Quotes from select Bruins and Flyers players following tonight’s 3-0 loss. Read the game recap here.
Bruins left wing Milan Lucic
“Bergy [Patrice Bergeron] did a great job finding Krecj [David Krecji] up the middle there – kind of a broken play – the puck ended up on my stick and I made a pretty good move there and almost scored. Bergy got in the high slot there and made it count.”
Q: For yourself, do you feel like you kind of got back on track?
“Yeah, I think as a line we were much better. We created more and I felt like we were strong on the puck. We played a solid 60 minute game and I think as a line we can build off this. We just got to bottle up and use it tomorrow.”
Q: Does it feel better to be back with Krecj there?
“Yeah, it felt real good with Krecj. It felt kind of normal and comfortable again. Obviously it was nice playing with Bergy; he did a great job when we did play with him. We had a lot of success the three of us. But, I think it was a big thing for Krecj to step back in and have a good game with me and Horty [Nathan Horton] and it’s nice to able to play the way that we did. We just got to build off this and push for more next game.”
Q: You talked about team tough and how you showed that. How much of that was also being smart and team tough? Not getting drawn into anything by the Flyers when they were trying to do that; just given the strong emotions going into this game. It must have been difficult to do.
“Yeah, it’s probably the most difficult part. But we were smart and we’re a tough team here. We stick up for one another and it was evident when Thorty [Shawn Thornton] got in there and fought [Jody] Shelley. It’s nice when you know you’ve got guys having your back, and vice versa, you have there back too. We were smart tonight, I felt like we were in control for most of the game, playing with that lead and that’s why it was…feels pretty good to have this win.”
Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette
Q. Peter, not to take away anything from the forty-one shots, do you feel right away that you had, you know the kind of high percentage shots on him (Tim Thomas)?
“I think there was a lot of high percentage shots but not forty, but certainly he played a very good game.”
Q. Was that the best you’ve seen him in the goalie (Thomas)?
“He’s done it all year. I said that before, someone asked me if it surprises me and the answer is no, you know he’s done this. He had an up and down year last year but prior to that he was solid, and got the Vezina Trophy and now he’s back to that point. He’s playing very well for them; you know we couldn’t slide anything by him. You know we did have some good opportunities, but he made big saves when he needed to.”
Q: Did you change some of your lines up to try to get something going?
“Yeah, it’s been a few games with a lot of opportunities and attempts, but not a lot of goals being scored. It’s just a different look to try something new to shake it up.”
Q: Are those lines something you might stick with?
“I’m not there yet.”
Q: Do you just want to chalk it up to the play of a hot goalie [Tim Thomas] or are there still a couple of other things that need to be solved?
“My take on the game was that Boston played an extremely hard fought game, they fought for the ice. I don’t think that we backed down, didn’t compete, or show up. We made a couple mistakes in the first period, one on the penalty kill and one off the rush. They ended up in the net and that was the difference. We continued to put pucks at the net and do think we had some good opportunities, we could have scored. It was one of those hard fought games and we came out on the short end of the stick so nobody feels good about it. It was a big game for us and it’s extremely disappointing not to walk away with a win or points, but they played hard.”
Q: What is going on with the power play?
“The power play could be better. A lot of times it goes hand-in-hand with your five-on-five. When you’re playing and clicking 5-on-5, a lot of times that confidence rolls over to your power play.”
Flyers left wing Scott Hartnell
Q: (Question Inaudible)
“Well, we met a goalie that stops everything; back doors, breakaways, some great chances in front. He’s covering up the rebounds. It’s tough to beat a goalie like that. I think we had the chances we just couldn’t put them in the net.”
Q: Can you walk us through that penalty shot?
“I came out of the box, I was able to get a step on the [defense], I just tried to shoot it quick and I was kind of going a little too fast. The penalty shot, I tried to get him to bite on the fake shot, I went to the backhand and got it up. He got a piece of the glove on it and obviously it stayed out.”
Q: You had a lot of shots but couldn’t get one through….
“It’s frustrating when you have so many chances and rebounds, two-on-ones, and everything. He’s there to make the save every time. I don’t know how many shutouts he has this year but I think it’s four, or five, or six, or something like that now. It’s only twenty-something games in. They’re playing well in front of him and I wouldn’t say we weren’t hungry enough around the net but we just couldn’t buy a goal.”
Q: They played really well with the lead, and they’ve played really well with the lead this year…
“Yeah, they’ve got one of the best defensemen in the NHL, Chara. It seems like he gets his stick on everything. You think you’ve got him, and it seems like he can knock you off the puck, he’s that strong. It’s a little frustrating playing against a guy like that obviously, but there’s no excuses out here tonight.”
Q: It seems you guys haven’t had a lot of luck on your side the past three games…
“We wanted to come out with energy. They got a power play goal there early. It just seemed like we were chasing from behind right off the bat and it’s not what you want to do at home, especially with a team like Boston. They really trap it up, make you get it deep, it seems like they’re [defense] are good enough to make plays to get out of their end. Like I said, frustrating when you have chances that you can’t bury.”
Q: What do you have to do better on the power play?
“I think simplify it, number one. You can’t score if you don’t shoot. It seems like we’re having trouble getting shots through. We got to be able to put the puck in, too. It seems like we’re always chasing it, we’re rimming it. Penalty killers work hard, and it seems like they’re outworking us right now too, so it’s frustrating right across the board.”
Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger
Q: Is that as well as you’ve seen an opposing goalie play this season?
“I don’t know, we’ve been shut out [twice] this year and it hasn’t been for a lack of shots. But again, he’s been playing very well and it’s goalies like that that are dug in. We’ve got to get traffic in front of him.”
Q: Did you play as well as you had hoped to tonight?
“I didn’t think so. We did some good things but we made some mistakes and they capitalized on them. You’re never going to play mistake-free, but I don’t think that was anywhere near our best game.”
Q: (Question Inaudible)
“Again, you have to have traffic. You’re not going to score in this league often shooting from the outside with no traffic. You’ve got to get inside into the dirty areas, get a screen set up. Against, against a goalie that’s playing very well.”
Q: Is it more frustrating on the power play, a month ago it was about 30%, now you can’t buy a goal…
“I don’t know about buying one, but I think we got one last game. Boom!
Q: Two for your last 39…
“No, it’s not clipping along very well, if that’s what you’re getting at. There’s a lot of things that we can do to be better on the power play, that’s for sure. We better find the solution here quick because it’s costing us games.”
Boston Bruins center Tyler Seguin
Q: Everything looked better tonight. You guys skated better, the passes are good, and everything is happening.
“Yeah, that’s what we wanted to do coming here tonight. Not only was it revenge for last year, but we also wanted a nice fresh start.”
Q: Speaking of starts, getting the first goal obviously makes all the difference in the world, right?
“Absolutely. That has been our main thing as of late. We wanted to come out with a better start, be more hungry, and play a little more desperate hockey. Tonight we did that.”
Q: Can you take us through your goal?
“It was a great play by everyone. I think almost everyone got to touch the puck. On the defense, I can’t remember who it was, made a nice pass to [Brad Marchand], Marchand to [Michael] Ryder, Ryder to me and it worked out.”
Q: How important was that to get the kind of start you guys had in the first period?
“I’m not sure what our record is offhand when we score the first goal but I know it’s pretty good. That’s one of the main things we’ve been trying to change the last couple games, is not doing that. Tonight we did that.”
Q: An effort tonight like that tonight in this building against Philadelphia, how much does that help this team?
“Again, not only was it revenge for last year from the loss that happened, but it’s also a brand new start. We want to come out against a good hockey club and show them what we’re made of and we did that.”
Q: As a rookie, since you didn’t experience the collapse last year, how much have you heard about it and how much was it talked about, if at all?
“I mean, it obviously was the talk of Boston for a long time, all summer. But, now we want to be refocused. I was in Philadelphia actually a couple of months ago, when they played the Blackhawks in the playoffs, and I remember the atmosphere here and know how great it is to win in this type of city.”
Q: If your team allowed you to go back and play in the World Juniors, would you consider it?
“That is their decision.”
Flyers center Claude Giroux
Q: Do you just have to tip your hat to [Bruins Goaltender] Tim Thomas?
“We could have played better but I think he has been playing well this year and we got a lot of quality chances, we went to the net and we did what we were supposed to but I think it could still be better.”
Q: That one opportunity that you had looked like you had the right side of the net, did you think you scored there?
“Yeah, it was a great save, I tried to shoot it as quick as I could and he made a pretty good save.”
Q: When you do everything you can against a goalie like that, when you don’t get the results, how tough is that for a team morale-wise?
“Yeah, especially right now when we’re fighting a lot to get those points and we’ve got to find a way to get those wins. I think good teams find a way to get those tight games at the end of the game and get those big goals. I think in the third [period] we stepped it up a little but again, we just have to find a way to get it done.”
Q: It seems you’ve had a couple tough stretches where you’ve had a couple overtime shootout losses and now this. Is this one of those things where teams have to go through during the course of the year?
“Yeah, like I said good teams find a way to win. It’s not like we played really bad tonight but I think we can be better. It’s going to be a big weekend for us this weekend.”
Q: Do you think some lines get stale when you’re with the same linemate, I know Peter [Laviolette] tried to shuffle some things up?
“Yeah, we didn’t have anything going really and he just wanted to switch it up and I don’t know, it’s going to happen. We talked to him about it and we’ll see tomorrow.”
Q: Were you guys getting the kind of shots you wanted on the power play?
“I think we were moving the puck pretty good and obviously we’ve got to do a better job to get in front of that goalie and crash that net. Usually power play’s can get you in the game and tonight we couldn’t find a way to do that.”
Flyers Center Danny Briere
Q: (inaudible)
“Yeah, I mean, not the game we wanted to end up with, but it wasn’t that bad. Like you said, [Tim] Thomas made some good saves. If there is one area that we need to improve, it’s maybe, finding those loose pucks around a little better. But even the times we did, he made some pretty good saves tonight. We have to get him credit. There was play in the first period, and after that it was catch up hockey. We had to force the issue here and there. I thought we did a fairly good job, but we couldn’t find the back of the net.”
Q: You came out 2 shootout losses and now this, does it feel like you are in a bad slump?
Yeah, it just seems like nothing is working. But, it’s a cycle. We have to keep working through it. Earlier in the season, there were games where everything was working for us. So we can’t complain, we just have to keep our heads up, and go back to work tomorrow, and try to break that cycle somehow.”
Q: Are you concerned about the power play at all?
“Not really. I mean, we had some chances. I actually felt better. I don’t know about the other unit but our unit was able to get in the zone. We had some; we were able to control the puck, a couple chances. The one time [Scott Hartnell] gave it to me right in the slot, I was alone, I got 2 whacks at it, Thomas made the save. When things are going well, pucks fly in the back of the net. I know the fans were getting on us, getting frustrated but, you know, when you are doing what you are supposed to do, at some point things are going to start happening the right way.”
Q: Laviolette resisted the urge to shuffle the lines, but he did that tonight. 3 goals in 3 games, would you expect that to happen over the next couple games?
“Like I said, hockey is a cycle. It’s up and down. It works, it doesn’t work. I’m not too worried about that. I know that it’s going to start clicking again. I mean, he is the coach, he’s going to do what he wants to do, but if he leaves them that way, I am fine with it. I would love it actually. I know our line will get back to rolling at some point.”
Q: They [Boston] have not blown a lead since game 7 of the playoffs last year.
“Well that was a big one to blow. I mean, it’s early in the season. We will save them for when it matters.”
Bruins Goaltender Tim Thomas
Q: Did you get a sense of frustration on them earlier, because you guys were playing so well?
“I was trying to focus on playing and I was hoping they were getting frustrated, but I was too busy with my job to worry about it.”
Q: On that penalty shot, you really cut off the angle well on [Scott] Hartnell. Were you playing it to him, or it just kind of went that way?
“Well, you’d like to do that on any shootout. I just played it the way I’ve been playing shootouts lately. I’ve played a lot of the L.A. [Kings] shooters in our last shootout the same exact way and I didn’t want to over think it and think what he might do. He just took a shot low blocker, so, you know. At one point I started to think ‘is he going to go back there?” So, I just tried to empty my mind and react.”
Q: How much of a zone did you think you were in tonight, the way you were stopping shot left and right tonight? A lot of shots and you seem to be able to hide a goal.
“Yeah, I felt good. There’s no doubt about it. I went into that game…one of my focuses was to be ready for anything. I watch them on TV and even last year in the playoffs and they do some pretty funny stuff. It isn’t just shooting from the outside and crashing the net; they do a little bit of everything so I was trying to be ready for anything. You know, little deflections off the shin pads and that kind of stuff. And sure enough in that first minute there, we were playing the puck behind the net and it went off my pad and into the slot for Richards. Actually that little flurry made me feel more confident going forward because we survived that little flurry.”
Q: The fast start you guys had in that first period, getting two goals, how much of a key was that in terms of getting up early on them and putting pressure on them?
“Well it was big for us. If we get the lead, we have a great record. We’ve won some games coming from behind and those are the kind of wins I can only recall recently – the ones where we were coming back [because] the other team scored the first goal. For us to get the first goal was big and to get the second goal was really big. It made the difference probably in the confidence of our team.”
Q: Any of those saves stand out as particularly good saves for you?
“Well there was one in the second period; I think it was [Danny] Briere. He was right in front of the net and I was so quick and I surprised myself a little bit on it. To be honest there might be a little bit of luck there and I kind of knew luck was on my side after that. I made some other good saves but none where I had to react that quick.”
Q: Was it hard for you to keep your emotions in check for the entire 60 minutes, just given what happened last year with this team, going into the game tonight?
“You know what, no, no. I think it probably gave me an advantage. Let’s put it this way, before going into it I mentally prepared myself to not let that happen. Even with Hartnell there, I mentally prepared myself to not let that happen. Then I blacked out and got a penalty. But, I was prepared for that and I think that’s the way you have to approach it. Especially the first game after something like last year’s series.”
Q: Was it fun for you tonight to play these guys having had that opportunity last year?
“It was fun because everything went my way and the team worked hard in front of me and the D’s were blocking shots. It turned into a fun game. You didn’t know what it was going to be before the game. The effort…that was a hard worked victory and it feels good to get rewarded like that”
Q: Is this, do you think this is similar to how you did in Finland when you had 15 shutouts?
“Yeah, I do, I do feel similar. This is the NHL, it’s tougher. You know, goaltending is a very team-dependant position. Without the effort in front of me and the blocked shots…even though the other team does get some chances, there were so many other ones that we stopped them from getting. Probably in Finland you can do it more on your own, if you understand. The NHL is the best players in the world, there’s no doubt about it.”
Q: Did you at all think last year that you would get the start in Game 6 given the situation.
“Well, I was definitely on my toes just in case. Of course you have to; you’re in the situation where you’re the one backing up you have to be ready if you’re called upon.”
Bruins Defenseman Zdeno Chara
“We were trying to just play really strong in the first 20 [minutes] and hold out for another 40 minutes. Everybody played really hard and made strong plays and eventually we got rewarded for our hard work and scored some goals.
Q: How hard was that – guys throwing themselves in front of pucks, battles in front of the net – it seems like it was a consistent hardworking 60 minute effort.
“That’s something that we committed ourselves to the game, especially when you’re playing Philly. They throw so many pucks at the net and in the crease that you’re always jammed. They’re really good at it. We just knew it was something we had to do to win the hockey game.”
Q: Z, how about just the way Timmy’s [Tim Thomas] been playing? Just describe it.
“He’s been playing really well. Obviously he’s having a strong year so far; making big saves in crucial times for us. So, yeah, he’s a big difference for us in the net.”
Q: Now that it’s over, was last year a motivator playing them tonight? Being in this building?
“A little bit, I don’t think it was just the most important point for today’s game. The way we’ve played the last few games we really wanted to have a strong game no matter who we played tonight. But obviously we had it in our mind that, that’s the team that came back. They deserve it; they played really strong in the playoffs and that’s why they were in the finals. We used it (inaudible) as a motivator.”
Boston Bruins Center Patrice Bergeron
Q: On the offense…
“Obviously, when you do get that lead, the offense builds up and you want to keep it going. I thought it has been a while since we scored that first goal and it was nice to be ahead instead of trying to catch up.”
Q: It has been a while since you played 60 minutes like that, too.
“Yeah, that was the focus tonight, to play for the whole game.”
Q: When you play a good game like this, especially in Philadelphia on their home ice, after you’ve lost a couple in a row, what does that do for you guys?
“Well, I think it gives us some confidence. We’ve been playing pretty well on the road all year so tonight was a good effort and I think that is what we need to do. It’s always tough to play against them and I thought we were ready tonight from the get-go and that was nice.”
Q: Can you read that Sean [O’Donnell] might be clearing that puck there, or were you just in the right position to be able to pick-off that pass?
“No, I knew they were just going to turn around and dump it in, so I tried to be there and read which way it was going to go. I think he kind of fanned on it a little bit so I was kind of fortunate to get it. I knew the goalie was kind of scrambling in front so I just sort of put it back in front right away and it worked.”
Q: How key was that start Bergy? You know, getting off to a good start and getting in the driver’s seat.
“It was huge. We’ve been saying our starts need to be better and I think we did that tonight and we carried some momentum because we had a good start. We got that first goal on the power play and that gave us a big goal. I thought we did what we need to do on the road to get a big win.”
Q: Was last year’s series in the back of your mind at all?
“Yeah, we’ve got some emotions about that. I think also, it’s just the way things have been going the past week, I think we needed the big effort. It didn’t matter…we were going to play tonight. We needed to come out hard and play our game.”
Q: How hard fought a win was that tonight? Just guys throwing themselves in front of pucks, battles in the front of the net.
“Yeah I think it was huge. That’s what we need. That’s how we’ve had success in the beginning of the year when we were playing desperate and wanted to do the little things to win and we did that tonight.”
Q: Bergy, you’ve seen Timmy [Tim Thomas] for a long time. How would you describe how he’s playing this year?
“He’s playing like Timmy I think. You know that’s just him giving a chance to win night in and night out. I think we had a really good effort in front of him and got that win for him.”
Boston Bruins Head Coach Claude Julien
Q: It seems like playing with the lead gives some confidence?
“Yeah, I think scoring that first goal definitely took some pressure off. Although I thought they came at us pretty hard, I thought we settled down. I thought we played well. We’re making better passes and better plays. Our commitment and determination was better. As far as who we’re playing, this is a pretty good team, let’s not kid ourselves. I thought we played a really good road game. Our goaltending was again, Tim [Thomas] stood tall start to finish.”
Q: This was a hard fought game. Guys were throwing themselves in front of pucks and there were battles in front of the net. These are things that maybe you haven’t always seen for 60 minutes and we saw that completely tonight.
“Well, at one point you know you’re slipping as a team and you’re not playing as well. Sometimes to get yourselves back on track you have to show a little bit of desperation and commitment. I thought we did that tonight. The guys were committed and that was important for each other. It showed that they were going to do whatever it took to win this hockey game. Like I said, I like the way that our guys showed up tonight. It was an important win for us.”
Q: How does a game like this affect you in a back-to-back situation?
“I think we’ve got a team waiting for us at home, and that’s a team that has been playing pretty well as well. Hopefully we can bring that momentum into tomorrow’s game because we’re going to need it.”
Q: How important was Tim Thomas tonight?
“He really did play big. Had he let one sneak in, it might’ve been a different game and we know that. You know, the goaltender is part of your team and he’s got to do his share. I think he took a big share of the responsibility tonight and helped us win this hockey game.”
Q: What did you think of the play where [Zdeno Chara] broke his stick and [Jeff] Carter got the puck. He was basically on a breakaway and [Zdeno] came back with no stick and broke it up?
“Well, I guess he had no choice, right? You have to kind of be careful you don’t get caught in a holding penalty. The first thing the referees are going to do when they see you have no stick is look for an infraction. But, I thought he played a big game. He played the type of game we know he can play. When he plays that way he’s the best shutdown [defenseman] in the league, bar none.
Q: How was it to have last year’s playoffs the in the back of your mind, if it was at all?
“I don’t think it can not be there. But, I don’t think the whole focus of tonight was on that when we needed to win a hockey game and we certainly weren’t pleased with our games as of late. You know, my comment was that ‘if you guys want to use that as extra motivation, go ahead, there is nothing wrong with that.’ But the bottom line was that we really focused on winning this game for the right reasons, more than for reasons that happened last year.”
Q: It seems like [Tyler] Seguin is trying to find his way in this game. If he’s playing for a struggling team it might be tough for a kid like that to fit in. In a game like this where things are working well, can you see his skill level more than in other games?
“To be honest with you, I know he didn’t quite get ten minutes of ice time. It was a tough game to slide him in when you have three potent lines on the other side. I thought he played really well. I thought he played probably one of his better games, to be honest with you, with his fore-check, and he skated well, and obviously he scored that big goal. He’s up to five goals and when you look at where we are in the season, at this pace he could be a 20 goal scorer in his first year. So, you can’t be disappointed with him at all. I think as we move forward here and he keeps getting better the way he is, he’s going to get more and more ice time.
Q: Do you think that should’ve been a penalty shot?
“I don’t know. I thought he got his shot away. But, at that end of the period we don’t get the best view so maybe if I look at it I can answer it tomorrow. I know that he got his shot away so I thought that would be sufficient, but I guess not.”
