Kukla's Korner Hockey
Ducks Need To Play Relaxed
by Paul on 05/28/07 at 03:37 PM ET
Comments (0)
Anaheim Coach Randy Carlyle today.
Q. Randy, have you guys been around long enough not to be nervous or is there some excitement, nerves, what is the feeling?
COACH RANDY CARLYLE: I think there’s always nerves. I think at this time of the year you can’t help but feel the emotions and nervousness that are associated with entering into the Stanley Cup Finals. I know it’s been well documented about how people react to these intense situations. And I don’t think as coaches you’re any different.
Q. Is that perhaps the biggest obstacle you face the first ten minutes of this game are settling them down?
COACH RANDY CARLYLE: I think in some ways, yes; some ways, no. I think both teams, with the amount of days rest that they’ve had, that there will have to be some sort of governor put on the emotional level.
I think it all bodes back to how well you start and what type of puck control that you can accomplish early. And that leads to hopefully some positives for your group.
Q. Randy, with the 5:00 start, was it at all a tough call how to handle things this morning?
COACH RANDY CARLYLE: No. All year we’ve played Sunday afternoon games at 5:00. And depending on our Saturday the day before, normally we would have an optional or we’d have nothing other than we’d have some sort of a bike ride or whatnot the afternoon of the game.
We just felt that in this situation the number of days off that we had that we’d all meet here this morning for a 10:15 meeting, with some meetings prior to the actual meeting. But everybody will be here this morning and they’ll be allowed to go their separate way.
Q. Randy, both teams have had a lot of success in Game 1 in the series to date. What’s that say about the preparation of both your team and theirs?
COACH RANDY CARLYLE: Again, we take the attitude that the next one is the most important one. And we’ve stated that all year and we’ve stated it all through the playoffs.
And in reality it is. You know, the statistics bear out that if you start well in games, usually your team has been able to carry that success on through the rest of the game.
And I think it’s important that everybody focuses on the little things early and make sure that your group is committed to the game plan that you try to set in place.
Sometimes it happens; sometimes not. But I think both hockey clubs have earned their opportunity to get here and that takes focus and preparation by the players.
Filed in: NHL Playoff Talk, Anaheim Ducks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Comments
Be the first to comment.
Add a Comment
Please limit embedded image or media size to 575 pixels wide.
Add your own avatar by joining Kukla's Korner, or logging in and uploading one in your member control panel.
Captchas bug you? Join KK or log in and you won't have to bother.
Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.
Most Recent Blog Posts
NHL Network And NHL.com Stanley Cup Final Coverage
Rick Dudley Named Assistant GM In Montreal
A Slap On The Wrist For The Coyotes?
John Davidson Wants To Stay In St. Louis, But Will He?
About KK Hockey
Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.
From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.
Email Paul anytime at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Make extra cash while playing online poker. Rakeback is free and comes with rake races.
Kukla’s Korner is always a free service for readers, but it costs some money to maintain. If you’re ever in a position to donate a few dollars to help out, we’d be very appreciative.