The following quotes have been transcribed by the Flyers PR department. Since we didn’t write them, we cannot guarantee their complete accuracy, but we provide them as a post-game service.
Canadiens Center Scott Gomez
Q: What happened after the first period?
“They just came out harder and we didn’t help ourselves at all. We didn’t wear down their defense enough by getting behind them. We had success when we were working down low and finding some seams.”
Q: How about the shots on goal battle? From the second period on, they really seemed to pour it on a little bit.
“Yeah, they out shot and out played us for two periods.”
Flyers center Mike Richards
Q: I know you didn’t want to get behind early but being able to do that and come back the way you did, it shows the resiliency of the team
“Yeah, we haven’t had to do that a lot lately. It seems like we’ve been doing well, we got off to a good start [this season]. Tonight, obviously we didn’t. We had a sluggish start, turned a lot of pucks over, they got some goals but it was nice to see the second half of the game, we threw a lot of pucks at the net. I think we had almost 40 shots in the last two periods and really started playing our game a lot better.”
Q: when you do that, showing that kind of resiliency, is that satisfying to be able to do that?
“It’s good to know that you can do that if you need to. Obviously we don’t want to start like that too often, especially at home. It’s good to have that confidence if we do need to come back that it’s in here that we could do it.”
Q: (about PK Subban)
“I didn’t really play against very much, I don’t think tonight, as much as in Montreal. I don’t know, like I said, I didn’t play against him. I’m not going to answer that, I’m not going to start anything up. It got a lot bigger than I thought it would, I guess.”
Q: You beat [Subban] to the puck on the end-boards, before you fed it to Coburn for the winning goal, was there any satisfaction there?
“No, no, it’s hockey. Things get heated before, during, and after a game and you say things that maybe you regret saying after. You play hard when you’re on the ice, you’re not looking to go after one guy in general, you’re just playing hockey. I was lucky to get that puck on my stick, I was fortunate enough that [Coburn] made that pass and it was nice for us to win the hockey game.”
Q: Is it good for JVR to get that weight off his shoulders?
“Yeah, he’s been working hard in practice, off the ice. [He] hit some post, hit some cross bars, it’s nice to see him get a bounce.”
Q: Is it nice to know when you see two storied franchises, is it nice to see in terms of league rivalries minus the chirping?
“I thought it was a great game tonight. It was physical; there wasn’t a whole lot of room out there. It’s good to have that competition every night for each team that you know you have to play your best to have a great game and have success.”
Q: I don’t want to stir anything up but one thing that didn’t get followed up from the last game was that what was it in particular with Subban’s play…
“It’s over. I’m not going to talk about that any more. I’m not worried about Subban any more, I’m worried about that Minnesota Wild now. This game’s over, we have to move on, we have to refocus and take the two points we have with us and move on to Wednesday night.”
Flyers Goaltender Brian Boucher
Q: Bouch, you got the win but I’m sure you were a little disappointed in the way things went in that first period.
“Well the first one [goal] fooled me a little bit. The second one, it was a bad break; Mez [Andrej Meszaros] tipped it with his stick. I actually felt really good in the first [period], I thought I made some really good saves and I felt really good. I wasn’t discouraged at all and I had the sense if we could get the puck in their end and get some shots we’d get back in the game; and that’s what we did in the second [period].”
Q: [Scott] Hartnell said after the first period, though, coach was pretty upset. It took almost seven minutes for your team to register a shot on net.
“Yeah, from a team standpoint I think our first period wasn’t very good. I mean, we gave up a breakaway right from the hop there. They came at us hard and we hung in there though. In the second period we responded with a real good second. [We] got ourselves back in the game and had a real strong period in the third and that was all the difference.”
Q: Good to see Reemer [James Van Riemsdyk] get off the schnide?
“Yeah, good for him. It’s been a tough go for him here. After a good year last year I’m sure he wanted to come in here and have a good start and things haven’t quite gone his way. But he’s been working hard and he’s a good kid. We all believe in him, it’s just a matter of him getting that confidence back and to score a big goal, the game winner, should boost his confidence.”
Q: You sat beside him at a lot of practices. Is there a lot of “keep at it” kind of thing so he doesn’t get down?
“Look, it’s not like we’re coaches. We’re teammates and friends and we jab at each other and we find ways to get guys going, to keep them loose. You don’t want them to think about it all the time. He’s aware of it, we’re all aware of it, you guys are aware of it. I think the key is to get him relaxed and have fun. There’s a reason why he’s the second-overall pick. He just has to go out there and play; we’ve got a lot of other good players in this locker room. He doesn’t have to feel the pressure to be “the guy”. He should just worry about working on his game, showing up every night and tonight he scored a big goal. So hopefully this is a sign of big things to come for him.”
Q: Brian can you just talk about what this meant after Thursday night’s game?
“Obviously a disappointing result in Montreal; obviously we came up short. But this was a big game for us and obviously we didn’t have the start we wanted to have. But we stuck with it and grabbed two points which was huge for us.”
Q: You personally getting, you know coming off the bench, and contributing big time the past couple of nights.
“It feels good. That’s what my job is so when I get tapped on the shoulder to play I try to do my best and give my team a chance. Tonight they stayed with it and we got the two points.”
Q: Did the first goal hit [Sean] O’Donnell?
“I don’t think so. It was like a knuckler and it fooled me. I didn’t pick up on it right away and, it just fooled me.”
Q: But you seemed to pick up some deflections, especially late.
“Yeah there were some deflections in the third. I think my last two shots were deflected pretty good. We caught some good breaks there; obviously the second goal went of Mez’s stick which is a bad break, kind of on a nothing shot. But we caught some breaks at the end and held them off to get the win.”
Flyers Forward Claude Giroux
Q: You got hit hard late in the game. Does that bother you at all?
“It’s not over. It’s the most important time of the game, so I’m fine.”
Q: Can you talk about the contribution of Brian Boucher?
“Yeah, like I said last game, he hasn’t played in a while and he just comes in the game and helps us win like that. Especially today, he was great keeping us in the game, to come back. Once again, just a great effort by him.”
Q: What changed for you in the second period?
“We just started playing smarter, and doing the right plays. In the first period we were not too happy, we gave them 9 scoring chances. When you play a team like that, you can’t be doing that. It’s a good thing [Boucher] was on his game early on and after it sunk in we weren’t too happy. We wanted to get back into that game and have the whole team start working hard, and winning the battles. In the second period, we dominated the game.”
Q: Is it more satisfying battling back against a team that beat you last week?
“Yeah, anytime you win a game like that it’s always more fun. Anytime you got to work really hard to get that win, especially at the end of the game. It’s a lot more fun at the end of the game. You just feel [happier] about yourself because you know you did everything. Our guys are pretty happy right now.”
Q: When a game is hyped up, it never turns out that way.
“Yeah, I know. I was actually thinking about that before the game. The game was supposed to be rough. Both teams just played hockey. Especially in the first period, they started playing hockey. Then in the second period, we finally showed up.”
Q: Simon Gagne said last year, how important it was to play against the Canadiens; how much he enjoys it. Do you feel the same way?
“Yeah, I grew up as a Habs fan, pretty hardcore actually. Now, I don’t really like them anymore. All my buddies like the Canadiens, so we always go at it. I can’t wait to call them and start jerking them about it.”
Q: How hardcore were you, like in your face?
“Oh no no no. I was from a small town so the whole town was French-Canadian and supported the Habs.”
Q: On JVR scoring
“Yeah, I think every guy on the bench was [happier] than him. Well maybe not. He came out on that shift, and he beat PK [Subban] on the battle. That’s his game, anytime he wins the battle he gets pretty dangerous. That shift proved that.”
Q: Powe won a lot of battles.
“That’s why I like playing with Darroll. He wins every battle. He works hard. He is going to give you everything he has, especially today, he was great too.”
Montreal Canadiens Head Coach Jacques Martin
Q: Jacques, you had a two to nothing lead and then it seemed to turn quickly in the second period. They seemed to come out pretty strong.
“Yeah they did. I thought we dominated the first period and it was the reverse in the second. They dominated the second and took some momentum away and the third period continued by just getting pucks in deep and outworking us in our zone.”
Q: What can you learn from a game like this?
“I think we will analyze the game a lot so we can learn. The game is sixty minutes. That’s number one and number two is keeping our game simple or whatever works, you have to keep doing what works.”
Q: Were you a little disappointed in the power play? It didn’t seem like you generated any kind of scoring chances…
“No we didn’t generate any real chances on our power play. Like I said, we had one good period, the first period, we came out and played the way we wanted to play and then we stopped.”
Q: Carey’s [Price] performance tonight?
“Carey [Price] was outstanding again. He gave us a chance to win the hockey game.”
Flyers Head Coach Peter Laviolette
Q: What is it that you see in a player like [James] Van Riemsdyk? He was struggling to get anything going this season, but you’ve stuck with him the last couple weeks.
“Well, I think a lot of times confidence plays into it. Prior to these last couple games, prior to tonight anyway, he’s come in off the rush, he’s hit the post a few times, he’s close. I always think that the process leads to good results. When you’re skating, and you’re physical, and you’re on the puck, and your work ethic is high, good things happen and you can start to gain some confidence from that. I said after last game, just watching him in his first couple shifts, I really liked the way he played them and I moved him up right away with Richie [Mike Richards]. After the first period tonight, as a group, we got going and he got going as well. His legs got going under him and he was physical and he was able to generate. It was a big goal because you’re down 2-0 and it seems like you’re hard pressed to score a goal against and their goaltender has playing well for Montreal as of late. That’s a big goal to give us a lead like that in the third when you’re pressing.”
Q: What changed for your team after that first period?
“I think we tightened up a little bit again. I think we did the same thing in Washington, we lost our coverage a bit, there were some bad bounces and some bad breaks. On a goal, on the second goal, is kind of a bad break, it got redirected, not much Boosh [Brian Boucher] could do on it. We tightened things up a little bit, that was one area that got improved. I think just our disposition out on the ice, we started to work harder, we were more aggressive, and we were more determined, started to win face-offs, started to skate better and generate offense, pucks started going on net, more of the style we are used to. It was kind of a sleepy first period for us and I thought that, to the credit of the players, they went out there and they played just a terrific 40 minutes, I mean terrific. They never stopped playing and believing that they could win that game. It was a big game for us, we put a lot of emphasis on this game because of not having been successful in Montreal and because we have an opportunity to move into first in the league. Players really just went to work in the last 40 minutes and I’m really happy with what they did on the ice.”
: What does it say about the confidence in this team to have the week like you had last week, win the way you did in Washington, and then again tonight?
“Well I really liked the way we won in Washington. I know it got written up that we kicked up the lead again in the third, but we went to the penalty box. I don’t think that five-on-five we were playing poorly, I thought we actually played terrific in the second and third period in Washington. We had a lead, were right were we wanted to be, and it seemed like the game was in hand. We were doing the right things, but then we go in the box, and go there again. Tonight was a little bit different for me. Tonight was a different game where we fell behind in our building and were a little flat, but the guys didn’t quit on it. I think that’s really important. That’s a mark of a good team when your team refuses to give in to something, which it could have happened tonight. We couldn’t find the back of the net, the bounces didn’t seem to be going our way and instead we tightened up our boots a little bit more, went to work, and ended up with the result we were looking for.”
Q: Talk about Brian [Boucher] and what he’s given you in the last couple games.
“If you think about it, I’m sure he’d like to have that first one back. The saves that he made in the first period were incredible. 2-on-1’s, breakaway’s, point blank chances. I mean he was sharp. Like I said, the second one there’s not much he could do, we knocked it in our own net. It could have been 4-0, he was just tremendous.”
Q: What do you think about the rivalry between these two historic hockey cities, Philadelphia and Montreal, and how it has grown recently?
“Well Montreal has played well this year and they had a good run last year as well. I think because it came down to us there’s a little bit between us and them, but it can lead to good hockey. I thought there was some good hockey out there tonight with lots of shots and lots of opportunities, and both teams skated well. There’s always a storyline to write about.”
Q: Will you go back to Brian [Boucher] in Minnesota?
“I’m not sure, the game just finished here. Boosh [Brian Boucher] played a terrific game. Like I said earlier today, we have two great goalies. I’m not sure, I haven’t gone that far with anything yet.”
Q: I know it’s early, but how important are these points here going to be down the stretch?
“Well they’re as important as the ones down the stretch. Last year, the way we got in was a little bit rough, and we dragged a lot with us to get to that point. Anytime you can separate early in the season you’re setting yourself up, one, for a good year, and two, to not have to go to a shootout on the last game.”
Canadiens goaltender Carey Price
Q. It was a scary moment to see the puck near your throat.
“It hit me in the in the wind pipe, but fortunately it didn’t hurt anything.”
Q. It seems that you have every right to be mad at your teammates, are you pissed off?
“Um no, just disappointed in losing the game. We were up two-nothing, it was a very winnable game.
Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban
Q. How do you feel about tonight’s game?
“It’s just a lesson for us. I don’t think we’ve been in this position, up by two goals and the other team battles back. I think we can take things from this game and learn that when you get that lead, you’ve got to do the things that gave you the lead in the first place. I think we took our foot off the pedal, they’re a good team and they capitalize on it
Q. What was your mind frame coming into this game after all they hype and all the talk?
“The same as every game, you know I just came in like I usually do. For our team the focus was getting those two points, and that was their goal too. I think it got played up a little, but our focus was just winning the game. Its tough being up two to nothing and having them come back to win the game, but like I said theirs lessons to be learned.”
Q. Was anything serious said on the ice?
“Oh no, it’s hockey, the game is being played on the ice. It’s a tough game to play and you just try to make goals, and win it for your team.”
Q. You got to make a play like Giroux; you got to make a play on him because he’s shooting through your net.
“It’s a good thing he didn’t score on the empty net. I’m not sure how much time was left; I think the game was over shortly after that. I’m not sure how much time was left but yeah, their a good team. Especially when we have the men advantage they try to create offense off of it and you have to be aware of it.”
Q. Carey was ridiculous tonight.
“He’s been great for us all season, so I’m not surprised.”
Flyers right wing James van Riemsdyk
Q: How nice was it playing on the top line?
“Yeah, it feels great. In a game like this, with a goal. [Richards] and [Coburn] both made a great play. All I had to do was put it in the net.”
Q: Price has been so good against you, what do you see in him?
“Their team in general does a great job bottling things up defensively. With him, as a big goalie, he takes a lot of the first shot away. If you don’t get those second opportunities, it’s going to be tough.”
Q: Does it feel like a load lifted off your shoulder with the goal?
“Definitely, I mean, it’s been a while. Sometimes you forget how great it feels to score a goal. I felt great. I just got to keep this roll going.”
Q: How about the fact it happened when it did, with the score 2-2? It means something more, right?
“Yeah, definitely. Obviously, to score in a game when your team wins, it means that much more. We really wanted to focus on making sure that we came out a lot better after that first period we had and it was a good one for us.”
Q: You stayed out during skate later. Did you do anything different?
“No I try to always stay out there at the end, just for cuts and things. I can thank Joe Mullen a little bit, basically working a lot on shooting the puck and just getting the puck in the scoring areas and really bearing down. We worked on something like that a little bit this morning, I guess.”
Q: Have you felt more comfortable in the last week or so?
“Yeah definitely. The last 3 games or so, when I got back in the lineup, I felt a lot better. [I was] kind of playing without that pressure a little bit, and not squeezing the stick as much. It definitely makes things a little bit easier.”
Q: Laviolette rewarded you after your strong play against Washington by putting you with Richards and Nodl.
“Yeah, it’s definitely great to play with two guys like that. You get on the ice a little bit more. Obviously, [Richards] is a world class player. I think me, him, and [Nodl] have some good chemistry out there so hopefully we can keep building off of that.”
Q: How discouraged was the team after the first period?
“It wasn’t so much discouraged, as almost mad. We didn’t play the way, we know we are capable of and we really wanted to get out there in the second and rip the door off the hinges.”
Q: What was the scouting report on Price?
“It’s pretty much the same with any goalie. If you get to the net, get second opportunities, it’s going to be tough for any goalie. We want to get that traffic in there and really make sure we make the shot hard.”
Q: When Wellwood was called up, were you wondering what was going on?
“No. I didn’t find out he got called up, until he got here today. Obviously, I am just focused on coming to the rink, working hard everyday, and just controlling the things that I can control.”
Q: When you’re not scoring, are you trying new things…cutting your hair, shaving, doing anything different so they start going in?
“No, I mean it drives you crazy. If you ask my parents and brothers, they probably said I wasn’t very fun to be around recently. It feels good to get that one there and I just got to keep building off of it.”
Q: You played at the Spectrum, they’re going to start demolition tomorrow, do you think that had anything to do with the magic tonight?
“Maybe. Obviously there’s a lot of great sports memories at the Spectrum. I know my dad actually went to a ton of games growing up there, he went to school at Tuskohana, so it’s kind of a special place for him.”
Q: Do you feel honored having played there?
“Yeah, definitely. It’s probably one of the toughest buildings you could ever have to play in, in history you could say, with the fans and the atmosphere there. It’s pretty cool.”
Q: When you battled back like that, how is something like this?
“It’s great, I mean it just shows a lot of the character we have in the room here. We had a brutal first period, kind of got back out there and regrouped in the second [period] and just kind of stepped on the gas and never looked back.”
Q: What changed there in the terms of the way you played in the second period on?
“We were skating, more aggressive, more physical. When we play like that we’re tough to play against.”
Q: Is it more satisfying [winning tonight] given the way the team played in Montreal?
“Ideally we’d like to start the game off a little better. To battle back at home, to get a win against a good team, it feels good.”
Q: What went through your mind as soon as you scored…relief?
“Huge relief, the weight of the world off your shoulders. You’re not scarred for life, you forget how good it feels and it just feels great to score a goal there and help the team win.”
Q: Take us through what happens…does coach tell you in the morning skate that you’re going to be moved up to the first line?
“Yeah, last game we kind of shook up the lines a little bit, and that’s how we finished. At practice yesterday we practiced that way, we played a little bit earlier in the year and I think we have some chemistry so hopefully we can keep building off of that.”
Q: Just in terms of a lot being made up prior to the game and it turned out to be much ado about nothing, so just from that standpoint, an overall big win and it didn’t have anything to do with that which as a team that makes you feel better?
“I think a lot of the times when stuff like that gets built up, it never ends up being an issue on the ice. We’re both trying to win a game here and we’re both just trying to focus on getting those two points.”
Flyers center Darroll Powe
On James van Riemsdyk…
“Yeah I mean I think everyone’s happy to see him get that. He’s been coming close, hitting posts and stuff. He’s been really working hard lately, so it’s good to see him get that goal.”
Q: What was said after the first 20 minutes? Scott Hartnell said that coach [Peter Laviolette] laid into you guys pretty good. Is it sometimes a message like that, that can turn things around?
“I think so. No one was happy with how we were playing in that first period and coach let us know what we were all thinking. We responded well and came out hard in the second and third.”
Q: What’s the difference? More shots? Quality shots? More traffic?
“I think we were skating more in the second and third – beating them to pucks and making smarter plays with the puck and, just outworking them.”
Q: Good to see JVR get one?
“Yeah he’s been working hard and it’s good to get that first one out of the way for him this year.”
Q: How important was it not to get caught up in the stuff that happened in Montreal? Especially as it relates to [P.K.] Subban and those type of things, just to focus on tonight’s game.
“Yeah, I don’t think anyone here was worried about Subban tonight. Coming into the game we knew Montreal’s got a good team and we just had to focus on playing our game. I think we did that in the second and third period.”
Q: What does it say about Brian [Boucher], that he comes off the bench and gives you two really good games?
“Yeah, Bouch is a character guy. You know he’s been positive the whole way here and he’s been working really hard, like you said, he played great for us when he’s been in the net so I’m really happy to see that.”
Q: Is it frustrating that you guys had so many shots and just couldn’t break through? Do you just say ‘we’ve got to keep plugging at it’ and get shots on net?
“Yeah you said it. All you can do is throw pucks at the net and get traffic. He’s [Carey Price] a good goalie so it’s not going to be easy. We kept throwing the puck at the net and kept crashing and we ended up getting a few.”
Q: How happy are you guys with JVR, he’s struggled obviously the last few weeks, to get that first goal.
“The last few games he’s been playing great. He’s been working hard and skating and he’s come close. So for him to actually put that one in, the game winner, it’s good for him and it’s good for the team.”
Q: [Claude] Giroux’s goal, was that a case of you getting a little dirty to find some room for him?
“Yeah, Giroux’s great at finding open ice. It was just a shot from the point and he found that open spot. Just kind of try to throw it in the area of where he was and he found it and threw it in the net. He’s a talented goal scorer; he knows where to be and scores big goals for us.”
Q: Nice to see Bouch, I mean that last game the last couple minutes were kind of hairy, to see him close it out with that kind of dominance in the last couple minutes where they can’t really get a shot off?
“Yeah, Bouch played unreal tonight. He made a lot of big saves for us and for him to step in and play a good game like that was huge for us.”
