Transcripts Courtesy of the NHL Communications Department

Travel Day comments from Flyers players Chris Pronger, Mike Richards, Simone Gagne, Danny Briere, Michael Leighton, and Head Coach Peter Laviolette

Q. Can you just give a quick quote on how well your goalie’s playing, and as a follow-up question, it’s his birthday, just thinking of what you might want to get him today?
CHRIS PRONGER: Yeah, happy birthday, Michael.

MIKE RICHARDS: It’s his birthday?

CHRIS PRONGER: Yeah. It’s going to cost him. No, he’s playing excellent. Obviously, it wasn’t an easy situation for him to come into in Game 5 in Boston. It just shows you the preparation and hard work he was able to do while he was out and trying to prepare to get back, and the hard work in the gym and obviously with his injury, trying to get healthy with the off chance he might get an opportunity to get thrown back into the mix, which he did.
He was prepared, and focused and ready, and you’re kind of seeing what he’s been able to do since his return.

Q. Would it surprise you that the Canadiens today are once again talking about how they need to get more traffic in front, get the rebounds, loose pucks? Obviously, that’s something that you’ve prevented them from doing, would it surprise you that that’s their strategy for Game 3?
CHRIS PRONGER: No, because it’s probably our strategy, too. That’s pretty much Playoff hockey right there. Crowding the front of the net, throwing pucks there and hoping for bounces and loose pucks to travel under your stick. You know, I don’t think it changes from us to them to, you know, Chicago or San Jose, the remaining teams in the Playoffs.

It’s been a part of Playoff hockey for as long as I can remember. You know, you see funny things happen when pucks are thrown at the net. You know, that’s a big part of the game.

Q. You guys seem to be on such an even keel. You’re not getting too worked up over wins, you’re not getting too down when things don’t go well. Is that really the attitude you have to keep going. You’ve seen firsthand being up 2-0 doesn’t mean that it’s over, you know what I mean?
CHRIS PRONGER: It’s a lot of practice during the season, lot of ups and downs. We’ve had our fair share, and have learned how to deal with them. You know, I think that’s what’s great about our team is we understand some nights we might not have our best, but we’ve got to find a way to win. And other nights when you play well, sometimes you don’t get the breaks and you’re going to lose some games.

No matter what you need to continue to come back each day to the rink and be prepared and focused and put the work in, the time in, and hopefully, the next game out you’ll be able to rebound and play better.

But, I think we understand the situation we’re in right now. We’re up 2-0, but we’ve merely just defended home ice. It’s up to us now to try to come in here and play even better in Game 3.

Q. Lavi was not happy again last night. I mean, you almost sense listening to him that he wishes that the attitude and the mindset in the games was as if you were down 0-2 instead of up 0-2. He wants better starts. He wants more consistency throughout the game. Can you change that mindset here? I mean, you’ve been so used to playing from behind the past couple of weeks. Can you give him that?
CHRIS PRONGER: Is that a question?

Q. Yeah.
CHRIS PRONGER: Didn’t sound like one. It’s more a blanket statement, which you’re really good at. You’re really good at those, Tim. I’m going to make up my own answer because I don’t like yours, so (laughing).

Yeah, it’s very easy to kind of tell yourself that you obviously need to come in here and be even more focused and prepared than we were for the two home games. They’re obviously going to be in their home building. Last line change, all the rest of that stuff.

But their fans are going to be behind them. They’ve been loud and boisterous all Playoff long. We need to be cognizant of that and try to play an even sounder, tighter, defensive game and get off to a better start.

It’s no secret we didn’t play great yesterday in the first period, and Leights came up with a lost big stops. But that game’s over with. We can’t dwell on that, we can only move forward and worry about Game 3, and that’s tomorrow night.

Q. Both clubs?
CHRIS PRONGER: Mike is here, by the way.

MIKE RICHARDS: Don’t feel obligated to ask me. That’s fine.

Q. From both of you guys, really, both clubs have been very resilient in the Playoffs. But for what you’ve gone through in your series, people in Montreal just talking to people today they’re saying it’s over, we’re down 2-0, the run’s over, the dream has died all that kind of thing. Give me a sense how much you respect the resilience they’ve shown in the Playoffs, the kind of stuff you’ve dealt with as well?
CHRIS PRONGER: I think the same people may have been saying the same thing in the previous two rounds as well. I don’t take too much stock in that. They’re obviously a team that’s has proven over the last couple of rounds that they can come back, they can play well. I don’t think they thought they were out of either one of the first two games.

Leights played extremely well. We were able to get a few past Halak early and get the lead. The games change when you have the lead. Teams play differently. It’s up to us tomorrow night to get off to a good start again and try to get that first goal.

Q. Mike?
MIKE RICHARDS: Same thing as him, pretty much took the words out of my mouth.

Q. Can you give us a quick comment on your goalie’s performance, especially last night?
MIKE RICHARDS: Yeah, it’s similar to Chris. He’s worked hard to put himself in a position to come back. All year long we’ve put our goaltenders in difficult situations to come in and play, and each time they’ve answered the bell, and this time has been no different.

Q. Maybe a different spin on what they were asking you. Just the feeling of being a team that’s down 0-2 when you know that, you know, it’s not looking good. Obviously, you can’t have that attitude, you can’t be thinking, you know, we’re still in it.
MIKE RICHARDS: Well, they’re probably talking in the dressing room about playing well, out-chancing us, and maybe even outshooting us, too. But I mean they’re a resilient team, obviously. They were down 3-1 to Washington, and back against the wall against Pittsburgh too.

So they’re probably just as confident as we were last series when we played Boston. I mean, we have to expect them to come out with their best tomorrow.

Q. How much do you tailor a game plan to a specific goaltender? Do you watch tape, does it change a lot or because most goalies play a lot of the same style is it pretty much the same?
MIKE RICHARDS: A lot of goalies are similar, I think, with just the standard butterfly. Obviously, there are some goaltenders that there are different things that you can try to exploit while you’re shooting on them or just have a mindset going into the game of what you can use. Especially Playoffs, you watch a lot of video just to see kind of what his tendencies are.

We did a little bit before the series and kind of seen some things that we might be able to take advantage of. Not saying that they’re working, because obviously he’s a great goaltender and making a lot of big saves. We just have to keep getting bodies to him, and keep getting scrambles in front of the net, and hopefully we can keep getting the lucky bounces.

Q. This is a question to Chris about Mike. People here know a lot about yourself, Simon, Daniel. What does Michael bring to the team?
CHRIS PRONGER: Well, he brings a lot. I think when you look at centermen and two-way guys that play both ends of the rink and play physical, he’s obviously a guy that does all of those for us and score big goals, and set up big goals as we’ve seen throughout the course of the Playoffs here.

You know, I think it’s safe to say as he goes, we go. You know, he’s been a huge part of our success in the Playoffs offensively. But I think a lot of times his defensive contributions get a little overlooked because of the offensive side of the game. You never know when a big hit may come, and that always keeps people on edge out on the ice, and that intimidation factor of a big hit can play a big part.

Q. Do you like playing in this building? Can you guys feed off the energy that’s expected here?
CHRIS PRONGER: Well, whenever you’re playing in any opposing team’s building in the Playoffs, it’s always exciting. Especially a building as big as this with this many fans and as loud as they’re going to be. It’s a fun atmosphere to be a part of, and it’s up to us to try to silence them early and try to take them out of the game. But I’m sure that will be a little more difficult than it is.

But really, you relish the moments of playing on the big stage in buildings like this where the fans are as crazy and ruckus as they are, but I’m looking forward to it.

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Q. You both talked in Game 1 about the excitement of playing the Montreal Canadiens. Now it’s coming here to Montreal, a province you’re both from. Talk about maybe the extra adrenaline playing here?
SIMON GAGNE: I’m looking forward to it. On my case, that’s my first time, you know, to play against Montreal Canadiens in the Playoffs. Two years ago we had a chance to come here and play them on my side I was hurt.

So I was not able to get the feeling of what it is to face the Montreal Canadiens in the Playoffs and especially here in Montreal. So I’m looking forward to it. I think it’s going to be very fun. I have a lot of family and friends coming to the game, so I’m looking forward to the game tomorrow.

Q. Danny?
DANNY BRIERE: Kind of the same thing for me. Obviously, I group a Montreal Canadiens fan. So to come back in this building is always a little easier motivation, I guess. The history of the team and, I mean, we have all our friends and families watching from even closer now makes it easier to find that motivation.

Also the fact that we all know about all the boos that has been going on the past few years, that’s an extra motivation when you jump on the ice.

Q. You’ve never shied away from the boos or questions or stuff like that. I mean, you’ve got to be pretty pumped for this one?
DANNY BRIERE: Oh, definitely. As soon as I found out that we were playing Montreal, I got really excited about it. I’ve always said I wanted to experience what it was to play against Montreal at least once in my career. So this is my second chance, and I’m just grateful for the chance to play here in the Playoffs.

Q. What was your turning point, if there is such a thing, that really got you going here at the end of the season? What was it for you? Can you think of one moment or something in conversation?
DANNY BRIERE: I can’t remember — not just one moment, I guess. You know, since Peter came in, we’ve had lots of talks about my game and about taking it to the next step, the next level. Just coming down the stretch for some reason things started clicking and started playing better and better. The chemistry got better.

There was a moment there when me, Simon, and Ville started playing together, and I felt that was kind of the start, and there’s been a lot of line combination, but for some reason things just kept going on a positive side after that.

Q. To reflect on last night’s game and your goalie’s performance, he helped you out a lot. He gave you a bit of a gift last night, and bear in mind it is his birthday today, and I was just curious as to what you guys were going to give him?
SIMON GAGNE: Hopefully we’re going to play a lot better in front of him tomorrow. The game last night was definitely won because of him. Like you just said, it’s his birthday, so we have definitely to find a nice gift for him.

I think just start to at least have a better start and play better five-on-five. Maybe it will be, yeah, a little bit more disciplined, especially early on. We know that they’re going to come here and play very hard the first five or ten minutes, and if we can manage that five-on-five and stay off the box, you know, not giving them the chance to go on the power play early on, that could be a good start and hopefully finish with a win for his birthday.

Q. What do you guys attribute to the chemistry that you guys have had particularly lately? All three of you are pretty skilled guys and that. How have you guys been able to develop a chemistry among one another?
DANNY BRIERE: You mean me and Simon? Or you mean for the whole team?

Q. For the three of you, you three that are playing together.
SIMON GAGNE: Actually, we’re not playing together.

Q. You’re not?
DANNY BRIERE: Not anymore.

SIMON GAGNE: Sometimes, but, no.

DANNY BRIERE: I referred to it. Yeah, it started that way. I mean, I’m still with Ville Leino, and still things are for some reason started clicking. I think just the way he plays, how strong he is on the puck, and that he’s able to keep plays going has found — I think our line has found that chemistry. All three of us are different with Scott Hartnell.

But the whole team, it’s not just about one line. It seems every single line right now has a little bit of that chemistry going and that confidence every time we jump on the ice.

Q. Did Simon’s return just bring balance throughout everybody up front?
DANNY BRIERE: Yeah, I mean, I think it’s more than — we all saw the goals on the last few games against Boston. We were 0-3 when he wasn’t playing, and we’ve been 6-0 since he’s back in the lineup. Yes, he scored some big goals, but it’s more than that. Just his presence, you know, in the lineup changes everything.

We were having that discussion when he was just about to come back with his foot, and I was trying to convince him at first, even if you can’t play, just to sit on the bench, just to have his presence there. You add a player like that to your lineup, it changes everything. Like you said, it brought all three — our three scoring lines, it makes everybody a lot more dangerous all of a sudden.

Q. You listen to Lavi’s press conference the last two games. He wasn’t happy with a lot of the parts of the game. He was an unhappy guy in Philly right now. I sense that he would prefer the attitude of we’re down 0-2 instead of we’re up 0-2. How do you get that back because you guys were so good at come being back from adversity, and here you’re in front?
DANNY BRIERE: I think he’s happy that we’re up 2-0. But he’d like the attitude of — I think he just wants a little bit more desperation, and I agree with him. To be successful in this building, we will need more desperation, and I think it’s a way to send his message.

We have to realize that if we play the same way it’s not going to be good enough. We have to realize that, so that’s kind of the message there that he’s trying to send.

At the same time we all realize it, and we all know. So I definitely do expect us to come out a little harder. But at the same time, it was tough. I’m the first one to admit it was a little tough to find that extra gear after playing four games where we had our backs to the wall.
Obviously, Game 7 coming back from a three-goal deficit and winning in a dramatic fashion. It was a little tough to get it going again, and I’m hoping that we’ll get over that finally tomorrow night.

Q. That was the kind of thing that held you guys back in the regular season. You find that extra gear three or four games and then you’d kind of lose it, and you had to get it back?
DANNY BRIERE: Well, you look — it’s tough for anybody. Anybody that’s in that position. You look at Montreal. They won that big Game 7 in Pittsburgh. I think they had a hard time, too, coming out of it in Game 1. Once you get on such an emotional high, it’s tough to reproduce that night after night after night.

Q. Can you talk about the confidence that seems to be growing in this team with the play of Michael Leighton knowing you’ve got this guy, especially in the first period when they were just peppering him with shots, just the confidence that seems to be there that you have in him?
DANNY BRIERE: Yeah, well, I think it shows in just the way we played both games. Our first periods weren’t good. Second period we started picking it up, and by the third played much better, especially last night.

Both nights he played extremely well in the first period. He saved us in the first and gave us that confidence, and gave us a chance to get our legs going, and we build off that in both games and played better afterwards. Without saying it, I think it just showed in our actions that he gave us that confidence to get it going.

Q. Could growing up a Habs fan you know what fans are like here and how they boo you. But as a young fan growing up you know how good they are when you’re winning, it’s great, when you’re not winning, it’s not so great. Talking to fans around town, everybody was saying it’s really fun while it lasted, we’re down 0-2 we’ve been shutout twice it’s over, what would you say to them?
DANNY BRIERE: Well, not really to them. If they put that pressure on their team, that’s fine. But it would be more geared towards my own teammates saying that we can’t fall into that trap. That would be the worst mistake we could make.

This is far from over. This is going to be tough in their building tomorrow. They’re going to be fired up. At the same time, you have two teams that can learn from what happened in previous rounds in that department.

So I think seeing what we were able to do to Boston, seeing what Montreal did to Washington and Pittsburgh, I’m hoping that we’re not going to fall into that trap.
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Q. Have you put in a wish list to your teammates in there of what they might want to get you today for your birthday?
MICHAEL LEIGHTON: Just some rest (smiling). No, we had a good day traveling today, and thinking about tomorrow, starting it up.

Q. What’s it been like sometimes people are embarrassed and always looking for that chance to prove themselves in whatever circumstances happen, they believe in their heart that they can do it, and it’s been up-and-down for you at this point now you’re in the Stanley Cup Finals in your head, and you’re now a household name. What’s this run been like for you the last week or so?
MICHAEL LEIGHTON: Well, obviously, I’m trying to enjoy it. But I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself. I haven’t really accomplished too much yet. So I think when this is all said and done and the year’s over, I think I’ll look back on it and might appreciate a lot more.

But after the game, I sit back and think about it a little bit and say, okay, that was good. Now let’s look to the next game and stay focused that way.

Q. Might you be getting better with age?
MICHAEL LEIGHTON: I hope so (laughing). No, you know what, when I first came to turn pro, somebody came up to me and said most goalies don’t develop until they’re 27, 28 years old. So I was hoping it would be sooner for me. I had my chances in the NHL when I was a little bit younger, but here I am 28, today 29, so maybe that was the right age for me. I don’t know.

Q. A guy by the name of Jeff Hackett once played in net in Philly, when things didn’t go well, he was the kind of guy that would let the team know he didn’t appreciate how they were playing in front of him. Your team has not played as well as it could have or should have in this opening periods. You’ve been under a lot of pressure. Do you say anything to them? Do you want them to come out with maybe a different mindset like they’re behind instead of ahead?
MICHAEL LEIGHTON: No, that’s the coach’s job, I think. Obviously, Lavi came in the period after the first period and kind of gave it to us a little bit and told us that we’re not playing well, and we’ve got to do some things differently.

But for me, my job is to stop the puck. Obviously, you want to be a leader in the locker room. But for me, it’s more of I just want the guys to look at me and feel confident in me. I don’t think I really have to say anything. I just want to kind of let my actions on the ice show them confidence, and that’s how I become a leader in the room.

Q. Can you sense that they need to play with a better sense of desperation in front of you in the beginning of the games?
MICHAEL LEIGHTON: Well, obviously, they came out hard. We knew they were going to come out a lot harder. For some reason we still played reasonably well defensively. We didn’t give up odd man rushes, breakaways. It’s just they were getting one and two chances right in a row, and they had a couple of power plays.
So we know we can play better, but we’re still playing well defensively. Even the first game, some people said we didn’t play well. But we didn’t really give up a lot defensively. So maybe it’s the neutral zone and the offensive zone that we think we need to get more action towards Halak and get more action at their net.
But our power play’s been clicking, and so far I think that’s been the difference in the series.

Q. With all the attention that’s been drawn toward you with this fantastic streak, how do you try to maintain your even keel, your routine, and try — I mean, it’s human nature not to start thinking about it.
MICHAEL LEIGHTON: Well, I think it was after the Boston game, the Game 7, I traveled home, and the next morning I woke up and me and my wife were sitting there talking about it a little bit. The conversation kind of stopped and I was staring at the wall and she looked at me and said stop. Stop thinking about it, and she was right.

You can’t sit there and think about what’s going to happen or what you think is going to happen or what you want to happen. We’re just, for me, I’m taking it game by game. We’re up 2-0. To me it’s still 0-0. Game 3 is the most important game for me right now. Obviously, Game 7 in the Boston series was probably the biggest game of my career.

But for me I go, right now, Game 3 is right up there. If we win that it gives us a good advantage, if we lose, then we’re right back just up one game. It’s a big game, and I’m just trying to take it one by one.

Q. Do you consider your being waived in Carolina maybe a blessing in disguise? I’m sure it was pretty rough when Rutherford called you in the office and told you about that?
MICHAEL LEIGHTON: Definitely. Obviously, either playing in Albany or just sitting in the stands the rest of Carolina wouldn’t have done much for me. I’m happy the way things went. I thank Holmgren for picking me up and giving me the opportunity, and obviously, Peter Laviolette for giving me the opportunity to play. That was a big thing for me this year.

I kind of got in through injuries. There were a few injuries that gave me the opportunity to play. Sometimes that’s what it takes for a goalie to show what he’s got and get hot, and that’s kind of what happened this year. There were a few injuries. I got an opportunity to play, and it worked out well for me.

Q. What are you expecting tonight — where you taking them tonight for your birthday?
MICHAEL LEIGHTON: Where am I what?

Q. Where you taking them?
MICHAEL LEIGHTON: Just out for dinner. Same routine as normal. Nothing crazy.

Q. You’re picking up the tab, right?
MICHAEL LEIGHTON: No, no, they should be buying me dinner.
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Q. You look happy.
COACH LAVIOLETTE: I do?

Q. You don’t?
COACH LAVIOLETTE: Oh, well.

Q. Pete, tomorrow’s obviously a big night for Simon and Danny Briere. Do you have to talk to them to make sure they maintain their level of composure and not get too excited about playing here?
COACH LAVIOLETTE: I hope they’re excited. I hope they play great. Lots of energy, and execution, and I’m sure they’re excited coming back here to play. The focus is on the win, I guess.

Q. After the last two games, we’re saying to ourselves it’s not the same level of desperation we saw in the Bruins series. You’ve talked about your starts and how you want them to improve. How do you get them to go back to that as if they were behind 0-2 in the series? How do you figure that out?
COACH LAVIOLETTE: I don’t think you can just make that up. When you’re in those situations it’s because you’re actually in them. The first period, I think, in the first game I think we needed to be better. The second and third period we were better, and our scoring chances were greater and thought we deserved to win the game. So we shouldn’t get confused by that.

The first period last night was not good for us. We need to be a whole lot better than what we were; and like I said, we can’t roll those dice. The second and third periods were much better. Shots went in our favor, scoring chances went heavily in our favor. If you really want the bottom line of it, the first period last night was not good.

It’s not that we weren’t desperate and we didn’t play hard. We did. In the second and third period, there wasn’t anything at all out there for them. So I’m looking for consistency, I guess. Really, if you want to point it out even more specific than that, it’s the first period last night out of the six periods we’ve played so far.

Q. Is there one guy on this team that you feel can give you that kind of —
COACH LAVIOLETTE: We’re not a one-guy type of team.

Q. I know that, but —
COACH LAVIOLETTE: I know that. But we’re not a one-guy type of team. Michael Leighton gave it to us last night and kept us in the game, so there’s your answer. But that’s not going to win us hockey games. We’re not a one-guy type of team. We’re a 20-guy type of team. That’s when we have our success, when your fourth line is as good as our first line.

Q. Would it surprise you, Jacques Martin held a 45-minute meeting with his players going over a lot of things, especially how to score and beat Michael Leighton, and of course it’s traffic in front of the net. Are you expecting that to happen?
COACH LAVIOLETTE: Well, every coach talks about traffic.

Q. Sure.
COACH LAVIOLETTE: We scored nine goals, and I still don’t think we’re getting enough. So that’s just common talk. If there are other changes — I mean, there were things that he changed that we had to adapt to last night as the game was going on, in the neutral zone, on their forecheck. And if other things are changed, we’ll make those adjustments as well.

Q. Why do you think your defensemen have been so good, adept at allowing Michael to see a lot of shots and clearing — and all your defenders have been capable and so adept at clearing those rebounds?
COACH LAVIOLETTE: You know, defensively I think we’ve done a good job as a team. But certainly we have the right personnel there as well. That’s why Chris Pronger was brought here. He was brought here to make sure that we play good defense, and Kimmo, Coburn, Matty Carle, Lukas and Ryan, they’ve all done a good job. Defensively as a team I think our forwards have done a good job with pressuring pucks, so you want to eliminate as many chances as you can, and hold their chances to a minimum.

Q. Do you guys have a decisive edge physically, do you think, in this series?
COACH LAVIOLETTE: I don’t think so. I don’t think so. We need to stay away from the after the whistle. You know, it’s discipline. I think we’ve been able to go on the power play and take advantage of that, of their going to the box. We can still be better at staying out of the box.

Q. You’ve got guys like Danny Briere and Mike Richards on your team, Patrick Kane in Chicago, and Gionta and Cammalleri here, who are having a lot of success during these Playoffs. Do you think as we go along here post-lockout and the game sort of evolves, do you think there is more of a place for a smaller scale guy to be able to have an impact on the game and to be able to play in this league?
COACH LAVIOLETTE: You mean like Marty St. Louis?

Q. Kind of like him, yeah?
COACH LAVIOLETTE: That was pre-lockout though, so. I think that the gifted, talented players in the league have always been here. Their size, you know, they might get a little bit of a break because you can’t sled it anymore, you can’t hook, and you can’t tie up and you can’t beat somebody to death in front of the net. Those days are gone. I think that helps the smaller players.

But there are players that have gotten even pre-lockout, there are players that have torn it up in the Playoffs, so…

Q. But now it seems there’s less battle to get to the puck for those guys. It’s not as much of a chore.
COACH LAVIOLETTE: Yeah, it’s different. The game’s always changing. Now you see these knockout hits and the board hits. The game’s faster, and the speed, and it seems to keep getting faster and faster. So I think through time things always change. There’s different hazards out there, so.

Q. Montreal we know a lot about Simon and Daniel and Pronger’s been in the league for a while. But Mike Richards is a player that we know less. Can you talk a little about what he brings?
COACH LAVIOLETTE: Well, he’s a — I think he’s one of the top two-way centermen in the league. He’s very gifted offensively, but he is somebody that is responsible enough to play against other teams’ best players. He’s been an excellent leader on our team. Seems the bigger the game, the bigger the situation, the bigger his performance.