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NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL: PENGUINS VS SENATORS

May 14, 2017

Zack Smith

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - Practice Day

Q. Game 1 in the books. In your mind's eye before that game, did it go how you wanted it and expected it to go?
ZACK SMITH: There's not a lot of expectations. Don't really know what to expect when you're coming into someone else's building this time of year.

I thought we showed up right from the start, which was a big thing. It's not an easy building to play in. And arguably the best team in the East. So it was a pretty good outcome for the first game of the series.

Q. Your penally killing, especially in the beginning of the game, did that set a tone, do you think, for you guys in the game?
ZACK SMITH: Yeah. If we're going to take penalties, I guess you'd want it at the start of the game before guys get hands and feet under them. In certain cases, it bites you when you're taking penalties. But in other cases, if you can kill those penalties, it can sometimes frustrate the other team and build a little momentum for yourself. It's a pretty fine line. You'd rather not be taking any penalties at the start of the game. It just happened to kind of benefit us, I guess.

Q. With as disjointed perhaps as it was to start that game, how important is it, Zack, the bench management, where you know you're going to have to mix and match lines? You're kind of used to that, I would imagine.
ZACK SMITH: Yeah, that's the thing. We've been able to do it since day one. We're used to playing with different players from shift to shift. I think this late in the year that's helped us. Throughout the games, especially playoffs, guys get hurt, whether it's for the rest of the game or need a few shifts off or something, and it's a transitional line to be able to play different guys.

Q. You are 6-1 in OT in these playoffs. Is there a certain comfort level you have playing in overtime? Do you ever get comfortable?
ZACK SMITH: I don't know comfortable, but you just gain a little momentum from that, from the first one, I guess, in the first round. We've kind of had that feeling from the start, I think, that we have nothing to lose. Don't go out there being afraid to make mistakes. That is something we have learned throughout the season. I think that was part of our game before.

It's nice to go out there, and everyone knows they just need one chance to score. We've had contributions from a lot of different guys out there.

Q. There's a lot of good things that's happened to you in a short period of time as a team. Is it hard to keep your feet grounded, not to let the emotion take over?
ZACK SMITH: You talk about it. I think one of them is stay humble and don't get too ahead of yourself. I think you guys can attest we're a pretty humble group of guys. I don't think we let too much go over our heads.

It's not that we're content to be here. Just happy to make it this far. We want to keep pushing and get better every day. So it's not really a surprise for us, but keeping a level head has been a big part of that.

Q. That said, Zack, in all your years here, have you seen a better focus from this team?
ZACK SMITH: I haven't. It's a totally different feel. This is my seventh year. It's not even so much as quiet confidence, but just trust within the group. We have a great group of guys. Coming in with this team (inaudible). Honestly, it's been amazing throughout the whole playoffs. When you have that confidence behind you too, it's a lot easier to play.

Q. (Inaudible). Any surprise in your mind that he'd have that kind of contribution on that side?
ZACK SMITH: No. Pageau is the kind of guy that plays the same way every night. He goes hard to the net. He does the little things right. It's just a matter of time before he got that opportunity. I think he's used the momentum well. He a key player in our offense. He's a great lineman. To see him out on the puck there, he's playing with the most confidence he's ever played.

It's nice to see a guy like Pageau rewarded with some goals and some points offensively because he's so good on the other side of the puck too.

Q. You guys play a check-the-box game. Being underestimated. Made the playoffs, check the box; beat Boston, check the box; beat the Rangers, weren't supposed to, check the box; going to get swept by Pittsburgh, check that box. Do you guys play that game with yourselves?
ZACK SMITH: In a way. It's new territory for a lot of us being in this situation. Our goal from the start of the year was to make the playoffs. Anything can happen from there. We checked that box. It's the old cliche of one shift at a time, one game at a time. That's what it is. We're able to pull out some wins yesterday and check another box, I guess.

Q. Has it become an advantage to be underestimated?
ZACK SMITH: Yeah. It's not a bad position to be in the underdog spot and be underestimated. It's no surprise.

Q. What's changed with the Senators? How is it different than it was a year ago?
ZACK SMITH: I think in the staff's mind and the players' mind, it's the same identity, but it's actually what we wanted. We're a very consistent team, I think, in the way we play. Predictable within the team and a hard team to play against. It's no secret that the system we play in and the way we play, we don't give up a lot of chances. When we do, we have a solid goaltender right there.

I'm not necessarily sure how to word how it is, but the -- stinginess, I guess, would be a way to describe it.

Q. (No microphone)?
ZACK SMITH: Yeah, it takes a little getting used to. I don't think any of us played in the system we're playing in now. I think you have to be a little more patient without the puck, not nearly as much one-and-done, I guess you'd say. Took a little bit of getting used to.

I guess at the start of the year, guys were trying to find a happy medium between that and getting scoring chances and production. But credit to the coaches who stuck with it and trusted it. I don't think it took that long. Halfway through the year, I think we had a pretty good idea that it's possible to get both ends.

Yeah, it was a bit of a learning curve for a lot of us, but we accepted it, and it's worked for us now.

Q. Did you guys think you'd do as well against Crosby and his line? Because they didn't generate much at all.
ZACK SMITH: Just kind of be aware. They play a very similar style than New York does. They play high and fast. They get the puck, they want to go the other way right away. They create so many chances, and a lot of their goals are from off the rush. We're just aware of that. When we didn't have the puck, we made sure we were back. We played them a little tighter.

At the same time, I think we gave up a few too many chances last night, and we had to make some really good saves. Some of the guys particularly with the deflection shots. I think we'll probably expect better from them. They're a really good team. We've got to be prepared for them and take it to the next level.

Q. That's something you learned in the last round too. After Game 1, the Rangers seemed to get better, and they were able to get through, get a little more offense, especially in Games 2, 3, and 4.
ZACK SMITH: Yeah, we can definitely learn something from the last round. It was a different setup, the first two games at home and then we went into their building. I think we sat back a little too much. They were flying, and we were kind of caught off guard a little bit. It took us two games to kind of get that back. Hopefully, we learned from that.

That just shows you how easily it can -- you know, the momentum can turn. Momentum does not carry over between games. We know that. It's a whole new game every time you step on the ice. So we'll be aware of that.

Q. It's the danger -- it's the good part and the danger of the system too, right? If the structure is not there, it can break with a fast team?
ZACK SMITH: Yeah, they had a couple shifts last game that they showed that. They hemmed us in for over a minute. They have the skill to do that. They put some passes across and caught us flat-footed. They're a pretty special team, and we've just got to be aware and prepared for that.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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