Press Conference Transcript #4
PRE-SERIES MEDIA AVAILABILITY
LUNDMARK: It's the matchup the schedule gave us. He's the best coach in this league and we're going to try to beat him anyway. That part's simple.
REPORTER: It can't be that simple. He's your dad.
LUNDMARK: He's my dad in the summer. For two weeks he's the guy behind the other bench, and I'm the guy in the other net, and neither of us is going to pretend otherwise.
He taught me how to do that. He's been doing it my whole career.
He's never once watched me play and not sent a note after.
Always after. Never before. Because before would be coaching against his own kid, and he won't cross that line.
So we'll do it the way we've always done it. I play. He coaches. We talk in July.
REPORTER: Speaking of which, Coach Lundmark was asked about you this morning. He said, quote, "I'm aware Atlanta has a capable goaltender. I've seen tape." That's all he gave us. Any response?
LUNDMARK: [a beat, the corner of his mouth] That's about forty more words than he'd give me. He's seen more than tape. Tell him I know that too.
REPORTER: That's the real question, isn't it. He's watched you play since you were a kid. He knows your game better than any opposing coach could. Does that give Chicago an edge on you specifically?
LUNDMARK: Yes. Of course it does. He knows every tendency I have because he built half of them.
He'll have his power play designed to find the six inches he taught me to protect.
I'd be insulting him to pretend otherwise.
My job is to be a goalie he hasn't seen yet.
That's the only answer to a man who knows you that well. Become someone new by Thursday.
IKONEN: Whatever Karl knows is a season old. We'll take our guy.
COACH BOUDREAUX: Karl Lundmark broke down three NHL goalies in the nineties and built the systems that did it. I have enormous respect for him. I also intend to beat him, and I've got his son in my net to help me do it. Both of those are true.
REPORTER: Avi, last word. A first-year expansion team in the Stanley Cup Final. Did you see this coming in September?
IKONEN: No.
REPORTER: That's it?
IKONEN: Nobody wanted us. We found each other. Now we're here. [a beat] I stopped being surprised by this group a long time ago.
COACH BOUDREAUX: Nobody picked this team to win a game in April. We're playing for the Cup in June. I'll let that speak. That's all for today.