PITTSBURGH — A practice day during the Stanley Cup Final meant another full media session with Sharks defenseman Brent Burns.
That's never a bad thing; Burns has become one of the most quotable players in the league, and he's not afraid to give interesting, funny answers — even about topics he's talked about a zillion times, like the greatness of teammate Joe Thornton.
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"We all know how this guy, we’ve said it before, he’s a legend," Burns said. "He’s one of the best to ever play the game. I think it’s crazy sometimes when I read about him being slow. This guy’s one of the fastest guys still to play. His passing is incredible. In the room, if you ask guys, he’s the best teammate to play with. Takes care of everybody — he’s such a good guy to be around.
"He really is a legend. It’s crazy to think about — at the end of the day, your kid’s playing with his kids. It’s Joe Thornton. It’s crazy, you know? The guy is just such an unbelievable human and a great teammate."
So, here's the best of 11 minutes or so spent hanging around Burns' locker on Tuesday.
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On the Sharks' brutal first period in Game 1, when they were out-attempted 27-14 and outscored 2-0: "I dunno what it was, but it wasn’t too good. I think we gave a lot to them, made them look fast. Dipped a toe in the water, and it was rough waters. So we kinda got back at after that."
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On what he was thinking when he somehow caught up to Penguins winger Carl Hagelin on a semi-breakaway: "'Oh s—,” when the puck is back there. I dunno, it was a weird bounce. Actually, I didn’t even see it, I just saw him start skating and I said 'oh god, I dunno why he’s doing that.' Then I saw (the puck) behind us."
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On how many questions he's had to answer about his personal aesthetic over the year: "A lot probably, huh? I walk around with it, so I’m stuck with it. It’s alright. I don’t mind it. I’ll get the teeth fixed when I’m done. There’s not really too many options with that. And I couldn’t grow a beard for a long time. I was older. Older than you should be, probably."
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On possible routine differences during the Final: "I think game days aren’t really different. I think we’re all pretty set in our ways. I just think it’s the idle time. I think you’re sitting there, laying in the bed, and the ol’ brain starts to wander. I don’t like it. The ADD starts going all over the place. It wanders. Hard to counteract that (ol’ brain)."
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On switching from defense to forward at times during his career: "You just turn your brain off and turn your legs on. Have fun, no stress, then go back to ‘D,’ turn the brain on and you’ve got to start thinking again."
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On someone's phone, with a "Star Wars" cantina ring tone, going off during a serious answer: "That's a great ring. I like that. Going from shark-diving to that ring, that's impressive right there."