Gerard Gallant met with the media on Monday and said (NYR):
- Are you relieved or excited, “It was exciting, obviously last night was a great night for us, and nice to be doing the media today because we are still playing. It was a great win, exciting win and I’m real happy we have today off, today is a good day off for us and we don’t gotta play until Wednesday and that was huge for us. “
- What was it like in the locker room, “real excited, the guys were excited to win. Anytime you go into OT in Game 7 and you are on the winning end of it is an exciting time. They were definitely happy.”
- Describe the challenge of Carolina, “I haven’t thought about it a whole lot, but we know it’s a challenge. Carolina is a real good hockey team and they went through a tough series too and played Boston for seven games. I think both teams are on an even keel and we are going to take it one game at a time and go from there. We feel good about our chances and go play.”
- On Carolina’s style, “They’ve done it from Game 1 on, that is how they play. They are a very aggressive team, play North hockey, put pucks to the net, they are aggressive all over the ice, and we gotta counter that by, when they make mistakes we make sure we’ve got odd-man rushes, we challenge them and score some goals that way. We gotta be ready to play our game. We know what they are going to bring and they know what we are going to bring. They are an aggressive hockey team and play a fast paced game and we gotta make sure we are doing that.”
- Is it good for the team that you were going back and forth with them for the Division, “yea, definitely. We were challenging there and there were a few days we were in first place and it was definitely a challenge. I don’t think they look at our team and think that it’s going to be an easy series. I think that when we are ready to play we are as good as any team in this league and we’ve proven that. We are never going to quit, we are going to battle hard and I think it’s going to be a hell of a series.”
- What is the key to dealing with their forecheck, “That is the key, getting it out. They are an aggressive, forechecking team, but if we can get pucks and make sure, you don’t have to make the fancy play in the D-zone, get it over the blue line, get their D pinching down and when they make mistakes we will get some odd-man rushes and that is how you make a team back off a little bit. Again, in our game plan, we want to be real aggressive in our forecheck, too, we want to make their defensemen and they have some great skating defensemen and so you gotta make them pay a price on our forecheck and keep the puck in their zone and make them defend more than they are used to.”
- Are they similar to Pittsburgh with shot volume, “There are some similarities, no doubt. I don’t compare who is better, but they are very similar and they got some big, strong guys. Svechnikov is a big guy and puts pucks to the net, physical player, goes to the dirty areas. Trocheck and those guys compete for those pucks also. Similar teams do similar things, but, again, I think this team is more of a skating team, a physical team.”
- Do you have to accept that you will spend big chunks defending, “That is what happens. The way they play, they are so aggressive. Their defensemen, they play four guys a lot of times below the circles and when they got puck control they are tough to manage. Again, what we talk about, when we get the puck in the d-zone it’s not about making a great play, it’s about getting it over the blue line and when there are plays available you make them pay for it. That is the way they play, they played it all year long, they’ve been real successful with that system and we’ll see how we get along.”
- Does the defensive coverage need to get better, “I don’t want to be in there a whole lot, but, you know what, our top players, our goaltender, he’s made big saves for us, he’s won games for us all year long and hopefully that continues. We’ve played better in the D-zone, we work hard, but we find ways to win games that some people don’t think we should win. I watched one last night with Dallas, shots were 68…Dallas could have won that game a few times. It’s part of our team and makeup of our group, we want to battle hard defensively, but the big thing is is that when we are playing our best hockey we are forechecking and playing in the O-zone.”
- How much of the bubble playoffs against Carolina did you watch, “Quite a bit, I wasn’t working, so I watched quite a bit, but I can’t remember much of it to be totally honest with you.”
- On the Rangers and Carolina in the bubble, “I’ve never seen it, I don’t remember nothing, honestly.”
- Will you look back at it, “no, not at all. They didn’t do too well, I don’t think (laugh). That means nothing. We played them four times this year and they outplayed us in at least three of those games, for sure, it means nothing to me right now. We’re a confident team, we feel good about our team, we just beat a hell of a good Pittsburgh team. I know they had some injuries, but we beat a hell of a good team and we found a way to win and battle. That is all that matters going forward.”
- Does getting out of the first round free players up to play, “I think so, definitely. I agree 100%. The first round is a battle and usually the best round of the playoffs and now guys are a little tired out and you don’t see as much running around and you see more guys playing their position. I agree 100%.”
- On Zibanejad, “sometimes you get tied up with your opponents and playing against the best players in the world and you don’t play your game and when Mika started to play his game he was outstanding and that is what we want him to do. He has to think of himself as one of those best players and that is what he is. He’s a two-way player and does good things, but when he got free and started to play his game he was really important for us.”
- On Tyler Motte getting extra minutes, “well, you told me before the game how to use him (laugh) and that was my play, to be totally honest with you…he’s a different player. We like Frankie and he played really well up there and has some goals for us, but he’s a different player and adds a bit more defense to that line, obviously, he’s got great speed and is an important guy. He’s very similar to Goodrow. Goodrow has been out last series and he’s a very similar player to Goodrow. You like what he brings, he’s a quicker player than Goodrow, but they are the important guys that you put in your lineup and help you win.”
- Is there an update on Goodrow, “still the same, he hasn’t skated yet, but we aren’t counting him out for this series. He’s not going to start the first couple of games, but we’ll see how it goes. He hasn’t been on the ice yet.”
- Does freeing up Mika also free up Kreider, “It’s the whole group. They are confident players and when they, it’s a mindset with some of the players on our team sometimes. It looks like they are having a tough game, they are trying to play a bit more defense because we talk about trying to be a better defensive team and sometimes you get away from your own game. That is what hurts us sometimes. Kreids has 56-57 goals and he’s an important player and we want them to play their game, we can’t worry about what the other team is going to bring. We know what Carolina is going to bring, we knew what Pittsburgh was going to bring and so you still need to play your game and be important players for us.”
- Will Panarin shoot the puck more, “I hope so, that was a great shot, good for him.”