On how the team matches up with New York:
I’ll deal with that tomorrow.
On how thrilling the overtime goal was from the bench:
Well, we came through a lot of adversity through the game. Down early. Same as last game in here. Power plays. Then the second period with the momentum with all the power plays they had. Just kind of stuck with it. We said if we won the game, it was going to be a great series. That was our mindset.
On whether the team almost gave up hope in the third period:
Oh, no.
On whether he felt the game was in their favor after Marian Gaborik’s goal:
There’s never an issue with hope. Hope is dangerous and hope loses you games. You don’t get to Game 7s. Quite honest in the series, as a group we thought our best games were 1, 5 and 6, so…Tells you how close the teams are.
On Justin Williams’ Game 7 performance:
You need everybody when you get to Game 7. You’re not into the individual part of it. There’s always guys that score big goals, make big plays. But you need everybody in your lineup.
On how big of a factor fatigue could be next round:
We just have to reset again. We do it so well. We did it during the regular season. We did it before the Olympics. We did it after the Olympics. We did it before the playoffs started. We did it after Game 7 of the first round. We just have to do it again. Certainly it’s a challenge. You play a fresh team. But at the same time if you look at this series, we felt we played so well in Game 1, we lost 3-1. I know playoffs are based on wins and losses, but we talk about a lot more than that.
On any satisfaction having played for and having coached the Blackhawks:
Yeah. Lived here a long time. Not just a coach and a player. My family was raised here. [Reporter: Is it more satisfying winning here against the Blackhawks doing it?] No. It was really satisfying to beat San Jose, and it was really satisfying to beat Anaheim. The road to the Western Conference goes right through Chicago.
On the New York Rangers:
Great goaltending. Great defense. Great forwards. Great special teams. [Reporter: Got no chance?] I’d say it’s against us. We’re up against it again.
On whether this was the most emotional series he’d ever been a part of:
I don’t really get hooked into my own emotion during the game. I get hooked into the players’. That’s what my job is. Not to yell, scream, holler, all that stuff.
On the team’s continued Game 7 success:
We prefer not to get to Game 7. But when you’re playing the defending champion, there’s a good chance of it. As I said earlier, when it was 3-3, coming into tonight, it could have been the other way, the three wins and the three losses. Game 7 is about winning the game, doing whatever it takes.
On anything “special” about his team in Game 7s:
Certainly you have a different team. You have a different roster for just about every one. You look at tonight’s Game 7, Jeff Schultz was a big Game 7 in Anaheim. Robyn was a big part in San Jose. This is Willie Mitchell’s first Game 7. It goes on and on. It’s about the team. There’s a lot more involved.
On what makes this a “special group”:
Well, we’re going to try and beat New York, then we’ll be really special.
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