Before every game of the Stanley Cup playoffs' conference finals, New York Rangers coach Alain Vigneault has met media members for a morning question-and-answer session.
The same for Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper.
Friday's chat was especially focused, since the Rangers and Lightning meet at 8 p.m. ET to determine which team will represent the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup finals. (TV: NBC Sports Network, CBC, TVA)
MORE: Game 7 chatter | Game preview | Rarity of double 7s | Series images | Highlight video
Here's what Vigneault told reporters on Friday at Madison Square Garden.
Question: What is this day like for the coach? Players get excited for Game 7, do you get nervous and stuff like that too or do you have to block that out as a coach too?
Vigneault: We're going through normal preparation, morning meetings, and pregame meeting tonight, finalizing that, and good to go.
Q: You've been known as a pretty even-keeled coach. Do you do anything to impart that personality on your team?
Vigneault: You know, I've got a lot of faith and trust in our team's preparation, the individual part is obviously left to the players. It's their responsibility to get into their mental zone so they can go on the ice and execute.
The team stuff, we've been very consistent. The players know what to expect. We'll give them the information, the right amount of information, and they've got to go out and they've got to play.
Q: Follow-up on that: How do you stay so calm? How do you stay even-keeled?
Vigneault: This is just one of many games. It's a great game. I don't think it gets any better than a Game 7. I've been fortunate to have been part of a few of these, and really looking forward to tonight.
Q: Can you tell us if you challenged any players in the meeting this morning (laughing)? No. I want to ask you about this series, how the games haven't really transferred from game-to-game in terms of a trend or momentum. Have you ever been in a series like this where every game has been so different?
Vigneault: I'd have to say yes. You know, the competition now is so strong and there is so little separating teams. So depending on the game, depending on the flow, I mean, every game seems to have its own identity. Yes, teams want to play to their strengths. Different teams have different strengths.
But right now we're playing against a team that is a lot like us, playing fast, got a lot of skill. And they bring it, so it makes for great hockey.
Q: Coach, talked to some of the players, and they say they try to approach this as just another game. I find that hard to do just knowing the implications of what happens. Does that work?
Vigneault: I can see how from the outside people could interpret it that way because there is a lot of hype, and it is a do-or-die situation. But I think as an athlete and a coach, you've got to focus on staying in the moment, and you've got to concentrate on the things that you need to do to have success on the ice, and you can't be disrupted by the noise that's going on the outside. You've just got to stay within your group, stay within your mind, and go out there and execute.
— Transcript provided by the National Hockey League