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NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: DEVILS v RANGERSMay 25, 2012John TortorellaNEWARK, NEW JERSEY: Game Six Q. Without asking you the lineup, are you considering any changes? COACH TORTORELLA: You're asking me about the lineup. Q. No, I'm not asking specific names? COACH TORTORELLA: I don't know what my lineup's going to be. Q. Do you think your team enjoys games like this, when it's make or break, do or die? COACH TORTORELLA: I think our team really embraces a challenge. And you want to try to ride things out the right way to have an easier road going through, but when you don't, and as we've gone through the Playoffs we've had some things we've had to get accomplished in tough ways. I think it's really good for the team, not only in the present but the future, as far as where we're going. So we take them as they come, and this is just a fantastic opportunity for us. Q. Is it tough to also have the longer view, you've talked about this..? COACH TORTORELLA: I don't have the longer view. Q. Well, you just talked a couple of days in a row about how good an experience this is for the club, what you're learning about players going ahead. Is it tough to try to be in the moment and also have that (indiscernible) view? COACH TORTORELLA: You mean as far as how players are reacting? I think that's part of my job. As we go further, as we keep on building, and‑‑ to me, we're still in the middle of the process of building a team‑‑ we have to keep that in mind. I think coaches and management have to realize and watch what's going on. And so that's a big part of our job. Q. Do you think when you're talking about the guys played well, react well to these kinds of situations, your backs against the wall, does it reflect some of the way you've played at times this year where you get into those situations where guys are willing to do blocked shot or they're faced with a (indiscernible) shot, does it kind of reflect the way‑‑ the style of..? COACH TORTORELLA: Yeah, I think in these situations, the identity of our team and how we play I think bodes very well. We're not a fancy team. I mean, we aren't. We're a straight‑ahead hockey club. And I think when you get into these, as you go through, you lose a couple and now you're in an elimination game. I think our mental approach as we've had all year long is there. And that's one of the frustrating parts for me early in this series, and I think we found it was our mindset. And I thought we had the proper mindset for most of this year for Playoffs. And I thought we lost ourselves a little bit early in this series. I think we have a really good mindset right now. Q. You meant early in this series or earlier, like back with Ottawa, when you lost the mindset? COACH TORTORELLA: No, no. I just felt we‑‑ and I'm just talking about this series. I can't even remember the other series. You guys asked me about'94 yesterday. I don't even remember three days ago. Q. I just want to be clear on what you're talking about. Forget yesterday? COACH TORTORELLA: No, I'm just talking about this series. I thought we were on our heels. Not that we‑‑ and you have to give credit to Jersey, too, a little bit in putting us on our heels. Because I think when going here, I think entering tonight's game, I think we're in the right mindset and I think it's going to be very important and very important game. Q. Does it encourage you when a veteran like Fedotenko steps up (indiscernible) in a Game 5 like he has? COACH TORTORELLA: Yeah. He probably played his best game of the year in Game 5. And he needs to be better tonight. I think he has the ability to do that in these situations. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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