NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: PENGUINS v DEVILS

May 20, 2001

Bob Boughner

Johan Hedberg

Martin Straka

BOB BOUGHNER: Well, we haven't seen much here in the last two games at home. I guess the only positive we can draw off is how we played in their building. You know, we played better hockey in their building than we have in ours. So whatever happened in the last two games doesn't matter now. I think we have to go in there and just try to play another good road game and see what happens. If we can win a road game, get a little momentum back to here and go from there, I think.

MARTIN STRAKA: You do, if you play at home and you lose 3-0 and you've got nothing going on and you don't score a goal, you do. But, I mean, like Boughy says, we've still got another game to play, so hopefully we are going to find a way to play, and that's basically it.

MARTIN STRAKA: The defense is playing well. Rafalski and Niedermayer, they join the rush every time they have a chance, and it's tough. I mean, the defense has been playing well, and every time you go there, you try to hit them and they just step ahead of you. They pass the puck, even if you get there, they don't have a puck, so it's tough, and they join the rush right away and so we've got to come back and so that's why we've got nothing going on.

JOHAN HEDBERG: Well, it's not very frustrating. During the game you don't think about it too much. You've just got a job to do, and it's a playoff game, it happens in hockey. It's great to be out there and have a chance to bin every game. And if I do my job, sooner or later, we are going to get a break and if we get a goal, who knows what's going to happen. Definitely for Tuesday's game, I've got a lot of positive things to feel good about anyway, and I think we can beat them. We beat them Tuesday. We come back here, same situation as against Buffalo and can still -- can still do it. So we've got to keep the faith. I'm very positive that we can do it. So just take one game at a time and see what happens.

JOHAN HEDBERG: Well, you don't try to think about it like that. You go out there and try to stop every shot there is anyway. You don't go out there and think you are going to let up two or three and be happy with it. You want to stop every shot that comes. Hopefully, next time I can stop as many pucks as we need to get a win, and every time you step on the ice, you feel like you are out there to do the best you can and hopefully make your team win. So, I don't think it's any more pressure for me.

JOHAN HEDBERG: I think they are pretty good throwing at the net, and get screens and everything, they are cutting across when people are shot shooting and it's tough for a goaltender, but it's something that you've got to try to fight through and you've got to see the puck. So that's my responsibility, too, to be able to see the puck, even though it is the guy in front. So it's something had a that I've got to work on, and well, they are pretty good at it.

JOHAN HEDBERG: I don't know. I think they do it very smart. They are throwing their bodies in there when it's right in the right time, just when the shot comes, there's a guy crossing you or a guy standing in front of you. They do a very good job at it. I think the other series, too, they tried throwing bodies in front of there, but some guys are better at it and some guys are not as good at it. So I think Jersey is doing a good job with it.

BOB BOUGHNER: I think we can definitely use it as a motivational tool. Philadelphia was a good team last year, it was a strong team and Jersey did not play their best hockey until the last three games, and everybody knows what happened after that. It's not out of the realm of possibility. We've just got to go in there and it's all about trying to create a balance early. If you can get the first goal, that's been our trouble the last couple games is letting them get the first couple goals and then all of the sudden we force things and we open up a little bit and their system exploits that. I think after you get down -- I think last night we had 18 giveaways versus their three. That's a pretty big stat, and shows that you are trying to force things and create opportunities. Once you are down a goal, and, you know, that's what happens. But yeah, definitely, I think -- yeah we've got no quitters in here, we have got a lot of character and looks like we are not working that hard or we cannot get things done out there, but to be honest with you, we are working and we have to find ways to execute better. We are not going to lay down and die. I think we have a lot of character and we are going to back in their building and I think we are going to win one. I think the big test is coming back here after 3-2 and trying to win a home game. That's what I think.