NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: STARS v DEVILS

May 30, 2000

Ken Hitchcock

COACH HITCHCOCK: It was my decision to pull him. He hasn't had too many nights like that.

COACH HITCHCOCK: I don't think the crowd -- the crowd here is -- there is a big difference between the crowd here and the crowd, say, in Edmonton or Colorado. They are very loud there. I think that the extension from Game 7 is irrelevant too.

COACH HITCHCOCK: I think our whole group really struggled in our own zone with the quickness. I don't think we have -- I don't think we have played against a group of forwards this quick before and I think that we made a lot of mistakes because of it. I think that they not only had that line but they had the Gomez line. They had a lot of quickness that we haven't been exposed to. We have had certain players on certain teams who have that but not as a group element that we saw tonight. I also thought the difference in the game was the game really swung on the third goal. The game was 2-1. We were starting to come on early, made a great save on Hull and that play from behind the net, that third goal was a terrific play on Jersey's part. That really swung everything the other way. But I think that we really struggled with some of their quickness in our own zone. We were flat and a step late in a lot of coverage areas with and without the puck. We were just -- we were late and some of our best players were late.

COACH HITCHCOCK: For whatever reason we have played games like this. The only difference between 7-3 and 4-3 has been Belfour. We have had a couple of performances from our team like this and we have always bounced back with a good performance. I think it puts a little bit of the pressure on us now for Game 2, but I think from our standpoint we know we are going to play a better game.

COACH HITCHCOCK: Well, there they are a different team now. With Mogilny and Malakhov they are a different team than they were before. So they are deeper and I just I think that they had a great night. Right off the hop they beat us out of the corner for the first goal. Beat us in the front of the net for a couple of goals. They had a great night. I don't think that we had the necessary response. It didn't matter who we played against them. We didn't have the necessary response, but we were late in a lot of areas defending and they took full advantage of it. Like I said, Eddie didn't have a great night. He had great nights for us all Playoffs. He didn't have a great one but I know he will bounce back.

COACH HITCHCOCK: He hyperextended his knee and right now it is minor. We are thinking right now that he's going to be a player in Game 2. If things keep moving along like they did in the last hour or so he should be a player in Game 2. I am not sure which knee. Middle one.