Round 2, Game 1 | Bruce Cassidy Pregame: Ready To Play Tonight
Any update on Dorf? Uh, no, he won’t play tonight. Um, he is skating, so hopefully um I’ll give you an update before the next game, but not tonight. What are the uh pros and cons of being in a series where you’re playing every other day with without that extra day of rest or travel? Well, I think it’s situational. um sometimes you want the extra day if uh the game previous game didn’t go your way and you want to maybe lick your wounds a little more a little time away from the rink sometimes when you’re winning you want to get right back at it so I don’t know until you’re in that spot where the game is sometimes last series okay it’s game between game four and five we went up and did we win in m yeah yeah Minnesota was overtime right we went up there so they probably have that extra day cuz they they lose in overtime to sort of separate from the the game a bit. So, it probably work to their advantage in that situation or they would don’t mind having it. Then there’s the health, right? Is your do you have some guys that really need that extra day? Goalender is he used to playing every second day, you know, for two months if if that’s the way it works out, you know, if you’re going. So, those are things that would change from team to team, right? So I I I can’t say there’d be an advantage for us or them. I think it depends on where it falls and kind of shape your team’s in both physically and mentally and travel I guess Danny too, right? Like if you’re going, you know, Vegas to Minnesota is not short. Vegas to Edmonton’s it’s not like, you know, uh Washington to Carolina, right? where you know so you start get adding those flights the team that’s traveling a little more that doesn’t have home ice advantage they might say well that extra day helps us stay off a plane one less time between games cuz you play every second day like you’re traveling a lot so you never really feel like you have a day off when you’re actually flying back home or or to the destination Bruce talking to guys like Jack Eel yesterday he was saying that for him was about showing why he should be trusted in those situations defensively So what was it about what he did that allowed you to have that trust? And also given your experience in Boston with guys like Patrice Berseron, David Craig, Charlie Coyle, what are those things that you learned coaching those guys that when it comes to two-way play, you’re able to implement with other centers and teach them and sort of guide them along? Well, and working backwards in Boston, I was really fortunate when I got those there, they were established players, Kretchie Bersron, so you know, they probably taught me more than I taught them to be honest with you. Um I said very very fortunate to walk into a room with those two guys in a style of play. We tweaked some things to create more offense or whatnot. But um so for Jack when it g when I first you know I I talked about Patrice Berseron his valuing the defensive side of the puck and even David Kretchie didn’t get as much credit but he was a really good defensive player. He just wasn’t winning selkies like like Bergie. So, and the value in that to win at this time of the year and that it we saw it two years ago. Uh he bought in uh was unbelievable both sides of the puck. So, he gets it now. He’s been there. So, for me, it’s just now reminding him and sometimes you got to he needs some assistance. The last series putting Carly up with them, their line was really going well. Things were happening for him. Carly’s a great check and center. So, you got two two guys that can do it now. So, it takes a little pressure or a little bit of the responsibility off them. um every night and and I think it freed them up a little on the other side of the puck. So that worked whether that happens this series. We’ll see how it goes. But um you know that’s on the player. They got to decide if that’s what they want to do cuz it’s it’s not easy to check. Um it’s it’s a mindset a lot of nights and you got to be willing to do it and buy in and he’s done it. Um and he’s getting credit for it now and he should. Hey Bruce, what do you expect tonight? Well, in in terms of just how the game well, I expect we’ll uh play well and win. That’s what I hope or expect. Sorry. Um after that game ones to me are sometimes take a while to get, you know, they’re feeling out process in a series. Will that happen because we know each other a little better than we knew Minnesota? Uh I don’t know. I don’t know the answer to that to be honest. Um, but that’s how it usually starts. It’s It takes a while uh to get the animosity built up and matchups and who’s going, who’s not. You’re feeling out the standard of officiating to how aggressive can you be. So, there’s a lot of that going on. And so, it’s I don’t think you’re going to see teams come out. And I’ll just leave it at that. That That’s how I see game ones. They’re they’re forgettable. if you have a great series. Does that make any sense to you? If you go six or seven games, you usually don’t even remember what happened in game one to be honest. Bruce, you mentioned the other day that somebody asked about time off between the last game and and game one. Uh you said eight, nine days could be too long. This has been I think five. Now that you’re not far from faceoff, has it been beneficial for the team, do you think? Well, you always believe it is. Um I think both teams would have been fine starting yesterday. Um, but here we are. Uh, it it the time was well spent for us. We had two days off. Uh, we got back, we had a day off. We had a day off on Sunday, two practices. I think that’s enough to get going. Um, again, sometimes if your health is is not good, you’d want extra time. If it is, you want to get right back in it. So, um, you know, with the exception of Pav, you know, we’re healthy. We’re ready to go. So, uh, it sounds like Edmonton is for the most part, too. So, um, anyway, I I don’t have a great answer for it. I think the guys would tell you to a man, they’d they’d like to get back playing. They just want to play this time of year. It’s it’s all about the game. Practices are so minimal. Um, so that that’s that’s the best answer to that. Um, you got to make do with whatever your a lot of time is before you play and then be ready to go. And I I think our guys are ready. Find out tonight. I think we naturally think of the the speed and the skill with the Oilers, but they scored a bunch of goals on screens and tips against LA. How much emphasis is there on clearing that those sight lanes for Aiden? Well, I I I they’re both, you know, you can’t help but you know, you start with Tricidle McDavid, right? And they’re great rush guys, but their half court offense or ozone in is is excellent. Um, they’ve added some pieces both from healthwise. A guy like Kaney gets to the front of the net. Heyman’s always got to the front of the net. Perry gets there. I think the bottom of their lineup was very competitive against LA getting inside. Uh, you know, Frederick and Harvardson. Um, two newer wingers that we didn’t see. Um, a lot of their goals was getting to the blue paint. Um, 92, I always say his name wrong, so I won’t put Kohl’s in, I believe, is a big body that gets there. Uh, so that that’s that’s their team to me is big bodies that get to the front of the net and then you’re always kind of automatically deferring to the neutral zone speed of Dry Cidle and McDavid, but they’re a lot more than that and they got their back end has probably changed quite a bit from two years ago in terms of Walman and Clingberg are much more offensively tilted, maybe a day RNA and a CC. So you’re going to see a lot more D up in the play and pucks going low to high to the net with guys that can beat goalenders.
Head Coach Bruce Cassidy speaks to the media ahead of Game 2 of the second-round series between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Edmonton Oilers at T-Mobile Arena.
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6 comments
Hill is better than Pickard. That’s the series
Go Knights Go!!!!! 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
what's the over under on goals given up by Petro
Top 2-3 coach in the world right here
Let's get it on!
Go Oilers Go!