2002 NHL STANLEY CUP
HURRICANES at RED WINGS
June 5, 2002
An Interview With:
BRENDAN SHANAHAN
KRIS DRAPER
BRETT HULL
Q. What is the feeling in the locker room? You bounced back many times before, but what is --
BRENDAN SHANAHAN: Well it's a big game. We have to bounce back. We can play a lot better and we're expecting that from ourselves.
Q. Do you feel like you can run a gun against this team?
BRENDAN SHANAHAN: I don't think we have run a gun in the Playoffs yet. We have had some games with big offense, but we have never left ourselves open defensively. We expect ourselves to all play well defensively. And they play a very patient game. The tying goal at the end of the second period obviously changed a lot of things. They got a line change on us, and we had some guys going off and another guy was without a stick. That allows them to come out and play their game in the third period.
Q. What did you think of the Hurricanes?
KRIS DRAPER: That was the game that we were expecting. They are a team that have a lot of confidence in low-scoring games, one-goal games, and obviously in overtime situations as well. They feel confident in those situations, and that's exactly how they played us last night. We have to realize that this is the kind of series it's going to be. They are not going anywhere. They play a very structured system, and it is a system that they have been very successful with. When you look at the goals, especially their second, third goals, it was just us making some mistakes and them capitalizing on it. That's the kind of team that they have. If you make mistakes, they are going to make you pay and that is why they are up 1-0 now.
Q. You guys have such a veteran team and you've bounced back many times after a loss. Comment on that?
KRIS DRAPER: Both Scotty and us have been in all kinds of situations. We have been in every situation possible. That's something that we have to draw upon right now. It's one game. Obviously we would love to be up 1-0, but we're not and it's up to us to make a couple of adjustments to make sure that we come out with a great effort tomorrow night.
Q. What did you say to some of the younger players who might be rattled at this point?
KRIS DRAPER: They are not rattled. I sit beside Devereaux, this is his first Stanley Cup situation. He has got a lot of composure right now. The guys are very excited to be here. Pavel sits beside Stevie, and he's taken him under his wing. And all the veterans are kind of paired up with the rookies. And they are right there so if they have a need to ask for anything or if they feel that they are a little bit intimidated about the situation, there are lots of guys to help them out. They just want to go out and play and help us out.
Q. Are you surprised at the Hurricanes?
BRETT HULL: No, not at all. We didn't really talk. I just said exactly what we have been saying before it all started, we can't listen to the media because you guys are blowing it all out of proportion. We knew it wasn't going to be easy, and we just found that out for real. Whether you believe it or not, they are a great team. We have got to come out and play a lot better than we did.
