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Rob Blake Press Conference from Nov. 17, 1999
Posted: Thursday November 18, 1999 11:13 PM
Question: Last year your team didn't make the playoffs. This year you guys are at the top of the league. What has been the difference this year so far? Rob Blake: Obviously I think with the new coaching staff, Andy Murray coming in and defining roles and challenging players individually and also the acquisitions of Ziggy Palffy and Bryan Smolinski in the off-season and Frantisek Kaberle signing with us this summer, I think those three players definitely helped our offensive ability. Question: Throughout your career you have had a lot of nagging injuries. You are leading the league in a lot of categories. What has been the reason behind your red-hot start? Rob Blake: I think like I said, I touched on a few of our players. Obviously, a lot of it is power play and our power play has been very good and I think that is the result of Ziggy Palffy coming and taking a lot of pressure off of everybody else. He draws players to him. If you get in the open, he gets you the puck. I think with those -- him and Kaberle helping on the power play definitely helped out offensively. Question: I was wondering what it is like now with Stumpel and Robitaille out, what kind of pressure that puts on you or other guys? Rob Blake: Well, I think this year which is different than a lot of seasons in the past is our system allows players to have some injuries and bring other players in. Every team in the League goes through it. The good teams are the ones that can keep going without missing a beat. That is one thing we really pride ourselves on is that we can plug players into our system. Obviously, we'll welcome Luc and Stumpel back as soon as they can, but as for the time they are out, other guys come in and the system stays the same; we fill those roles. Question: Has Andy really changed that, with his philosophy, is that the type of change this team needed? Rob Blake: I think so. The thing he did is he defined roles for every player coming into the season so you knew exactly what you had to do when you came to training camp. He challenged your accountability to do that. You have got to do it every night and he doesn't let that slip one bit. I think that is where the system has such strong play, because his roles help that system, define that system, and if guys play it, we will win. Question: Wayne Gretzky is getting inducted into the Hall of Fame on Monday. We all know what he meant to the League overall. But as a player, day-to-day, what does it mean to you that he is not around anymore? Rob Blake: It is difficult. I think any time you have the greatest player ever in hockey on your team and around, you can learn so much from him; not so much on the ice, but the things he does off the ice, the way he handles the press, and the way he handles winning and losing. He was exceptional at that, as much as he was an exceptional athlete. Definitely it was difficult parting with him and then not having him around. Question: Do you ever look at the schedule and see when the Rangers' game is then catch yourself and say, oh, not this year? Rob Blake: Oh, definitely. It was always -- for most of my career, it was a treat playing with him. Then even more special to play against him. You find yourself a fan on the bench watching him. I think hockey, in general, misses his talent and his presence every night. Question: Here you guys are at the top of league; San Jose right there with you guys in the Western Conference; kind of upside-down year, at least in the Western Conference. What do you attribute that to? Rob Blake: I think obviously in our situation just the turnaround and the acquisition of some players that I touched on a little earlier and San Jose had a young team, but an impressive team last year and they have seem to have come into their own with Owen Nolan leading the way. I think we have watched teams like Dallas and Detroit, you know they are going to be there in the end so it is so important to get these points early. Question: You have played in the finals before. What sort of team is this? Is this a team that is capable of getting into the playoffs and going a long way? Rob Blake: If we stick to what we are doing right now. We are winning games based on our style of play. We can't let up for a minute. We used to be a team that had a lot of talent that can go out and win games, 7-6 or 7-5, but we can't afford to do that anymore. Basically it is hard work, but the guys that bought into it so far this season, again it is only 20 games, but if we can get into the playoffs, and that is what we want to do, it is what you do when you get in there. Question: I was wondering what it is like down low this year? Some of the goalies we have talked to said it is like a rugby scrum, guys going in there. As a defenseman do you notice it much? Are you getting a lot more contact down low and do you have to fend off a lot more guys? Rob Blake: Well, I don't know if it's much different. I think the crease rule last year had to be changed and adjusted to the way it is now. A lot of the goals that we score probably could have been called back a year ago just with a foot in the crease or that. But as a defenseman you got to expect that. You get the John LeClairs or Lindroses from the big teams or the big guys, they are going to come, they are going to stand in front and you got to be able to play that position well enough to clear them. Question: Do you like the 4-on-4? Rob Blake: I do. Our experiences in overtime right now has been pretty wide open. I think it is because it has been out of conference opponents and you pretty much open it up. But I think it is exciting; great for the fans. Obviously you are not going to end a playoff 4-on-4, you are going to play 5-on-5 and go until someone scores, but for the regular season, I think it has been fairly exciting. Question: Several times you mentioned a system. Can you just describe it and how you would define it? Rob Blake: It is a high left-winger system. It is a trap, but it is an aggressive trap where our first two guys are always moving. The thing about a system is that when guys are buying into it, your offense is created from it. There are lots of turnovers. He is very strict on having players come from behind, closing out from behind, so that when there is a turnover you can go the other way. Like I said, with guys like Ziggy and when Joe Stumpel and Luc are back in the lineup and Smolinski, these guys, when they get the turnover and it is a 3 on 2 they make the plays that end up in the net. Question: I'm wondered if you could comment on the team's winning in terms of crowd impact. I see there was only 12,980 at the game the other night. Obviously you are hoping to bring some more people into the building. Rob Blake: Yeah, and I think that will come over time. Obviously the new building earlier in the season attracted a lot of fans and the way we played has brought them in. But the thing in L.A., you have to win, you have to win consistently and it is not something you can build over 20 games. It takes a season, a playoff run and things like that to bring them back. So definitely consistency and winning over time. Question: You have had a lot of highlights throughout your career with the Norris Trophy, playing in the Olympics, All-Star Game. If you had to pick out one career highlight, what would that be? Rob Blake: I think obviously the Olympics rates up very high just being involved in that. But I think obviously going into the Stanley Cup finals and playing Toronto in the semi-finals and then playing Montreal in the finals; unfortunately not winning, but I definitely take that as a highlight just getting that far and being in the finals. Question: If there is one thing left for you to do, other than the Stanley Cup, obviously you want to do that. Is there something personal that you would want to achieve? Rob Blake: I think the Gold Medal, being involved in that -- at one time, you know, everything surrounding it, it is something that you would look forward to and hopefully in Salt Lake we get that opportunity again. But like you said, obviously the Stanley Cup is No. 1, and if you had to pick something in between there, a Gold Medal would be nice. Question: It has been reported, I don't know if you have heard it, that Geoff Courtnall is going to retire because of his concussions tomorrow. The NHL has had a lot of concussion problems in the last couple of years. Do you have any idea why it has come to this point in the last two, three years? Rob Blake: Well, I think one of the main reasons probably is the seamless glass. Obviously we have got a new building here and we opted not to go with seamless glass just because of the strength and the pressure of guys hitting it and concussions caused. I think with medical, increases in the medical staff being more aware and, you know, the concussions and things are being reported more, it is unfortunate that players have to retire from it, but it is a physical game and guys get hit hard. Question: I wonder if that might have happened before where guys were getting concussions -- you talk about the advances; I wonder if people played with concussions before and post-concussion syndrome and didn't even realize it? Rob Blake: I think so. When I came in, that was only ten years ago, you had a concussion and if you had a slight headache the next day and you were still able to get up in the morning and go, you went out and played. I think advances in medical technology and just the more awareness of the severity of a concussion and head injuries has increased. Question: Wondering what is it like as a Norris Trophy winner, do you keep on looking over your back to see who is coming and young defensemen challenging you for that position? Rob Blake: Oh, definitely. I think that is part of it. I mean, you always want to stay a step ahead and you have to know your competition every night and your competition coming up. There is always a turnover and there are young "D" coming in that are quite capable. But you want to remain in that position and you have to be aware of the players in the competition. Question: Is this like the best young crop of defensemen or best crop you have seen in a while? Rob Blake: There is. Obviously, I was fortunate I got to play with Wade Redden in the World Championships and saw what kind of player he is -- I only see him twice a year in regular season, so you don't really get to know how good he is and to watch him, that Brad Stuart has been here, Frank Kaberle on our team, these guys are very good, they are offensive, but at the same time they take care of their zone.
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