NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: MIGHTY DUCKS v DEVILS

May 27, 2003

Pat Burns

PAT BURNS: I guess it's not better than it was yesterday, so it's day-to-day. That's all we can do.

PAT BURNS: It's a big loss. You know, you've got Joe Nieuwendyk who has been in these games many times before. It's considered a big loss for us. We've stepped up all year long when we've lost somebody. Somebody else has to step up.

PAT BURNS: Everybody has tried everything. Everybody has found excuses, whether it be equipment or whatnot. There is no excuses. He's just a good goaltender. I think we have to, first of all, get there. There is a team in front of him. I keep saying that. We have to get there. When we get there, we have to find a way to get it in. It's easy from upstairs or from behind the bench what they have to do, but it's the player that has the puck on his stick. He has to make the decision what he's going to do.

PAT BURNS: No, Tverdovsky will go in with Albelin.

PAT BURNS: Yeah, he was at breakfast this morning. He's just getting treatments.

PAT BURNS: I think it's a challenge for him, I think, with his ex-teammates. You know, your fifth and sixth defensemen are not getting a whole lot of ice time right now at this point. We feel Oleg can move the puck quicker and give us something maybe on the powerplay.

PAT BURNS: It's there. Whoever wants to step up, they can grab that flag and run with it.

PAT BURNS: Jimmy McKenzie and Jiri Bicek.

PAT BURNS: You wait until the puck drops and you will find out pretty quick.

PAT BURNS: That's going to be an issue there. They're an excellent faceoff team. Jason Krog, he takes a lot of their defenses on faceoffs. Oates has always been a good faceoff guy. We will obviously have an issue there. We'll find a way.

PAT BURNS: He's been a big asset to us. He does exactly what you said; he's good on the faceoff, good on the draws. It gives us an option on the penalty-kills. I think Pascal came in to fill that role, along with Patrik Elias. He's done everything we asked him to do. He's been a real important player for us in these playoffs.