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NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: HURRICANES v PENGUINS

May 23, 2009

Dan Bylsma

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA: Game Three

Penguins Â– 6
Hurricanes - 2

Q. What words can you use to describe Malkin playing with such an edge and a passion, and why he has so much desire right now?
COACH BYLSMA: I think he's a young kid, and it's tough to, and the culture has a lot to do with how they react. And while we take it for granted, you know, it's not the easiest thing to do with the culture he's coming from, coming here and dealing with all the media, and being focused on playing every night.
I think as he gets older, the family situation, and more comfortable with his situations, the playoffs, and you see him playing like he can. You know, the great thing about our team is that we, you know, the team plays the right way, we get to the offensive zone, it gives every player, and it gives our good players a better chance to be around that net and make those plays.
You know, tonight, the second goal of the game, a Chip out of the zone. Another play in behind their D, with speed going north, and he gets it down in the corner and he takes over from there by driving the net and make a great play.
I haven't seen the replay on our power-play goal, but I think it's a bit of a fortunate bounce. I know it was bouncing there in the end. It lands on his stick, and he's on the way to the cage, and it's a big goal for us.

Q. It seems during the season Malkin and Crosby would alternate. One would play really well. Now it seems like they're both playing well?
COACH BYLSMA: When they both end up on the score sheet, you know, it's obviously goals are hard to come by. And you have to battle for goals. And we're playing against a team that plays a quick game back at you. They get to the on offensive zone.
Their building tonight was clearly they had their fans and the momentum, and there were times when the emotions were high. And you felt it at times. And to be able to get those guys going and to answer with goals, you know, especially in the first period there with the way the building was the first ten minutes, they get the lead. To be able to answer back and leave the first period 3-1 was certainly a lift for us.

Q. I guess these last four periods, I would say, your team is making it look pretty darn easy, what did you find in the canes to exploit?
COACH BYLSMA: It doesn't feel easy, I can tell you that. Tonight was a difficult game, in a lot of aspects. They got the lead. Their building was very good throughout the night. They got the goal there two minutes into the third period to make it a one-goal game. And we know they're going to keep coming and keep working.
We just want to keep focused on playing the right way. The better we can execute the puck, the quicker we can get to the offensive zone and manage the puck into the neutral zone, the more we can play in the offensive zone. And try to keep it from being an up-and-down game, keep it from their speed getting to on our offenses.
What they did tonight, especially with the crowd, whether they buzzed around or not, they were difficult to handle at times.
So in the game it looked on -- the score is what it is, but it certainly doesn't feel that way on the bench. They're a team that's going to keep working and keep coming at us. We know their building is going to make it a hard place to beat along with their team on Tuesday.

Q. The two goals in the first, what was your mindset going into the locker room at the intermission? Keep attacking, just keep pounding them?
COACH BYLSMA: Well, I think, you know, we believe that the way we play, we play it no matter if we're leading in the game or behind in a game. And so what happened in the first period, if you reset the clock to 0-0, and you come out and continue to try to play the right way. Manage the puck, get to the offensive zone, and try to hang on to it for long periods of time: That hasn't changed for us regardless of the score. Our players know it, and that's what we say. We'll reset. And get back to playing the right way. Manage the puck, keep it out of the players hands, keep it out of the D zone, and try to play as much time as the zone.

Q. It seemed like in the first period Crosby and Malkin were on the ice almost the entire time. In the end it was really like 15 minutes. Is that normally, are they normally playing that much? On or was that a strategy to get them on early and try to take that three-point lead?
COACH BYLSMA: Think probably played about a minute each more than they normally would play. So it probably felt like -- it's two minutes of ice. And one of them was on for, you know, the first period. So they were out there a lot.
But they had the last change. Our matches were a little bit different tonight based on what they wanted to get at the end result. I think they did get to play some more ice. But when they're playing like that, and playing well in the present zone, and getting in the offensive zone, it's easier to run back out there, for sure.

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