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Bob Francis Press Conference from November 2, 1999
Posted: Wednesday November 03, 1999 04:12 PM
Question: I know you weren't here last year, but the Jeremy Roenick-Derian Hatcher feud was a pretty tough situation for both teams. The Stars will be in Phoenix, Hatcher's first return, on Friday. Do you guys have to prepare for that game any differently and do you look at the situation as a coach any differently?
Bob Francis: I really don't. Jeremy addressed this issue earlier in the year and I think as far as retaliation, it is not going to be even taken into consideration from our end of it anyway. The players have addressed that issue as far as we have to have more respect for each other on the ice as players and I think big part of that equation is getting the retaliation frame of mind out of the equation. We are going to approach it like any other game. Obviously it is going to be an important game within our conference, but as far as the intangibles of what happened in the past, we are not going to take it into consideration with our thought process. Question: There is talk that the chemistry with Phoenix could be really touchy. Did you have any kind of reservations going in or did you sit at a meeting before the season and talk to the guys to make sure the chemistry in the locker room was right? Bob Francis: I really think there is a misperception of that across the League. I find the chemistry is outstanding here; the relationships are good; and the players have the utmost respect for each other. We have an experienced team. To go along with our experience, we have a lot of character. Our players showed up in exceptional condition at the start of training camp. We have a lot of skating involved in our practices because we want to have more of an up-tempo style of play. And I think the players have really taken responsibility with their performance on the ice and they are all playing on the same page right now. And I think the most important thing for this group is to win and obviously we have a lot of people in the stage of their career where they want to win now. I think the most important thing is to win. The guys are enjoying the success right now. Obviously when you have success, it is easy to sell what you are trying to sell and it is easy for the players to buy into it. I think, from my experience, they have the utmost respect for each other and enjoy playing with each other as a group. Question: How surprised are you by the play of Shtalenkov? Bob Francis: When I first saw Mikhail, he was playing in Milwaukee when he first came over and he impressed me as a very sound positional style goaltender and is always in proper position. He makes the first stop. He has the ability to see a quality scoring chance materialize before it actually does and as a result he puts himself in good position and he makes the first stop and it is up to us as a group to eliminate any second shot opportunities. He has been consistent from day one and there is no reason to believe that he is not going to be consistent because he has played well in every game. What impresses me with Mikhail is he plays some games that have been tough games to play in. When you only face 17 or 18 shots and maybe have three quality scoring chances in a game, they may occur when a game is on the line. He has had that uncanny ability to make the big stop when we needed it; whether it was in the first shift of the game or when the game is on the line in the third period. He has allowed us opportunities to win hockey games. He has allowed our team opportunities to come back from two-goal deficits by making the key stop to keep it at two goals and he has shown the ability to rise to the occasion. We have been very happy with Mikhail's play and he has been consistent with it. Question: I know it is only November, but the past few seasons Phoenix has lost in the first round of playoffs. Do you feel pressure to get past that first round once the playoffs come? Bob Francis: We are not even addressing that. What we have discussed from Day One here is we want to be better tomorrow than we are today. I think if you just take care of the process and gradually improve; monitor the process; and make the corrections as you go along, then towards the end of the year, you will be playing your best possible hockey. You will give yourselves the best possible chance of succeeding. That is all we are concerned with at this point. Question: I know it has only been a month, but right now is the Pacific Division the best in the NHL in your opinion? It seems top to bottom they have a lot of talent, a lot of story lines, a lot of stuff going on in it?
Bob Francis: Well, all you have to do is look at the standings and it would lead you to believe that there is some pretty good hockey in the Western Conference. My experience, coming from the east to the west, is it is a different style of hockey. It is more wide open. Most of the teams encourage the defensemen to get involved in the transition game. As a result, it leads to a more open style of play and I think from a fan perspective it is enjoyable to watch. I think you look up and down the board on the west, you obviously have Detroit and Colorado and Dallas as they have been the big three for a number of years. But, you look at teams like San Jose and Los Angeles and Anaheim, they have all improved themselves. So we are 8-2-3 and you go for a slide for a couple of games, you can go from top to bottom in a hurry here. There is only six points separating our division and I think the team that is going to be consistent is going to be the team left standing at the end. Question: Were you surprised when you stepped into this. It seems like with every team in this League there is a rivalry; Dallas has one with Phoenix, you guys and San Jose, I mean, are you surprised at all the emotions and all the rivalries that have built up so quickly in this division? Bob Francis: Well, hockey is a competitive sport and I think you look at the East, there are rivalries there as well. I know there have been in cities for a long period of time, but I think the excitement and the enthusiasm has been generated out in the west coast here since the days Gretzky first came to L.A. from Edmonton. He had a large part in why there is such rivalries generated in such a short period of time. I think the quality of play, as we just touched on, there is some exciting hockey and there is no so-called dogs in this division. Every game you have to be prepared and it creates for a high level of hockey. I think it forces the players to be prepared and to be consistent because if they are not, they are going to fall down in the standings in a hurry so it leads to better hockey. Question: Did you talk to anybody in particular? I know with your dad in the business, did you talk to anybody when you took the head coaching job? Bob Francis: No. I have been spending a lot of years to prepare for this opportunity. I was the head coach in the minor leagues for nine years and I had the luxury and the good fortune to be an assistant coach for Pat Burns and work for Jacques Laperriere for two years in Boston. You tend to -- I think you have to be your own person. You have to generate your own style. If you try to emulate somebody else, I think the players can read through that and the things have to come natural, they have to come from your own thought process. You learn a little bit from different people you work with throughout the years. Again, I think like any individual, you learn most from your parents growing up and what they stand for and you try to implement those beliefs in your daily process. Question: When you look at people like Andy Murray, Ken Hitchcock, people like that, do you see more, quote unquote, career coaches moving up as opposed to former players?
Bob Francis: I think so. I know my situation is -- I was a borderline player. I played the majority of my career in the minor leagues and I was forced to be analytical and try to see what I would do; what I wouldn't do if I would be put in a coaching position. But I also, as a player, tied to get an edge because you could rely on your skill level or your size. As a result, you evaluate the game and you try to dictate how the game should be played. You also evaluate the coaches and what you would do if you were put in that predicament and also what you wouldn't do; what works and what doesn't work and it all forms your style of coaching. Question: I wonder about the Nikolai Khabibulin situation. I would imagine that you guys are not at such a rush to sign him with the performance of Shtalenkov but at the same time you probably want him on the team. What is the situation there? How do you feel? Bob Francis: Well, that is out of my hands, obviously. That is Bob Smith and Mr. Richard Burke's deal to work with. All we can be concerned with is what we have control of and that is who is here. Obviously, you like to be deep in every position and Nikolai obviously is a quality goaltender that we would like to have here. However, he is not and we are only concerned with Mikhail Shtalenkov and Bob Essensa and their play at this point. As far as predicament with Nikolai, I don't think there are any talks ongoing. I don't know how close they are, but I don't think there has been any discussions in the last couple of weeks.
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