Matt Cooke Show: 'We're In A Battle'
PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) - In the midst of a tense series with the New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins winger Matt Cooke joined Sportsradio 93.7 The Fan's Vinnie & Cook for his weekly appearance.
The series is tied at two games apiece, but the Islanders have surprised many with their performance so far. Cooke isn't surprised.
"You've got to give credit to the Islanders," he said. "They're a talented, fast group that's come at us."
"We can't overlook the fact that the Islanders were one of the hottest teams in the last 12 to 15 games. We're in a series. We're in a battle. That's why the Stanley Cup is the hardest thing to win. You can't underestimate anybody. We realize that, and we've gotta go out and win [Game 5]. That's our focus."
Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has struggled so far, but Cooke has faith.
"Marc has been great for us all year. He's always rebounded when he had a game that people want to speculate on. He's our guy. Obviously, we take responsibility for some of the situations we've put him in. He's not the only guy on this team who knows he needs to get better," Cooke said.
Cooke also assesses his own performance in the series, takes an inside look at some of the chippier moments against the Islanders, and previews keys to Pittsburgh victory in the games ahead.
