TINA NGUYEN: Chandler, you guys are back in Vegas and back to business today. What's the feel in this locker room right now as you get ready to be back on home ice for game five tomorrow?
CHANDLER STEPHENSON: I'm excited. You know, I think, uh, just trying to treat it as another day, another game, not think too much about it. And, you know, just try to close this thing out.
NGUYEN: When you're in the grind of the playoffs chasing after the Stanley Cup, what do you do to maybe help you unplug a little bit?
STEPHENSON: Just kind of downtime. Hanging out in the lounge when you're on the road with the guys and when you're at home, you know, just spending it, uh, with family and, um, yeah, there's, you know, you don't really get a whole lot of time to unwind, which is kind of nice just here. You're just kind of in it. So I think that's a good thing with playoffs is, you know, you just kind of end it the whole time. And the downtime is just kind of more than anything.
NGUYEN: What is it like to score a goal in this Stanley Cup final?
STEPHENSON: That's pretty cool. Yeah, it was my first one. So, yeah, it was special for sure. Um, and, you know, I think, uh, just. Yeah. So, I mean, I always dreamed of growing up and, you know, playing for your doctor, whatever, with your friends or in the basement or whatnot, so. Yeah. For it to be reality is a pretty special.
NGUYEN: A lot of noise and chatter around this time as you guys are just one win away from the Stanley Cup. Bruce has mentioned it before, but he encourages you guys to kind of visualize and dream about it. Have you let yourself go there and visualize and dream about it?
STEPHENSON: Yeah, I think, uh, you know, you try, you know, there's a lot, you know, a lot of emotion, a lot of feeling, a lot of everything. So, yeah, it's, uh, you know, it's, it's special. It's, you know, just being in the playoffs, you know, and getting the opportunity to chase the Stanley Cup is pretty special, you know, let alone be in the situation we're in. So, yeah, it's, uh, it's definitely cool for sure.
NGUYEN: Can you just talk about the grind and the the resilience, the toughness it takes to get to this point?
STEPHENSON: Yeah, it's, uh, it's exhausting. Uh, mentally, physically, kind of all the above. But, um, you know, I think that's something that's really helped us this year. And, um, you know, we got four great goalies, you know, guys that can come in, have guys get hurt and contribute and help out. So it's kind of a next man up and it's been working for as well. So, um, you know, I think that's, uh, you know, benefited us.
NGUYEN: Job's not done till you get 16. So what will it take to get win number 16 tomorrow?
STEPHENSON: Uh, it'll take everything. I mean, uh, you know, Florida has nothing to lose, and, you know, we've got to kind of have that same desperation, and, um, you know, I think, uh, the guys have kind of been in this situation throughout the playoffs this year where, you know, we could have finished games off and ended it and, um, you know, kind of let teams off the hook. So, um, you know, I think just kind of more of, uh, you know, what we did to close teams out, then we'll be okay.
