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NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: OILERS v HURRICANES

June 5, 2006

Peter Laviolette

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA: Game One

Q. Is that a real textbook example of what to expect in the new NHL, that a team can actually come back from a 3-0 deficit?
COACH PETER LAVIOLETTE: You know, it's certainly -- certainly what we believe in, like we've done so many times in the regular season, in the playoffs, that I think the biggest thing that we've gained all year long is confidence. It's not a position you want to be in. We didn't play well enough to win the first two periods, so we were in that position, and then we played better in the third period, came out and got the goals we needed.
You know, I think the message was after two periods, if we can go out -- the next goal was a decisive goal because there's only 20 minutes of time left, if you make it 4-1 for them, it's going to be tough. If it's 3-2, then it's on us. And there's momentum from that, momentum from the building -- we gained momentum from the building. If we made it 3-2, we were winning. So that's how we've done it in the past.
Certainly not a position that we want to be in.
Q. When you were down 3-0 you came back, obviously that first goal seemed to really change the momentum in the game, can you talk about that a little bit.
COACH PETER LAVIOLETTE: Well, I mean, we needed something. I don't think you'll find anybody in our room is real happy with the way we played. We've got to be a lot better if we're going to be successful in a seven-game series. We are better than that. We just didn't show it tonight.
The goal, it gave us a jump start. It put us in the ballgame, it was 3-0, you get on the board, which is important. We were able to start getting to the net a little bit better and rebounds, we got our feet going a little bit, some penalties -- from there -- I don't know, I guess there's different philosophies on a lead. I listened to Craig's interview and he wanted to sit back and our philosophy is go, go, go, even harder.
But, just, you know, back to the new NHL question, if you're skating, which we weren't very good at tonight, but if you're skating, you have a chance of being successful. And if you're moving your feet and moving the puck, you can win hockey games, and that's what we didn't do for a couple periods.
Q. Cam Ward with 34 saves tonight, with a particular pair of beauties off Horcoff, your thoughts on his work?
COACH PETER LAVIOLETTE: He played great. He definitely played outstanding hockey. There's a couple goals he had no chance on just based on redirects. There was some that should been in the net and weren't because of his play.
You see him on the ice, you see him up here and his demeanor, he's just a real level-headed kid. I don't think a situation like this, being in the Stanley Cup Finals, fazes him. He's a competitor. He's been in a lot of situations but not a Stanley Cup situation, and probably feels right at home.
Q. Your thoughts on the penalty shot and if there's a way to describe why this team consistently seems to be able to put behind bad periods of play and to come back the way they have tonight?
COACH PETER LAVIOLETTE: I'm going to be honest about the penalty shot, I looked at it between periods real quick from three different views, and I couldn't really tell what went on. I couldn't tell. I can't give you an answer because I couldn't see it myself through the video and I definitely couldn't see it from my position behind the bench. I did see Nicky move the puck out. I don't know if he just moved it out or if he had it under his hands, like there was no way for me to tell through video and that's just looking at it between periods, looking at it quick when we have other things we need to look at and talk about.
Q. And the ability to come back?
COACH PETER LAVIOLETTE: You know what, again, I think it's just that mentality of -- I think it's human nature when you're down to raise your level and when you're up to take a breath, and that may be enough along with trying to push the pace and push the puck sometimes.
But obviously, there's skill in there that gets it done, you need guys that can bury goals and finish. I think you play a little bit more care-free, you get your defensemen -- to me if it's 3-1 or 7-1, you've lost the game, so you may as well empty the tank, unload the defensemen and push the pace.
Q. Could you talk about coming out the first period, trailing --
COACH PETER LAVIOLETTE: We went to the box too much. Again, for me it's just more of not moving your feet instead of moving our feet, we were hooking and holding and taking one hand off the stick. Can't play that way. We didn't skate the way we needed to skate. We went to the box, our penalty killers did a good job up until the last one, they scored off the rush.
You know, just going to the box that much, we can't do that. They are too talented. There's too many good players over there to be careless with our sticks and our free hands.
Q. You said during the last series that the third period is your team's period and you talk about thriving from playing from behind --
COACH PETER LAVIOLETTE: Honestly, one-goal or two-goal deficit gets you worried. I think it's just how you respond to that. I mean, I don't think that we would ever quit. I don't think that the mentality of our team will quit. I don't think that the personnel on our team would quit. If we needed to use four forward and a defensemen -- if we were down a goal and had to use five of our best offensive players, that they were forwards, if they were forwards, and that's what we put out there, we would not stop pursuing. And I guess that's my belief, it's the team's belief, and I don't think there is a number to be honest with you.
Q. So you were a little worried when you were down 3-1?
COACH PETER LAVIOLETTE: I think -- you know, it's not that you're worried. You can't pull that out of your hat every time. Don't get me wrong, we need to play better. That's clearly obvious. But I think we gain confidence that we've done it in the past and that's what allows us to be successful at it. But we don't want to be in that position. We won a lot of hockey games with the lead and different ways through the playoffs, but I mean, if -- teams that are successful in the NHL in 60 percent of their games or maybe less, 55 percent of their games, so that means that 45 percent of the games, 45 percent of the times you're down, through the course of the regular season. In those 45 percent, you've got to figure out a way to win hockey games. I guess that's -- it's not like we do it all the time but I guess just the percentages say you're going to be down a good amount of time, hopefully not as much as you're up. And if that's the case, you've got to step on it.
Q. You coached Ty Conklin in the World Championships but he didn't play for a long time.
COACH PETER LAVIOLETTE: He played really well in the World Championships. He won a medal for the U.S. and played great.
Q. When a goalie comes in and has not played for two months, do you think, let's get on him?
COACH PETER LAVIOLETTE: Absolutely. I think anybody that comes in, whether it's Ty or any goaltender, you want to try and see if you can get to him and get to him early. With this defense, they did a good job of trying to protect him, we're going to have to continue to try to get more action and more pucks at the net.
Q. I got the sense looking at your three players it wasn't the usual feeling of joy after winning a game tonight. Your thoughts on, I guess, the overall win didn't really feel like a win.
COACH PETER LAVIOLETTE: You know what, I said it before I came in here, I'm almost confused what to feel honestly. Like I'm a believer in playing the game the right way and you'll win more games than you'll lose. Like in the regular season, I'm always worried about the way we played, and I think the play will take care of results nine out of ten times. But we're in the Stanley Cup Finals right now and need four wins. So we're going to take that win and work on the second part of it, which is the game and how we play.

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