a really tough time. That top line is one of the most dynamic lines I've seen in this game.  All young players, all guys that can skate and move the puck. Maybe tonight the fact that it was a little bit challenging made it a little bit tougher for them. We won the game, and we're going to get ready for our next match‑up on Friday against them. Q. How close is this club to achieving elite status? What do you have to do to get there? ALAIN VIGNEAULT: I don't understand the question. Q. Elite status, like Bruins and top 5? How close are you? ALAIN VIGNEAULT: I think right now we're one of the ten teams that's fighting to get in. I don't pay a lot of attention to the status that we're in. We're in a one game, one‑game‑at‑a‑time mentality. We're trying to win our share of games and that's not going to change. Q. Talk about the team trying to forge an identity. Now that you guys have surpassed that 500 mark and got some traction, do you see the identity of the team and personality emerging? ALAIN VIGNEAULT: Well, I think one of the things that I know we're doing better is we're defending better in certain areas. The way we're defending permits us to be a little quicker on our transition. Our transition permits us to use our speed, and our speed is a big weapon to this team. We've got a lot of fast players that push back the other team's defense, and I think we've been using that element a lot better. Q. One of the things you've talked about all year long has been your power play and it's been successful. It's also been one of the stronger units in the league. What is the difference tonight and throughout the season? ALAIN VIGNEAULT: Well, penalty killing starts with great goaltending. We've gotten some good goaltending lately. That, combined with Ulfie has been working really hard with the personnel we've used on there. Our structure is good. Our guys are willing to get in lanes, take passing lanes away and block the shots that need to be blocked. When you do that, you have a good opportunity to be one of the good penalty killing teams in the league. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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