Phoenix Coyotes Hockey on AZ Vibe

Transcripts Courtesy of the NHL Communications Department

Comments from Peter Laviolette and Mike Richards

Q. Coach, you took over this team when it was struggling back in December. It took about ten games for them to get playing the way you wanted to. You said they were one of the best teams through the middle of the season, and they got to this point. Can you talk about the pride you have in the team the way they played in this season and the way they rallied tonight. The fight they showed tonight.

COACH LAVIOLETTE: You know, it was — I think when you go through something together as a group, you know, you learn a lot about your team, a lot about your players, what they’re made of. I’m proud of the guys for giving themselves an opportunity to compete for the Cup. It’s going to sting for a while. It hurts right now.

But they never quit. They are a resilient group. I think we grew through adversity. I think our team became a strength of ours. And I’m proud of the way they competed and the way they fought.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about your own personal odyssey? You mentioned before, you started the season on an island in Florida. You wound up here. Can you talk about your own faith in your coaching?

COACH LAVIOLETTE: Well, it’s not really about me. I’m fortunate to be in such a great organization. I’m thankful for Paul Holmgren for giving me the opportunity to be able to coach the Philadelphia Flyers for Mr. Snider. I’m a fortunate person.

Q. Coach, can you tell us from your perspective with all the confusion at the end what you saw and when you realized what had happened?

COACH LAVIOLETTE: I haven’t seen it yet. I didn’t see the goal. Things happened quick. It came in off the angle. I saw one of their players skate across the ice like he had won something. I got a little pit in my stomach.

But I didn’t know it went in. I haven’t seen it.

Q. Peter, what was it at the beginning of the game — it was so difficult to get shots through. I think it was like 17-3 at one point.

COACH LAVIOLETTE: I think the Chicago Blackhawks — I would like to congratulate them. They had a terrific season. They had a terrific playoff run, and they played well in the Final. They’re a strong offensive team. They’re as fast defensively as they are offensively. And it was challenging.

I don’t think they got to this point and went through the teams that they went through by chance. They have a good game. It’s attacking offensively. It’s tough defensively to penetrate. We didn’t get as many looks as we would like. They’re a tight defensive team. I mean, they’re fast both ways. They deserve credit for their season, their playoffs and for being Stanley Cup champions.

Q. You just started to address this. Can you characterize the way Chicago seemed to come back with a goal right after you scored a goal? It happened in the second period tonight and a few other examples in the series.

COACH LAVIOLETTE: Well, you know, when you have a lead, there was an opportunity to go further, I felt like we had opportunities towards the end of the game to put things away, and we didn’t. When we had momentum, we could have maybe jumped on it more. There’s goals going back and forth the entire series. You can make as many cases the other way. So I haven’t thought about that too much.

Q. Peter, after you get the late goal in regulation, did you feel confident in the overtime? Looked like you had the momentum going into the overtime.

COACH LAVIOLETTE: I thought down the stretch in regulation and overtime we played probably our best of the night. It seemed like we were attacking. Like maybe we had started to wear them down and we were able to get some looks offensively. We had some really good opportunities. We weren’t able to cash in.

Q. Peter, what did they do to nullify Richards and his line to the point where you had to break it up? Richards was spectacular in the first three rounds.

COACH LAVIOLETTE: We were trying to — you’ve got two centermen out there, and Jeff went over to play center. He really reads the middle of the ice well. We tried to put Richie over there to get Jeff back in the middle.

When the shots were low and the opportunities were low, we decided to split it up. We talked about that before the game, if we couldn’t find the offensive punch that we were looking for, that we would split them up and put them back — put Jeff back in the middle, keep Richie in the middle. We wanted to keep the Briere line together because they’ve been so dangerous.

Q. What did they do to nullify Richards to this degree?

COACH LAVIOLETTE: Well, I think just in general — I’m not speaking about Richie — defensively they played a tough game. Danny Briere’s line seemed to find success.

But defensively they were fast. They’re a fast-moving team. They’re as fast defensively as they are offensively. They transition quick both ways.

Q. Coach, given the adversity you guys faced and the journey you took to this point, where does this group rank amongst the teams that you’ve coached?

COACH LAVIOLETTE: I’m very proud — like I said before, I’m proud of our team and the way we compete. The way we played, the way we never quit. We never gave up. They kept fighting.

Q. Coach, before Game 3, you challenged your players to put more pressure on Antti Niemi, their rookie goalie in the Stanley Cup Final. Your players responded. Won an overtime game. Best offensive performance in Game 4. Niemi came back and played two strong games. Can you reflect on his character and the importance of his performance to the championship?

COACH LAVIOLETTE: He was very good. He’s been good throughout the entire playoffs. For a young kid to come in and be able to do that, to grab hold — I know there was — I know it moved back and forth for Chicago through the regular season. He grabbed hold of it down the stretch. Very strong for them in the playoffs. He’s quick low. He even, late in the game we had some opportunities. He’s very quick side to side low. Those are opportunities you like to see go in the back of the net. He came up with big saves. So you have to give him credit.

Q. Probably the most interesting player late in the season and through these playoffs has been Hartnell. He’s been up and down. He just seemed to play spectacularly tonight. Can you address how his playoff run has been and how he finished it off?

COACH LAVIOLETTE: I think it’s really good for Scott to finish as strong as he did through the playoffs and have the playoffs — to end on a positive note like that. His regular season was a tough year for him, I think on and off the ice. Everything seemed to kind of be put behind him. He focused just on hockey.

His playoffs were — that line of Briere, Hartnell and Leino was dangerous. Every time they were on the ice they were the most productive, most dangerous line that we had on the ice. They bring different elements, Scott brings an element to the net and physical play.

He had terrific playoffs. He had a very good series and he had an excellent game tonight. Thank you.

Comments from Mike Richards

Q. Mike, a roller coaster ride all the way through, wasn’t it?

MIKE RICHARDS: It was. It was a tough game. We had a lot of opportunities. We missed the net on a lot of them. He made a bunch of big saves.

They threw everything at the net. At the end they got the last bounce.

Q. Was your approach to overtime as specific as it looked? Throw everything early? Press forward early on?

MIKE RICHARDS: Yeah, I think as the third period went on, that’s when we had the most success. Just getting pucks to the net, creating scrambles and getting it back. That’s what we did in overtime. It happens every time you seem to have control of the overtime. They go down and they capitalize on one of their chances.

Q. Mike, so close. How much does this hurt?

MIKE RICHARDS: It hurts a lot.

Q. Mike, when you talk about the roller coaster of the bigger picture of this season, this team predicted in October to make a Cup run, it didn’t look like it was coming together for a while. How proud are you of what you were able to pull together as group and do?

MIKE RICHARDS: It was a good learning experience for us. I mean, you have to take out of it what it takes to win. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to go through. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough.

Q. Do you believe most great players and most great teams have had to at least been hurt once and felt this kind of sting to make a push the next level? I know it’s early to talk about the loss and the positives, but do you think this is a bit of a necessary step?

MIKE RICHARDS: I mean, I hope so. We went through a lot this year as a group. I can’t analyze the season right now, but like I said, we went through a lot. We’ve gone through a lot together. When you go through stuff like that, I think it brings the group closer together.

Transcripts Courtesy of the NHL Communications Department

Pre-game comments from Flyers Head Coach Peter Laviolette, Chris Pronger, Mike Richards, and Ville Leino

 

Q. Peter, Ville Leino said in there the problem in the first period, he said, wasn’t that we weren’t ready, we were over ready. We were just so nervous out there. How did you see it?

COACH LAVIOLETTE: It was clearly something. I guess if it was nerves, it was nerves. But we got outworked pretty good. We got out battled. They were quicker to loose pucks. Quicker on the forecheck. I thought we were okay.
We survived probably the first six or seven minutes and they didn’t score. I thought that was the worst of it. Then things settled down for quite some time. Then they capitalized on some opportunities.

Q. Peter, were you disappointed in not seeing a call there at the end on the high stick on Danny?

COACH LAVIOLETTE: Yeah, I was. It’s a penalty, possibly a major.

Q. Peter, pulling your goaltender, was it just to get the team going? An indication on how Leighton played, or just to jump start the team?

COACH LAVIOLETTE: We weren’t very good in the first period.

Q. Will you go with Leighton again for Game 6, or are you still working on that decision?

COACH LAVIOLETTE: I don’t have an answer for that.

Q. Can you talk about Chris Pronger’s game. He was minus 5. Was that an indication of how he played?

COACH LAVIOLETTE: Our team needs to be better, the whole group, I believe, needs to be better. When we’re successful, we do it as team. When we lose and we have a night that’s tougher, we do it as a team. The minus 5′s, are they all his fault? No.

Q. Peter, as bad as tonight might have been for your team, how much does the resiliency you guys showed in the first three rounds in the playoffs help you in Game 6 since they’ve been in tough spots before?

COACH LAVIOLETTE: It’s one thing I’ve learned along the way about the playoffs is, one game is only one game. There’s usually not a carry-over effect from game to game. You know, this is just one page of the story. Tonight it was their page. A couple of days off here, go back to our building where we have had a lot of success. We’ll look to win a hockey game and force 7.

Q. Peter, did you get away from anything on the PK that made it so effective earlier in the series?

COACH LAVIOLETTE: Everything seemed just a little bit off tonight. They had a bit more jump than we did. They were moving the puck a little bit crisper.

Comments from Chris Pronger

Q. What happened that first period?

CHRIS PRONGER: They came out hard and we didn’t answer their intensity or their physicality.

Q. Leino said he thought you guys were so hyped you were nervous. Do you feel that way?

CHRIS PRONGER: I don’t know. I don’t really — I don’t know what the reason was. They came out hard like we knew they were going to, and we didn’t answer that.

Q. Chris, you guys have been pretty good at limiting their breakout opportunities. Tonight it seemed like they were able to get through the neutral zone and with a lot of speed. What do you guys do to adjust to that?

CHRIS PRONGER: Yeah, we didn’t do a very good job in the neutral zone. The first period we didn’t get much of a forecheck. Subsequently, we were in our own end. It was just a matter of time. Staving off, staving off, eventually they’re going to get to you. And they did.

Q. Is this the first night it seemed like they came after you but targeted you at least a little bit physically more than they have the first part of this series?

CHRIS PRONGER: No, I think it was just a by-product of them having the puck a lot of the game. They did a good job of getting to the neutral zone and getting pucks in deep. It is what it is.

Q. Your observations with their line change. Were they able to generate more speed and kind of equally throughout their lines by making these changes?

CHRIS PRONGER: I don’t know if the changes really mattered all that much. We didn’t do a very good job in the neutral zone. Unless we get pressure and force them to make plays, anybody can make a play when you have all day to make one. And we just need to get a better forecheck, better through the neutral zone and forcing them to make tougher decisions with the puck.

Q. You guys have found yourselves in some desperate situations this year. What’s the confidence level going back for Game 6?

CHRIS PRONGER: Good. You know what, we play very well at home. Obviously, our crowd will be behind us much like theirs was tonight. We seem to like to make things difficult on ourselves. So this is no different.

Q. Michael Leighton, what do you see from him and what do you know about him that tells you how he might respond to this?

CHRIS PRONGER: Well, much like the first game. You saw the way he rallied and came up with the big game for us here in Game 2. We didn’t score many goals for him. I got all the confidence in him. I’m sure everybody else does as well. He’s been a guy that’s been able to slough off tough ones much like I will.

Q. This is the Final. It’s a big loss.

CHRIS PRONGER: We have a couple of days to rally the troops. We have had a lot of tough losses in the playoffs thus far. We’ll be all right.

Q. Can you give us a comment if possible on Byfuglien. I know you’ve talked a lot about him. This is the first day that he’s had a lot of impact –

CHRIS PRONGER: I guess he’s well rested.

Q. Is there anything — as a guy who has played in a lot of these type of games in the Stanley Cup Finals — is there anything you’re going to tell the guys about Game 6, high-pressure situation?

CHRIS PRONGER: I don’t know if being down 3-0 in a series is pressure enough. It’s the Final. We’ve gone home. We understand what’s at stake, obviously. Peter has been there before as well. He’s done a pretty good job thus far of keeping everybody’s focus and pointing out what we need to do to fix tough games like we had today.

Q. How come home ice is so important in this series?

CHRIS PRONGER: We’re looking past Game 6? I don’t do that.

Q. Game 6 –

CHRIS PRONGER: Even better. I don’t know. It’s the Final. Crowd is behind you. Your last line change, you’re pumped up. You have your matchups. Playing in front of your home crowd. You feed off that energy in the building. I don’t know, it’s funny about the Finals, but it seems to go that way all the time. You look at the first three rounds, teams are getting knocked off at home left and right. You get to the Finals, and teams seem to hold surf. Hope we could do that in Game 6.

Q. Have you seen that happen before?

CHRIS PRONGER: We saw that last year, didn’t we?

Q. The thinking was if they split up their big 3, you couldn’t really cover all three of them and that they would cause a lot more havoc and a lot more trouble for you in particular and the team. Did you find that was the case?

CHRIS PRONGER: No, I just don’t think we played very well, to be honest with you. I don’t think it really would have mattered who we were matched up against. They got an awful lot of bounces to go their way.

But they earned them. They played a lot better than we did in the first period. We had a decent second, but still not good enough. The third period was what it was.

Comments from Mike Richards

Q. What happened in the first period? It wasn’t like you guys at all.

MIKE RICHARDS: We came out slow. We came out tentative. Didn’t move our feet and turned a lot of pucks over. All our success this series was not turning pucks over, getting the puck in deep, hitting their defensemen and we had none of that going on in the first period.

Q. I know you’re disappointed in the result. Are you disappointed in the way you came out and the way you played this game?

MIKE RICHARDS: I’m disappointed, obviously, in everything about the game. Seven goals is obviously a lot to give up. Came out slow. Didn’t move our feet.

I don’t think we had the physical presence as we did in the past couple of games. And it’s unfortunate, but we have an opportunity on home ice to bring it to seven.

Q. Michael, I think a lot of people thought you were going to feed off Game 3 and Game 4. Are you surprised you weren’t able to carry that over?

MIKE RICHARDS: Like I just said, it’s something we’re obviously disappointed about. Maybe we might have been a little bit cocky and might have thought we had to throw our sticks on the ice, but obviously not the case.

Q. Change in lines make a difference there for them at all? Their line changes?

MIKE RICHARDS: Must have. They scored seven goals.

Q. Chris Pronger has had such a good series. I guess tonight he’s on for six of the seven, the other one he’s in the box. Is that one of the games for the defensive pairing?

MIKE RICHARDS: I mean, it was one of those games where they got a lot of the bounces, and we didn’t. We had some opportunities early. They capitalized on pretty much every one of their chances. Pucks off the boards. Pucks off sticks. I guess you can say it’s just one of those games.

Q. What’s the message from the leadership group?

MIKE RICHARDS: Just play better than today. Play like we did, what gave us success. Stop turning pucks over to a great offensive team.

Q. Mike, this team has always responded with their backs against the wall. Are you pretty confident you can do that again?

MIKE RICHARDS: I think so. I mean, we have to. Obviously it’s an important game to say the least on Wednesday. We have some time to recover here. We have some time to look at some things and do things differently.

But overall, it’s just us playing hockey and playing the Flyer hockey that we’ve been prone to to have success.

Q. What did you think of the play of Leighton and Boucher coming in for the penalty periods?

MIKE RICHARDS: We just came out slow — didn’t move our feet, and turned pucks over. Gave them a lot of great looks at the net and great shots. They went in. It was just us leaving a goaltender out to dry.

Comments from Ville Leino

Q. Ville, how disappointing is this with the kind of the first period compared to the effort … ?

VILLE LEINO: I don’t know if we were nervous. We were thinking it’s a big game. It was a big game. But we got to go back home now and start over.

Q. You guys are good at doing that. You have confidence that bam, you’ll bounce right back come Wednesday?

VILLE LEINO: Well, we’ll be disappointed today. Tomorrow is a new game. Then we have two days off. Got to be mentally ready. We play good at home. We have to keep it up.

Q. Did it matter who was involved — the way you guys played in front of Boucher or Leighton?

VILLE LEINO: No, we hung Leights out to dry there at the start. Brian came in, he was good. But we just got to be better.

Q. Do you get a sense their line changes gave them an extra jump?

A. Probably. Obviously, their desperation level was little higher. They wanted to do something to get them going. They were going good today.

Q. How do you explain that not being mentally ready? It’s your chance to be one win away from the Cup?

VILLE LEINO: I think we were ready. We were a little too ready. I think we were a little nervous. We weren’t loose enough to make plays when we had and nobody wanted to puck — we didn’t make plays.

We were just giving it to them. Just gave it back. We got to be smarter and work hard, and we have to want the puck.

Q. When you say nervous, did you detect something before you dropped the puck there in the first?

VILLE LEINO: I don’t know. We were kind of holding back when the game was going. I don’t know we just got to be ready to make plays there.

Q. Do you think it had something to do with it being played here?

VILLE LEINO: It’s not easy to play, obviously, on the road. It’s easier to play home. But we just got to be ready on the road. Shouldn’t be that big of a difference.

Q. Ville, it seemed like you were pulling some double shifts and he was mixing and matching some of the lines in the second period. Do you think that worked at all better?

VILLE LEINO: Well, I don’t know. We came back and they scored, like we came back to two goals down, and they scored right away. It’s a little bit disappointing to do that. We got to just win at home. It’s over now.

Q. When the team left the dressing room, did you feel you were ready to match that intensity they were going to bring here in Game 5 at home?

VILLE LEINO: I thought we were. But obviously we weren’t. Because the result was there. Hopefully — I’m hoping we learn — we’re going to play good at home. Hopefully we learn and come back.

Q. You’re confident you can come back from the 3-2 deficit?

VILLE LEINO: We came back and went in the hole after two losses. We’re going to come back. We’re going to win the games at home. And we’re going to win the next game at home.

Q. Was this game a little bit like Game 1 defensively for you guys? Maybe the forwards not helping out as much defensively?

VILLE LEINO: Well, yeah, it was a little bit too much — we were playing catch-up hockey. They were scoring at the start. We were following all the time.

So it’s not the way we want to play. They got good players. They will score goals. So we have to be smarter.

Q. Ville, kind of bittersweet to break the lead record there for points, but you come away with this loss here?

VILLE LEINO: Yeah, it’s not fun. It wasn’t a good game. We know that. And we just got two days off so we can recharge our batteries and come back.

Transcripts Courtesy of the NHL Communications Department

Pre-Game Comments from Blackhawks Head Coach Joel Quenneville, Marian Hossa, Dustin Byfuglien, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane

Comments from Blackhawks Head Coach Joel Quenneville

 

Q. Coach, you made a significant line change tonight. How important was that to the victory?

COACH QUENNEVILLE: I thought we had good energy right from the outset. Great pace. Had speed on all the lines. I think there was some balance as far as offensive ability, reliability defensively. Kept that pace from start to finish.

And I think it was a good start, and I think we kept going and we made it a little interesting, more than we would have liked, but I like the speed in our game.

Q. Coach, was that your best first period of the postseason so far?

COACH QUENNEVILLE: For sure, for me. And I thought that was the pace that we have been looking for this whole series. Had something to build off of for sure.

Q. You alluded to it a bit ago, good start. Tell me about the finish. Could it have been better in your mind?

COACH QUENNEVILLE: They’re a dangerous team. They’ve got a lot of guys who can make plays. They can see plays. They make plays. Especially when they can press and they are going for it. I think we have to make sure to shut down defensively and make sure that we emphasize coverage in our own zone.

I still thought our D did some good things. They had a pretty good gap most of the game. I think around our net we could be better.

Q. Joel, back to the line changes. Concerted effort to have Kane, Toews and Buff on three different lines?

COACH QUENNEVILLE: Well, I think I wasn’t really sure what line they were going to go after as far as Prongs what they were going to do with that combination, different combinations.

But I still thought the lines we wanted to play against, the forward lines was in place. We were going to take whatever we got.

Q. Joel, how important was it to sort of victimize Pronger at the same time that Byfuglien makes a big appearance in the series?

COACH QUENNEVILLE: I think Buff has been a big factor as we’ve gone along here in these playoffs. Maybe everybody said he was quiet. I still thought he had a presence early in the first two games here at home. Maybe the last couple didn’t make as much noise.
But I thought he was a factor like he’s been probably in all the games in the last couple of rounds going into this round. I thought he made a big imprint in the outcome in the game tonight.

Comments from Marian Hossa and Dustin Byfuglien

Q. Dustin, you initiated a lot of the action tonight. Can you talk a little bit maybe about your thought process coming into the game?

DUSTIN BYFUGLIEN: You know, getting down there two games in their building, you know, we had to come back with some fire and just get on them and show them that we weren’t going to quit. Right from the get-go we just moved our feet and stayed physical.

Q. Dustin, how driven were you going into the game tonight?

DUSTIN BYFUGLIEN: I was focused, ready. I knew what I had to do. Just stuck to my game plan and never got away from it.

Q. Dustin, is there any extra satisfaction in flattening Chris Pronger the way you did?

DUSTIN BYFUGLIEN: No, he’s out there to battle. So am I. I’m going to try to get the best of him and be strong. That’s all I have to do.

Q. Dustin, guys in the locker room were saying you came out with fire in your eyes. You played like a big man. Was there personal motivation? Had you gotten off of the game you wanted to play at all?

DUSTIN BYFUGLIEN: I don’t know if I really got off my game. I just wasn’t getting the bounces and the things that make me happy. I just knew I had to come in and work hard and do the best I can to help the team. That’s the way I came in today.

Q. Marian, how do you feel about the third shot at the Cup? And what have you learned in the first two that will help you in the third?

MARIAN HOSSA: Well, we know it’s going to be the toughest game to close it. Having been in that situation, especially last year, the momentum in the first shift next game, first goal going to be so important to get the momentum like tonight. That’s going to be so important for us to start really well.

Q. Marian, tell me about the line changes that Joel implemented. How did you think about that, and how did you feel your team played start to finish throughout the entire game tonight?

MARIAN HOSSA: I think we found the energy. We kind of shuffled the lines a little bit. I think from the beginning we seemed to have a jump. We were forechecking hard. We were in the right spots. I think everybody started going, all four lines kept rolling.
After everybody — I felt like everybody had good legs going, and we put lots of pressure on their D. We scored first three goals. That’s huge.

Q. Similar question, Buff. When did you find about your line change, and do you think about it when they tell you who you are playing with? Do you think it was a good thing that you, Kane and Toews were split up after the first four games?

DUSTIN BYFUGLIEN: I think so. We didn’t have too much production out of us. We had to change things up. We didn’t really have time to sit and think about who we were playing with. It was kind of like the last second.

All year we’ve mixed the lines around, and everyone has really played with everyone. So it wasn’t a real big thing. It was just going out there and playing together as a team and moving our feet and doing the right things.

Q. Dustin, there was a lot of talk coming into this about how Chris Pronger was dominating this series and the battle with you. Did you feel that you needed to make a statement or prove anything?

DUSTIN BYFUGLIEN: No, I don’t think he’s been winning any big battles. The guy does what he does. You can’t ever stop. You have to continue working. The harder you work, the more you’re going to get and pressure him, and he’s going to have a hard time too.

Q. Dustin, can you just talk about the power-play? What were you guys doing tonight that maybe you hadn’t been doing earlier in the series?

DUSTIN BYFUGLIEN: We just settled down and played our game and that’s a big factor, just even with the even strength, we came out ready to go, controlling the puck a little better. That led into the power-play with guys just settling down, confidence and just playing. That’s something we needed to do. That’s something we did very well tonight.

Q. Dustin, you’re kind of low-key after that first goal as opposed to how you normally are. What was your mindset there?

DUSTIN BYFUGLIEN: Just excited. We haven’t done anything yet. It wasn’t a big thing to celebrate. It wasn’t a real big goal.
But we won a game, and we have to stay focused and get ready for another one.

Q. Marian, maybe some thoughts on Jonathan Toews’ game tonight.

MARIAN HOSSA: Playing with him is always fun. He’s working hard. He likes to play two-way game. That’s great. Make it easier on our teammates. He gives you the puck. I think he performed well. He made a really beautiful pass to Buff on a power-play and great game by him.

Comments from Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane

Q. Jonathan, seven goals from six different players. Can you talk about what the line changes meant to you guys and how it affected your depth and the scoring?

JONATHAN TOEWS: I mean, the line changes obviously looked like a good thing. But the number one thing was the way we played as a team. We all understand in our locker room it doesn’t matter who you are playing with. You have to go out there and make a difference.
It was just bouncing back from those two tough losses we had on the road. As a team, we played much better at the start. And when everyone is working, we have enough skill across four lines that we’re going to get contributions from everybody. Same way we did in those first two games.

Q. Pat, can you talk about the power-play tonight? Obviously it was very effective. What you guys did tonight that maybe you weren’t doing earlier in the series?

PATRICK KANE: Yeah, two big goals. The first one I thought was huge by Seabs to get us going. I thought we were playing pretty good. To get some results off that was pretty nice.

You know, the second power-play goal I thought was just a perfect entry. That’s exactly what we’re looking for. Quick puck movement and you saw the play — Sharp to me, to Keith to Tazer and a great pass to Buff. It was off our stick within two seconds every time.

Q. Patrick, talk about your game today. You seemed to have a little more room to move and room to operate. Was it opportunities or do you think it was more effort? How do you think that worked out for you?

PATRICK KANE: Sometimes you get the puck in different situations and sometimes you’re just feeling it out there. To be honest with you, I didn’t think I played great. Sometimes you get the puck and you make some plays and just helps out the overall team. It was nice to bounce back from last game.

Obviously, the whole team had a great game overall. I thought we play like that every night, it’s going to be tough to beat us.

Q. Jonathan, was it more energy or more confidence, or did the energy create more confidence?

JONATHAN TOEWS: Well, those are two big parts of our game tonight. Biggest thing is the start we had, whether we come out of the first period with the lead or not, we can be happy with that pressure. We want to keep that going, especially for the next two periods and the next one.

So our pace was as high as it’s been in the series. But we know there’s still another level we have to get to if we want to get that fourth win.

Q. Pat, back to the line changes. Going into this, we were all talking about who was going to play with who. I know you guys downplay that. When were you told who you were going to play with? And it had to mean something or else why do it?

PATRICK KANE: I think I found out right before the game. Some of the guys might have found out earlier, but that’s when I found out. I think — it didn’t really matter who played with who tonight, to be honest with you. I think everyone just had the energy, and we had to make sure we wanted to win.

I think everyone was flying from the get-go. We had a great first period. Got ourselves pretty comfortable lead to put ourselves in a good position.

Q. Patrick, just talk about Buff’s game. It seemed like he came out with a whole different attitude today.

PATRICK KANE: Yeah, I think he got rid of us and started performing. That’s all he needed. He was a force. He had some big hits. The one on Pronger, I think everyone remembers, where he threw him into the boards. Great game overall by him. It’s good to see.

Q. Jonathan, getting the crowd involved early, did that help you guys keep your energy up?

JONATHAN TOEWS: For sure. It was good for to us come out the way we did and every single line was working so hard. We played the right way early. When you get those bounces, when you score a couple of goals, whether it’s five on five or power-plays, it’s going to give that you confidence to keep going.

You need those big plays, whether it’s a goal or a big hit, to get the crowd into it. That’s what makes you feed off of their energy and only makes you better.

So we used that as good as we could tonight. But we know, as you’ve seen all series, it’s been an advantage to play in your own building. Hopefully, we can buck that trend and really play our best game this series in the next one.

Q. Patrick, given what Jonathan just said, what is it going to take to finish this series in Philadelphia?

PATRICK KANE: We’ve been pretty good on the road throughout the whole playoffs. Didn’t play the way we wanted to, obviously, in Games 3 and 4.

But I think you saw tonight, you get out to an early lead, it benefits your whole team game. If we can do that, get the lead on the road and play a simple game like we have been throughout the playoffs, it obviously should help.

I think we got two days off here to kind of get ourselves ready for the challenge. It’s exciting. We have one more win and you have the grand prize.

Q. Patrick, you mentioned that you felt like you didn’t really play your best tonight. Is that just you kind of being a little too harsh on yourself? What areas could you have gotten better?

PATRICK KANE: I mean, I guess overall probably a little bit defensively. I think the third goal there I made a turnover where they ended up scoring. You always want to get yourself into the game as soon as possible and make plays. But I think in my own end I can be better.

Q. Patrick, in the second period that was sequence where you beat Pronger for a pretty good scoring opportunity. A few seconds later you drew penalty on him. He was on the ice for six goals. How important was it for you guys to have that much success against him?

PATRICK KANE: I think we’ve been looking for that throughout the whole series. With him on the ice, he’s a big guy. But we feel we can get around him and make some good plays when he’s on the ice. He plays a lot of minutes.

I don’t know if we can get him tired out there and make him make mistakes or — obviously, he was on the ice for a lot of goals. You have to be aware he’s probably going to bounce back with a better effort. If we can play like we did against him tonight, it’s going to make it tough on him and try to make him draw penalties and hopefully score when he’s in the penalty box.

Transcripts Courtesy of the NHL Communications Department

Comments from Head Coach Joel Quenneville, Players Brent Sopel and Andrew Ladd

Comments from Joel Quenneville

Q. Coach, some strong similarities tonight in the way your team came back and the way the Flyers came back in Game 2 at the very end. You almost tied it up. They almost tied it up. Were you impressed with your team’s gutsy performance there?

COACH QUENNEVILLE: We battled all game. I thought we were very generous in the first period on what we gave them as far as goals went. We have to be smart and more composed in the discipline area as well.

Q. Coach, what did you see out of Niklas Hjalmarsson’ game tonight?

COACH QUENNEVILLE: Tough start certainly. A couple of plays there you would like to have back. You have to like and commend the kid on how he’s competed all year and how he plays. Some nights some tough things can happen.

But his character and his perseverance is what we look for. We look for him to bounce right back.

Q. Coach, for the first couple of games it seemed like you guys dictated the pace. For the last two games seems like the Flyers have the majority of the game. What do you think has contributed to that game?

COACH QUENNEVILLE: You can argue that one tonight. I know we’re playing catch-up the whole game. I still thought you look at how we played from the catch-up standpoint, I still thought we were competitive. We were in the game. I don’t know who was controlling, but they obviously had the lead.

So they were dictating a little bit more than we would like. Certainly the goals were all type of goals we don’t generally give up. I thought they came rather easily. That’s one of our strengths of our team. We have to make them make plays to score goals.

Q. Coach, kind of piggy backing off that last question, even though you lost the last game, can you draw any sort of momentum after the way you finished strong in the third period and dictated the pace?

COACH QUENNEVILLE: We’re excited with going back home. I know the Series is wide open. It’s even. We get to go home. We have to take advantage of home ice. We played well there all year. As we progress in these playoffs as well, I just know momentum is an important thing for to us grab early at home. I still think we have to be smart, disciplined and make them play defense.

Q. Joel, what went into your thinking, you shuffled the lines there in the second and third. Why did you have certain guys with certain guys — any reason to that?

COACH QUENNEVILLE: Sometimes you try to mix it up a little bit, whether it’s a matchup or get some energy going in the lines. We didn’t like some things. Sometimes you try some things. I thought the energy came.

Comments from Brent Sopel

Q. Very physical in the first period, and it may have led to some turnovers. Just talk about what they brought in the first.

BRENT SOPEL: Obviously, this is what they’ve done all year. They’re in their building with their crowd. It’s expected.

I thought we had a pretty good first period. We made a couple of mistakes and give them credit. They capitalized on them.

Q. Did you handle that pressure as well as you could have?

BRENT SOPEL: I thought we handled it fairly well. It was a couple of mental errors and it costs us.

Q. How could you come away feeling with this game (Question off Microphone).

BRENT SOPEL: No, third period, we were getting pucks in and battling, obviously. We got a few goals in there. It was a challenge all night long. But towards the end of the game, we started doing what we wanted to.

Q. Is there another hunger level or another area you can dig deeper?

BRENT SOPEL: Oh, yeah. You have to. You have to get better every game. You have to dig deeper every game. Final two wins we’re going to have to dig really deep.

Q. The forechecking in the first period …

BRENT SOPEL: Definitely give them credit. They were relentless. They’ve been relentless all four games. I thought we played a fairly good first period. We made a couple of costly mistakes. Give them credit. They capitalized.

Q. Are there any positives you can take out of this game at all?

BRENT SOPEL: Absolutely. We’re obviously going to take a look at some tape tomorrow. We have to take positives. It’s over. It’s done with. We didn’t do what we wanted to do. It’s the best of three now.

Q. Does the finish give you guys a little more momentum or whatever?

BRENT SOPEL: Yeah. Obviously, we have to take the positive from the last ten minutes of the third. We started moving our feet well and getting the pucks in deep. That’s something we need to do for 60 minutes.

Q. Just a couple of missed passes and they took advantage. Is that kind of how you look at it?

BRENT SOPEL: Yeah, I thought our first period was fairly good. A couple of mental mistakes and they buried it. Obviously, we don’t make those mistakes very often. Give them credit. They capitalized. We have to be smarter.

Q. What’s the best way to describe your guy’s mindset? Angry?

BRENT SOPEL: Upset. Upset, obviously, that — the fashion how we lost the game. We have to clear our minds. There’s nothing we can do. It’s over, done with. We have to focus.

Q. Do you feel bad for Antti. Left out to dry at first?

BRENT SOPEL: Yes, definitely. Antti has battled for us. He did tonight. You can’t blame him on some of those goals. The fourth one, I don’t know wherever it went. He battled hard. We left him high and dry.

Q. As a defenseman, do you sympathize with the type of night that Hjalmarsson had?

BRENT SOPEL: It wasn’t just him. Take a look at things. There’s always more things you can do. One guy makes a mistake, there’s four other guys on the ice who need to help him be in the right position. It just wasn’t him. More than one.

Comments from Andrew Ladd

Q. How do you feel about having to debut in a defeat like that?

ANDREW LADD: It’s tough. Obviously we didn’t do a lot of little things, especially defensively in the first period. We got behind the eight ball. They are a good team. It’s tough to battle back.

Q. Talk about coming back and playing — making your debut.

ANDREW LADD: It was fun. Obviously, it was tough watching. Especially at this point of the season. It was nice to get back in there.

Q. (Question off Microphone).

ANDREW LADD: I think that’s part of my game. I don’t think I’m trying to add that. It’s always been there. That’s what I do. I’m trying to play the same way. Keep things going.

Q. Pretty tough. You mounted a bit of a comeback. It’s pretty difficult on the road?

ANDREW LADD: Yeah, it was 4-3. I thought we had lots of chances to tie it up. We will be looking to have that kind of pressure right off the top in Game 5. Like I said, tighten up a little better defensively.

Q. Talk about your movement to the top of the line. That seemed to work.

ANDREW LADD: Yeah, obviously Buff, good player. Three big bodies tough to handle. We get all three guys going perform a little bit of chaos.

Q. Best of three. How do you do from it here?

ANDREW LADD: They won their home games, we won our home games. It’s our turn to go home and come up with our best effort.

Q. Can you talk positive about that third period?

ANDREW LADD: I think so. It was obviously our best period tonight. Maybe our best period of the Series. I don’t think offense was the problem. Defense, giving away too much.

Q. Frustrated being in the box in the first minute?

ANDREW LADD: I got a little overaggressive right off the top. Got me in the game. Did a good job killing it off. It’s just the way it started.

Q. You guys haven’t lost two in a row in quite some time. What do you have to do to shake it off?

ANDREW LADD: It’s a good wake-up call. It’s not going to be easy. This team has done well when coming back from adversity and having — being in a tough situation. We’re confident we can play the right way next game and get back to where we want to be.

Q. Shifting people around, was that a wake-up call?

ANDREW LADD: I think Joel does that. He’s done that throughout the whole season. Obviously down 4-1. Switch things up and try to get different guys in different situations. It seemed to help.

Q. Unlike the other Series, home-ice advantage didn’t to help. Now you have it. Is it going to pay off getting the home ice advantage?

ANDREW LADD: Sure. That’s what you work for in the regular season. It definitely comes in handy in the Playoffs. I know firsthand, we were in Carolina and it came in very handy to be at home. Especially in Game 7. So we’re looking forward to getting back to Chicago and having the crowd on our side.

Q. Health-wise, were you cleared today? Were you cleared a couple of days ago?

ANDREW LADD: The last couple of days I felt good. I felt like I was progressing very well. I’m good to go.

Q. What was your impression of the Flyers?

ANDREW LADD: They are a very deep team. They’ve lot of great players. A lot of speed. I have had the opportunity to watch the first three. I think I got to know what they’re like.

Q. Is there another hunger level or compete level the team has to have, dig deeper you’re going to find to come out with this?

ANDREW LADD: I think we saw that in the third. Hopefully we can bring that to the next game. That’s the level we need to play at, the level we need to compete at.

Transcripts Courtesy of the NHL Communications Department

Post Game Comments from Flyers Head Coach Peter Laviolette, Players Ville Leino, Mike Richards, Michael Leighton, and Claude Grioux

Comments from Head Coach Peter Laviolette

Q. Coach, on the Hartnell penalty in the third period, what was the clarification? What did the referee tell you with a misconduct, unsportsmanlike. What was the exact penalty?

COACH LAVIOLETTE: For banging our stick on the boards. Everybody was warned beforehand. They just made good on what they said they were going to do. Quick work tonight.

Q. Peter, you said that you expected Mike and Jeff — you saw it coming, they were going to have a big game, breakout game. Do you kind of get, after this game, they did what you thought they were going to do?

COACH LAVIOLETTE: I thought they played a really good hockey game. You know, everybody wants to contribute. Like I said, Jeff had 12 attempts at the net. He’s getting close to busting it open, I think. He’s a skilled player. I thought Mike played a great game tonight. He had 10 or 11 attempts at net. He was physical. He really skated hard. That line got going.

Q. Peter, what’s been the big difference between the two games here in Philadelphia and the ones in Chicago?

COACH LAVIOLETTE: For us, I don’t think anything. I said when we left there again it wasn’t just — I wasn’t just talking. I thought we could have won both games. I like our game. I like what we’re doing. In saying that, they probably thought they could have won Game 3. It’s going back and forth quick both ways. Guys are really competing out there.
But nothing changed for us. Our game hasn’t changed. Just the score changed.

Q. Did you think you guys got a little too complacent once you got the lead at 4-1, that kind of let Chicago back in?

COACH LAVIOLETTE: Not really. I thought we were playing really well before that. We were playing defense. There wasn’t a lot going on.They got a penalty. Then a 5 on 3 goal. That’s when things buckled up.

The last one, I didn’t look at good. I’m not sure what happened. I know they threw something on net. They had a lot of guys going at the net, and next thing you knew it was in the net. We settled down after that. They had one good quality chance after that. We settled down pretty good. Right before that I thought we were playing okay. I was fine with the way we were going at 4-1.

Q. Did you see anything in the regular season that would make you expect that Ville Leino would have a postseason like this or any signs at the time?

COACH LAVIOLETTE: Ville has gotten his best opportunity here in the playoffs. We lost Gagne, and we lost Carter for a bit. We needed others to step up. Danny Briere moved back to the middle. Ville Leino got an opportunity to come into the lineup, and he’s been terrific. He makes plays. He scores big goals. He’s having a lot of fun doing it. So this is the best opportunity that he’s gotten, I think, maybe ever in his NHL career, with the Wings; and certainly with us in the regular season, the opportunity wasn’t as great as it is right now. He’s seizing the moment.

Q. Coach, it seems like they are taking a lot of penalties, retaliation penalties. It seems like you’re getting under their skin. Have you noticed anymore tonight? What does it say about the players and coaching staff to draw those penalties?

COACH LAVIOLETTE: It doesn’t say much about the coaching staff. The players, it shows discipline. The players are the ones getting whacked around. Not to retaliate, we certainly talk about it as a group. Where we’re at in the season and how far we are down with the playoffs, discipline I think plays a really big factor in hockey games.

Our guys we want to be physical. I think their game plan changed a little bit. They inserted Ladd. They inserted Boynton. They started being aggressive in the neutral zone. They started pinching down the wall. I think their system changed a little bit. I think there’s opportunities there we can exploit if they’re going to play that way. It caught us off guard a little bit that they were that aggressive. We’ll be ready for that next time.

Q. Coach, you switched up Dan Carcillo and James Van Riemsdyk. Why did you make that change? What did you think of James’ performance tonight?

COACH LAVIOLETTE: I thought James played a good game. I’m trying to keep everybody in it here. We got pieces — to get back in there and take a couple of games off, it was good for him. I’m sure Danny will be itching to get back in there as well.

Comments from Ville Leino

Q. Ville, just talk a bit about your physical play, your team as a whole, especially in the first period, you seemed to wear on them and generate a few turnovers from their defense.

VILLE LEINO: Yeah, we wanted to get on the body early on and show we want to win this game. They were hitting pretty hard too. I had a few on there myself.

Q. Ville, your goal there hits the back of Kris Versteeg. Can you talk a little about where you intended to shoot it.

VILLE LEINO: He was standing right there, in front of the net. So I figured maybe I can shoot straight in, I tried to hit him on the back, and it went in.

I missed the shot a little bit there. Hit him on the back and it was a lucky goal.

Q. Ville, with that goal, you’ve set a franchise rookie record. Do you feel like a rookie?

VILLE LEINO: No, but guys are giving me a hard time in the locker room for that. I’m 26 now. I play the Final last year and the payoffs last year. I don’t really feel like a rookie. I guess rules are rules.

Q. Ville, I apologize if you already answered this. Did you talk about the collision with Campbell and what happened there, and what did you injure on that play?

VILLE LEINO: I just had a hard hit. It knocked the wind out of me for a bit. Just get a little treatment at the room. It’s not a big deal.

Q. Ville, just a follow-up to the other question. Could you talk about becoming the all-time rookie scoring leader? And what are your thoughts on that?

VILLE LEINO: It was a special moment. It was a fun game. It was a nice little moment. I will remember it always. Good win there too. So it was a great game.

Q. Ville, obviously with all the attention paid to your offensive contributions in the series, I think defensively you have had a magnificent series. Five takeaways the last game. A couple more tonight. How much of a source of pride has that been for you even apart from what you’ve contributed offensively?

VILLE LEINO: You want to give everything you got to the team. And you want to be accountable defensively too. It’s not enough if you are good offensively if you get scored all the time. I think everybody is doing it now. Everybody is a good example to the other guys.

Q. Talk a bit about the third period and their comeback.

VILLE LEINO: Yeah. It shouldn’t be like that. Obviously, the other team is chasing, coming hard. It’s always they’ll get pressure. It’s their last push. We had a little stupid penalty there. They scored on 5 on 3. It was a fresh game again. It was pretty stressful at the end of the game at the bench. But luckily we won that game.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about your captain and what it meant to the team to see him step up and get a goal like that, and a gritty kind of goal that kind of swung the momentum for the game?

VILLE LEINO: It was a huge goal. He took the puck and just put it in. He’s a great leader and a great player. Just what we need on this team. I think the whole line was good today. Carter had a goal there. He could have had another one too. I think it’s coming.

Q. Ville, was there ever a point after you got here and even when the playoffs started that you wondered whether you would get a chance and maybe lost confidence in yourself? What does it feel like to be sort of at the place you are now contributing so much?

VILLE LEINO: My confidence was at an all-time low there for a while. It was tough when I got here. I didn’t get a chance right away. I played a few games, and after that I didn’t play again. It was just tough. Obviously, you go through emotions there and think maybe you won’t ever get a chance.

Q. Ville, what did you feel like after that hit there? It looked like you were dazed a little bit early in the game and then you just came back to the bench and then you felt okay at that point?

VILLE LEINO: Like I said, I got the wind knock out from me a little bit. Obviously, I had a little spasm in my back. I got to get treatment on that. I’m fine right now. We have to rest tomorrow. We’ll have treatment tomorrow again, and I’ll be 100% next game.

Comments from Mike Richards

Q. Mike, can you talk about your goal, and how as a captain you maybe felt the need to step up a little bit for this team?

MIKE RICHARDS: The goal, power-play, obviously. Just got the puck, and going into tonight’s game, I think as a line we wanted to get the puck to the net as much as possible. Five on five and on the power-play. I thought we did that, the backhand, just sneaked through.

Q. Two questions, you seemed real physical as a team in the first period, wore down their defense and caused some turnovers. How much of a part of the game plan was that? The third period, their comeback.

MIKE RICHARDS: Well, our game plan has been all along just to get the pucks in deep. We know they’re great on transition. I mean, to lead to your next question, that’s when we kind of caused some problems for ourselves, was turning the puck over.

We got the puck in deep. When we hit their defense, we had success. When we didn’t do that, they came back fast the other way. Not the greatest way that we wanted to finish the game. But I think we have confidence in ourselves with a one-goal lead. Closed it out when we needed to.

Q. Mike, personally, what did it mean to you today to contribute as you did in rebound after not having the best game the last time?

MIKE RICHARDS: Thanks. I mean, it’s nice, I guess, to take part in a series. Obviously, not the best game, like you said, even though I didn’t think we were playing poorly. Just not creating as much and not having the energy like we did in the previous as series.

So it was nice to obviously contribute. It’s nice to get the win. It was a physical game. It was back and forth. I mean, the score finally got to where I think the game was as close as it was.

Q. Mike, as a whole, this is probably your line’s best game of the series. What worked so differently tonight to give you guys so much positive energy out there?

MIKE RICHARDS: Like said before, we were just trying to get pucks to the net as much as possible, trying to eliminate being cute with the puck as much as possible. I think sometimes when you try to do too much, you almost go the opposite way and not do enough.

Just keep it simple, try to relax, play hockey, and at the end of the day, just don’t try to do too much with the puck, or don’t try to do too much without the puck. Then you just dig yourself in the corners.

Q. The two power-play goals the other night, the early one that set the tone, they hadn’t had one until the five on three. Do you see that as the big advantage that’s gotten you guys back into the series?

MIKE RICHARDS: Specialty teams in general. I think our PK has been great. Power-play, I think, all playoffs long has been something we have leaned on, and when we have had success it seems like it’s going. We try to do the same thing on the power-play as we did five on five and just get pucks on the net.

We were fortunate enough to get a couple of lucky bounces. And it’s obviously nice to capitalize, and our PK was good. Obviously, the five on three they scored on. But other than that, I don’t think we gave them a whole lot.

Q. Mike, Philadelphia sports teams have been a little snake bitten over the years. People from here aren’t accustomed to a team going down 2-0, 3-0 in a series and responding like this. Can you talk about your resilience, and what has made this group seemingly immune to the pressure?

MIKE RICHARDS: I think the adversity that we went through at the beginning of the year kind of set ourselves up for the playoffs. I mean, all year it’s kind of been up and down. We dug ourselves into a pretty big hole early, battled back. Dug ourselves into a hole against Boston, fought our way back.

Obviously, a scenario that we don’t like being in, but a scenario that I think we’re confident in our team and our ability to fight back in.

I’m not sure what it is, but no matter what time of the game it is, it just seems like we’re confident with the puck and we help each other out and play hockey.

Q. Can you talk about your defensive unit as a whole this whole series coming up to now?

MIKE RICHARDS: The defensemen or just defense?

Q. Defensemen.

MIKE RICHARDS: They’ve been great. Prongs obviously logs a lot of minutes. Kimmo flies under the radar a lot in his defensive efforts. Coby, Matty, Carte, can’t say enough about them. They are playing well. Tonight when we turned pucks over, and they had a lot of stress attacks, I thought they were very good at keeping them to the outside.

Obviously, clearing people in front of the net is a big thing too. Defense, all year, I think has been our strong point when we’ve been winning hockey games. They definitely are lately.

Q. Mike, you and Toews are such similar players. Similar expectations are placed on you. You got a goal early tonight. Did you sense him try to press to answer you to match him what you were doing at all?

MIKE RICHARDS: I don’t think he looked at it like that. I didn’t see it like that. He’s a great player. He does so many different things that just score goals. He’s great defensively. His hands are so quick on face-offs. It’s even hard to get that tie from him. Even though he might be a little bit snake bitten, he does so much to help the team.

Q. Mike, in the four games, as a team you played well, two losses out there, two wins here. Is it a coincidence, or is there something that made the difference?

MIKE RICHARDS: I’m not sure. I mean, we have two teams that are great hockey teams playing. Obviously, it’s not going to be an easy task for us. Some nights you’re going to play well and lose, and some nights you’re going to play well and win. I think that’s what’s happened in the first four games. They’ve all been close. One-goal games. Overtime last time.

We’re not expecting an easy Series. I’m sure they’re not expecting an easy Series. We have both even teams going at it and playing hard. I think it shows that on the ice with the product that we’re throwing out there.

Q. Mike, I just wondered, you were matched a lot against the Toews line tonight. Do you like playing against that line?

MIKE RICHARDS: Do I like it? No. They’re a tough line to play against. I mean, they’re quick. Offensively talented. Defensively sound. There’s into the whole lot of room to skate out there when you’re playing against them. I think it’s a lot of neutral zone hockey. It’s something I don’t think you can take lightly. Obviously, have the capabilities to hurt you.

And they have a pretty good deep pairing that goes out with them with them too. It’s tight out there. You have to earn every inch you get on the ice. You have to continue to make them go 200 feet.

Comments from Michael Leighton and Claude Grioux

Q. How well did your defense play in front of you just blocking shots, number one, and keeping guys to the outside?

MICHAEL LEIGHTON: We knew they were going to come out and put pucks on the net. That was kind of our thing. Lavi said don’t let pucks get to the net. Those little wrist shots from the point, try to step in front of the guys and knock those down. We did a great job. They did let something get through. Without screens it was pretty easy some of them.

Q. Did you kiss your post at the end of the game?

MICHAEL LEIGHTON: Why? They had a couple — they are a good offensive team. They’re going to get those chances. It was unfortunate we took those two penalties and kind of let them back in the game at the end and made it a little more interesting. But, you know, they came hard and thank God we won.

Q. Michael, did you think this was your best game of the Series so far?

MICHAEL LEIGHTON: I think so, yeah. I actually felt my best today too. I was comfortable. I wasn’t nervous. I just — I had confidence in our team that we would play well. And in the first period I felt I made a couple of saves that really got me into the game and kept our team in. And we scored a goal early and kind of fed off that.

I’m just trying to do my job, and obviously we did a great job scoring goals tonight and putting pucks on the net.

Q. Michael, it seemed as if you came into tonight a little more aggressive than normal with your stick and just moving around in the beginning of the game. Was that a conscious effort on your part?

MICHAEL LEIGHTON: Not really. I’m not really changing anything. I’m playing the same way. I know they’re a good offensive team. They’re going to get chances. Game 1, I felt okay.

But I wasn’t making the big saves and keeping our team into it. So right from that game, I just said I have to make a few of those saves, and we would have won Game 1 if I would have made two or three really good stops. Just trying not to let in a bad goal. You play solid and make the odd great save. Tonight it worked out.

Q. We’re down to a best of three now. What are your emotions when you look at the next three games? We’ve seen all tight games. What do you expect over the next two or three?

MICHAEL LEIGHTON: I don’t think much is going to change. It’s obviously — it’s got a little bit chippier out there, a little rougher, a lot of talking; and I don’t expect much is going to change. We’re going back to Chicago. We have to win a game there eventually.

So this is going to be the most important game for us. Tonight was obviously a big win for us. We have to go into Chicago and give the same effort and hopefully get the same results.

Q. They hadn’t scored a power-play goal until that five on three. Can you talk about the penalty killing unit and how instrumental that’s been so far for you guys in the Series?

MICHAEL LEIGHTON: Not only the series, I think all year we have had a great penalty kill. We obviously got the top four D that are doing a great job blocking shots and keeping pucks away. Our forwards, the work horses, are blocking shots up top and clearing pucks really well.

That’s kind of been our MO all year. We took a lot of penalties throughout the year, but we also had a great penalty kill. That’s why we’re here right now.

Q. Michael, how nerve-racking was it for you in the last three minutes, and have you ever been in an ending that was that intense for you personally?

MICHAEL LEIGHTON: Yeah, it was obviously tough to be up three goals and you’re kind of relaxed a little bit, and all of a sudden boom, boom, it’s only one goal. I was trying not to think about it too much. I was just trying to make the saves I had to make. I had to make one or two stops in tight. Besides that, we did a good job keeping them on the outside and blocked a few at the end.

Q. You guys really struggled down the stretch with face-offs and kind of led to some of their momentum. When your team struggles off the draw, how much more pressure does that it put on you as the goalie?

MICHAEL LEIGHTON: Obviously, the only ones I’m worried about are in our zone. If they win a clean back it gives them a great offensive chance. They can do a lot with their puck when they win it back to their D man. We did a good job, even if we lost it tonight, we put pressure on them and blocked shots. We kind of kept them on the outside.

So it’s obviously important to win face-offs. But, you know, you can’t win them all. Obviously, if they win it clean, it’s a lot more difficult for our guys to get out there.

Q. How much did you sneak peeks at the clock in the last 4:10. Are you afraid to do that because you’ll break concentration? What’s your policy on that?

MICHAEL LEIGHTON: I look at the clock every 10 seconds. I’m not too superstitious with that. Every time the whistle blows, I’ll look up and see what time it is. Obviously, the last three or four minutes was a pretty intense feeling. Like I said, I try not to think about it. I just try to keep doing what I’m doing. I know they’re going to be coming hard the last couple of minutes. Pulling the goalie and everything. Just trying to do what I can do, and it worked out.

Q. Claude, can you talk a bit about the play of your line and the success you had tonight matched against their top line?

CLAUDE GIROUX: I think we had a good first period, and the whole team just came out strong. I think it was our best first period in the Series, for sure. I think we took momentum from that third period last game, and we really were skating and working hard.

Q. Claude, could you just talk about what was going through your mind as Chicago inched closer and closer?

CLAUDE GIROUX: I think we started thinking too much and stopped playing. The five on three, obviously, hurt us. Guys did a pretty good job of still winning the game. Obviously, it was close. We just have to learn from that.

Q. Could you talk about your captain tonight and how he stepped up?

CLAUDE GIROUX: Richie always finds a way to step up when it’s time. Obviously, his goal was huge. He just always finds a way to get that big goal for us.

Q. Claude, a little more physical tonight in the first period than normal. Do you enjoy that part of the game?

CLAUDE GIROUX: It’s pretty fun, obviously. Yeah, we just — we don’t want to give their D too much time with the puck. So we just try to be a little more physical.

Q. Just getting back to the 4-1, 4-3 lead. As a fan that might be watching at some point they’re waiting for the clock to run out. As a player, can you talk about the delicate balance between going for the fifth goal rather than giving up the second one? And subsequent goals? Is there a point at which the team shifts its mentality a little bit to make sure it’s more about not giving up rather than scoring another one?

CLAUDE GIROUX: Yeah, I think we laid back a little bit more and we didn’t forecheck the way we did at the first two periods. I think we have to learn from that, and obviously that’s not the kind of third period we wanted. But at the end of the day, we got the win.

Q. Claude, can you describe JVR’s performance tonight? Pleased with the way he played?

CLAUDE GIROUX: Yeah, he didn’t play the last two games, so anytime you don’t play, I think it was like four days he hasn’t played, it’s tough. He was really skating. He was making plays. He played a very good game. Our line was able to create some offense.

Transcripts Courtesy of the NHL Communications Department

Comments from Blackhawks Head Coach Joel Quenneville, Blackhawks players Tomas Kopecky and Duncan Keith

Comments from Blackhawks Head Coach Joel Quenneville

Q. Coach, it seems in the last couple of games that the Flyers have carried the play in the third period. I wonder how have they been doing that, and how do you counter it?

COACH QUENNEVILLE: I thought we were pretty effective for the first 40 minutes. We were pretty good at the start of the third when we scored. Then they scored in the following shift. I think we lost a lot of momentum there right away. Didn’t get a chance to take advantage of playing with the lead.

We spent some time in our end, not as bad as last game. But I thought in overtime we had a couple of good looks there with a chance to end there. It’s what happens in OT.

Q. Coach, every game so far has been a one-goal game. Is this what you expect for the remainder of this Series?

COACH QUENNEVILLE: You never know. It’s very competitive. It’s a fast-paced game. Fast-paced series. Both teams have some weapons that can attack offensively. I think they are respectful for their attack games as well.

You can’t forecast scores. We have had a wild first game. A little bit lower scoring last game. This game is on the line from start to finish, as all three games have been. But it’s entertaining hockey, and the pace is all out.

Q. Do you think that Chris Pronger got under the skin of Dustin Byfuglien at some point in this game?

COACH QUENNEVILLE: I think Buff is pretty composed. I think Buff has been a factor and something they have to be concerned about. I just think we have to play hard against Prongs, and Buff knows where he gets rewarded by going to the net. But he’ll continue to battle and persevere and do what he has to do.

Q. I know it’s a tough loss. Do you take any positives out of the game?

COACH QUENNEVILLE: First 40 minutes we started the game there, and it was the way we wanted to begin the game, and did some good things. I thought we had speed. We were dangerous in a lot of ways. They had two power-play goals to get themselves in a good position. And we battled back there, key goal there in the second.
In the third period, anything can happen. You start overtime, that look. It’s one of those games that from start to finish could have gone either way. Timely goal by them at the end. We had some timely goals ourselves. It’s pretty competitive where we’re at.

Comment from Tomas Kopecky

Q. Kind of similar in the sense that it could have gone either way. It just goes against you.

TOMAS KOPECKY: I mean, we have to be way better. Especially right after when I don’t think we were hungry enough. Today was a tough game. We stayed with it, and in overtime it could go either way. We had one good shift there. Leighton made a couple of good saves.

We have to just keep going to the net more, keep scurrying him and throwing everything at the net to get the rebounds, second and third chances.

Q. Tomas, that chippiness, is it taking away from the skill game, the team skill game at all?

TOMAS KOPECKY: No, when you make sure your skills come out. Each guy in this dressing room is competing 100%. Skills is going to come out when you work hard, everything takes —

Q. Anything you could do defensively in the third period? Because the last two games the Flyers have really taken it to –

TOMAS KOPECKY: Play better offensively. More we hold on to the pucks in their zone, it’s going to be tougher for them to score. I think we just have to protect the puck a little more. Keep cycling and keep the puck — once we get in our zone, we got to keep it simple. Get it out. Flips and foot races. And we have a fast enough team to push the pace.

Q. Pretty deflating on the bench after Kane scores and they respond right away?

TOMAS KOPECKY: Yeah. It’s always a big shift after we score or they score. We know that, and each guy in the dressing room is basically doing what they can. Today was one of those games we were going to take five minutes like we did after last game and we are going to learn from it. The one good thing is we’re playing back on Friday.

Q. You just have to forget about this fast?

TOMAS KOPECKY: I agree. There’s no reason to panic or anything. It was one game, and take five minutes, learn from it. We know where we made our mistakes, each and every one of us. We just have to keep growing and bringing even more on Friday.

Q. Obviously, a huge relief when the goal is disallowed in overtime. What were the thoughts there? You guys just couldn’t capitalize for the next one?

TOMAS KOPECKY: Yeah, I thought we were going to — there was a little energy for us. I thought we were going to change momentum right away. They just came with another goal. Not much you can do. Take five minutes, learn from this and get back on working harder on Friday.

Q. What is it about the third period? It seems like they’ve been the energy team in both games so far in the last two? Does it feel that way?

TOMAS KOPECKY: Not really. Like we had lots of energy too. We played four lines. All the guys were contributing as well. Not really. I wouldn’t say they have more energy than us. They are a good team. We were expecting a long battle, a long Series before the Final started.

So it’s one game, no panic, we have to get back on Friday.

Q. All three games so far, just one goal the difference. Can you talk about how thin that line is between winning and losing?

TOMAS KOPECKY: Very thin. Especially right now, this time of the year. You have to have lots of things to go your way. You have to be a little bit lucky and always you have to work really hard and earn that luck as well. It’s a really thin line between losing and winning.

Comments from Duncan Keith

Q. Duncan, you knew this was going to be a tough game, a must-win for Philadelphia. They played pretty desperate hockey tonight.

DUNCAN KEITH: Yeah, I thought it was close, though. Could have went either way. Give them credit, though. They played a solid game.

Q. Every single one of the games so far has been one-goal games. This is the first time you guys have lost a one-goal game. Is it going to be like this, do you expect the whole series, this tight?

DUNCAN KEITH: Yeah, I would think so. We’ve played with a lot of one-goal games throughout this year. So it’s not something we haven’t seen before. What can you say, they made a nice play at the end.
I’m not sure what happened there off the rush, but seemed like they had an odd-man rush. When you have those players like Briere, he’s going to make a nice play.

Q. How important is it for to you try to steal a win here?

DUNCAN KEITH: It’s huge. It’s tough to lose, but at the same time, you know, we got another game. Hey, you know, we like our position. At the same time, we’re not happy about tonight. But we got another game next time, and hopefully we can be better.

Q. Duncan, the last two games you guys have been – outshot in the third period of the last two games. Is that a bit of a disturbing trend?

DUNCAN KEITH: I don’t notice. When I’m playing I don’t think about things like that. You’re playing in the moment. Seemed like we had some chances too. I thought I had one right at the end there. I mean, they get some shots, but I don’t know — Antti is seeing them. It’s a different story.

Q. Can you do anything differently on the power-play? You haven’t scored one yet in the Series.

DUNCAN KEITH: Yeah, we could do a lot of things differently. We just need to shoot, keep it simple. And that’s about it.

Transcripts Courtesy of the NHL Communications Department

Post game Comments from Flyers Head Coach Peter Laviolette, Claude Giroux, and Chris Pronger

Comments from Head Coach Peter Laviolette

Q. Can you talk about the range of emotions, two replayed goals, thinking you won it, then having to do it again. I don’t know if you ever had two replayed goals in the game before. What that whole thing was like for you?

COACH LAVIOLETTE: We have had two replay goals before. But the video, we’ve got a voice on the bench in the back room. He told us the first one he thought was in. The second one he didn’t think was in. We knew right away. It’s always the interpretation of the League.

But I haven’t seen either one of them, to be honest with you. The range of emotion, it was nice to come back right away after that second one and score, because you think it’s over. But we came back and got that last one.

Q. Peter, can you talk about the impact of the Briere line tonight, all three guys get goals?

COACH LAVIOLETTE: They were dominating at times. The puck is on their sticks. They’re generating scoring chances. You know, when we popped any one of those guys down with Giroux and Asham, which we did a couple of times, it produced a couple of goals for us.

They seem to be really on their game right now. Offensively they’re getting a lot of looks, a lot of chances.

Q. Coach, Giroux, he didn’t have a great time in Chicago. Two games, his numbers weren’t great. Tonight he had a big night, obviously, with the huge goal. Can you touch on him and maybe what was different about him tonight?

COACH LAVIOLETTE: I think he loosened up a bit. You have to remember, it’s the Stanley Cup Finals. I think he came in — we talked about it — to just lighten up a little bit. At this point of the year, you know what you have to do in order to be successful. There’s a lot of work. There’s a lot of intensity. There’s a lot of competitiveness in the battles.

In the same sense, if you tighten it up too much, you seize up a little bit. We talked about just having some fun tonight, come out and letting everything roll. Go after him, and I think he took that advice, because he was smiling all day. He came to the rink and went out and played a great game. Sometimes you need to loosen up a little bit. He’s a talented kid.

Q. Peter, you’ve got three one-goal games going in this Final. Do you expect in the rest of this Series to have every game go down to the last couple of shots?

COACH LAVIOLETTE: It’s tight out there. It gets tight both ways. You really got to work for the scoring chances. It’s not as wide open as you would think for two fast, hard-checking teams. It’s hard-checking to defense too. There’s not as much open room out there to create offensively as you would think.

The games, I think they’re going to be tight. They probably feel like they could have won tonight. We felt, I told you earlier, I wasn’t just giving lip service, we felt we could have won the two up there. It’s good hockey. It moves back and forth quick.

Q. Can you talk about the play of Scott Hartnell tonight? He had a lot of hits and seemed to play a huge role in tonight’s game.

COACH LAVIOLETTE: He’s been excellent all through the Playoffs. He’s been excellent for us. Especially the last four or five games, really started to notice him physically and on the scoreboard, he’s playing with a lot of confidence right now. That line was terrific.

Q. Peter, two games if a row and the team seems to get stronger as the game goes on. Third periods you start to dominate and even in the overtime. Your system, what is it about the conditioning of this team?

COACH LAVIOLETTE: At this point, yes. I mean, we seem to go up and down the ice, and as games wore on , I thought that was in the Montreal Series as well. It seemed the longer the game went, the better we were. We still had a lot of jam and a lot of speed to our game, so I would agree.

Q. Coach, you had such a tremendous third period but couldn’t bust through for the tie-breaking goal. I wonder what the mood was like going into the overtime?

COACH LAVIOLETTE: I think if you’re getting the chances, you’re going to be, you’re going to be not happy. Obviously, you would have liked to have scored a couple more in the third and ended it and not have to go to overtime. If you’re doing the right things out there — we didn’t at first. I still think in the neutral zone we need to be a little bit better.

But we got opportunities in the third period, and we need to keep taking those looks.

Q. How good was Pronger tonight?

COACH LAVIOLETTE: Pronger was excellent. We played a lot of those big four out there. They were terrific. Pronger was excellent.

Q. Peter, can you talk about your range of emotions in the overtime? Did you feel confident in the overtime?

COACH LAVIOLETTE: I said this morning and I still, I’m going to wake up tomorrow morning feeling the same way. I am 100% confident in the guys in the room to be able to win any hockey game against anybody. I think there’s that confidence in the room from our team as well.

Obviously, you have to go out there and do at will of work and play well. We have a very good opponent that we’re playing against.

You know, like I said, you hope the goal goes in. It ended up not going over the line. We don’t get it. We go back to work and we keep plugging along. The third period was good. The overtime was good, and we have to keep our nose to the grindstone.

Q. Were you okay with the Carcillo charge in the first period? Or is that an example of him going over the line?

COACH LAVIOLETTE: I don’t think Danny went over the line one bit. I thought it was a good, clean hockey hit.

Q. Coach, just a follow-up on the Hartnell question before. The big hit on Hjalmarsson, another one. He had a big hit on Seabrook, I believe. A good assist. Did he set the tone for you tonight?

COACH LAVIOLETTE: We tried to play physical. They’re trying to play physical. It’s going back and forth pretty good. You’re going to take your licks on whoever you can out there. Scott Hartnell had a good physical game for us tonight.

Q. Coach, I know this is probably difficult, but is this the most resilient team you’ve been a part of after all they’ve already done in this postseason?

COACH LAVIOLETTE: It’s not even the postseason. It’s been for a long time. Like I said this morning, 2-0 for us is comfortable. We’re okay with that. We know how to battle through it. We knew how important the game was tonight. Once we wake up tomorrow morning, we know we have to hold serve on home ice. I think the guys will be fine with that.

Q. Peter, I know Braydon has had a really solid Playoff for you. In these Finals, he really seems to have ramped up his physical play. Have you noticed that as well?

COACH LAVIOLETTE: Yes, I have. I thought Braydon has played physical. Everybody has to play physical. When you’re playing Chicago, they are a fast moving team. Don’t want to do a drive-by. They’ll take the puck and do something else with it. It has to be done physically.

They’re capable of a lot of good things. So you have to make sure you’re ready to finish your check out there. It’s not just about Danny Carcillo finishing his check or Darroll Powe. Everybody has to finish their checks. I think Braydon has done a good job.

Q. How good was Leino, and how much of a gift does it seem to be to be able to pick up a guy like that for so little, playing on the top two line?

COACH LAVIOLETTE: Right now he seems to have so much energy out there. You can double shift him. You can double shift him without taking him off the ice. He seems to have a lot of jam right now. I think what everybody is impressed with and certainly we are as well is his ability to hang on to that puck and make plays.

It’s really beneficial for a team when you’re trying to create offense to have a guy that can stop and start and cut back and do a whole bunch of different things with the puck. Because other things open up. He’s able to see the ice. He’s got a terrific skill level. It was a tremendous pick-up for Paul Holmgren, to get him here for the Playoffs.

Comments from Claude Giroux

Q. Claude, take us through your goal there as you saw?

CLAUDE GIROUX: I think I won the face-off and Kimmo passed me in the middle and passed to Briere on the side, and Matt Carle joined the rush. He’s a great player. He can see the ice pretty well. I was trying to get a stick on it and it trickled in.

Q. Could you just talk about the range of emotions? You guys had that review and you didn’t get the goal. To come back just a few seconds later and get that?

CLAUDE GIROUX: Anytime you think you score an overtime winner, it was huge for us. It wasn’t in, actually. So we were a little disappointed.

But we stayed in there, and it was a big game for us. We really needed that win. I think it was a team effort tonight.

Q. Claude, Peter was just up here talking about how he had a talk with you about relaxing, taking it easy going into this game. Did you feel a little more comfortable? A little more relaxed in this game? Is that how you kind of approached it, and is that part of the reason why you had a big night?

CLAUDE GIROUX: In Chicago I don’t think we played good. We didn’t play even close to what we should have been playing. I think tonight, third period, that was our game. Just skate. We had a lot of chances. I think we plugged out 60 minutes. We were going to give ourselves a chance to win. I think that’s what we did.

Q. How about you personally?

CLAUDE GIROUX: Our line didn’t play very well in Chicago. Actually me and Ash and Carcillo, we talked together and we wanted to have a big game for our team. Anytime you’re not producing or playing well, you are just going to keep it simple and go back just working hard. I think we did that, and we tried to win as many battles as we could.

Q. Claude, Peter Laviolette has been pretty passionate about his belief in this team. Do you feel like this team has really taken on his personality? And in what ways?

CLAUDE GIROUX: What do you mean by that?

Q. What I mean is, do you feel like you feed off of the way he approaches the game? I know he’s big on motivational speeches. Do you sense that in the Final?

CLAUDE GIROUX: Yeah, anytime we have a bad game, he finds a way to get us going again. Like you said, he always finds a way to motivate us and try to find a way to win. I think our whole team just we just believe in our inner self. And maybe that wasn’t the case in the first two games. Tonight we showed we played with a little more confidence. I think we got to keep that mindset.

Q. Can you talk a little about the resiliency of the players in the room. You guyed faced so much adversity in this postseason, even in this Series.

CLAUDE GIROUX: Anytime we get adversity we find a way to get it done. I don’t know, we just got a lot of character in the room. Guys really want to win.

So I think when the guys are on the same page, it’s a lot more fun. We’re having fun. When you have fun, you play good, so…

Q. Claude, it’s a few years ago now, but did you and Clarke ever talk about when he forgot your name at the draft table?

CLAUDE GIROUX: No, we didn’t. I don’t know if you remember that, if he even remembers that, but I didn’t really care. I thought it was pretty funny.

Q. Claude, as a team, is there any more room to elevate your game going into the next game? Or are you guys playing pretty close to the ceiling?

CLAUDE GIROUX: We’re playing well right now. I think we’re not consistent. I think we can play better the whole 60 minutes, play better defensively as a team. Obviously, tonight we played our best game in the Series. I think we have to find a way to just play the same way.

Q. Claude, you were dangerously close to being down 3-0 in the Series. What does this do for the team’s confidence now?

CLAUDE GIROUX: It’s huge. I don’t think guys want to do a comeback again from 3-0. So it was tough losing the first two games. If we want to give us a chance to win the Series, we need to win this game tonight. The message was pretty clear before the game, and guys showed up.

Q. Claude, I know you don’t play this game for individual goals and this is only one game, but what does it feel for a kid like yourself to jump in the playoffs and score an overtime goal in the Stanley Cup Final?

CLAUDE GIROUX: It’s huge. My buddy — I was taking a nap, and my buddy texted me. He doesn’t usually text me a lot. He said I have a feeling you’re going to score the overtime winner tonight. I texted back and said you’re crazy. I’m going to call him now. It’s obviously a big goal. It’s probably my biggest goal in my career.

I’m happy I was able to do that. As quick as we can put this game behind us and be ready for game 4, it’s going to be huge. There’s a lot of emotion tonight. But I think it’s important that we just focus and be ready for game 4.

Comments from Chris Pronger

Q. How nervous were you during the overtime? And how nervous was the team?

CHRIS PRONGER: I don’t think we were nervous at all. We needed to come out and look to score that goal. I don’t think in overtime you can sit back. You don’t allow the other team to get uncontested chances and things like that. You need to continue to press and try to get that goal.

Q. When did you feel like you were really getting under the skin — when you guys were down in the zone, did you feel like it was when Byfuglien and you had the little spat there?

CHRIS PRONGER: I’m sorry. I don’t understand the question.

Q. I wasn’t talking right. When did you guys realize you were really getting under Chicago’s skin?

CHRIS PRONGER: I don’t know. There was a lot of talk coming from their side of the ice. We were just busy playing the game.

Q. What do you think worked so well for the Briere line tonight that might not have been working in the first two games?

CHRIS PRONGER: I think they had a pretty good first game. They had three or four goals. You know what, they’ve done a great job of controlling the puck, getting pucks in deep. Ville and Danny are doing a great job of controlling the puck and Hartsy is doing a great job of getting in the corners, controlling the puck, and being physical.

They’re getting to the net. Pucks are getting to the net. They’re getting to the net. They’re doing a good job of looking for loose rebounds and pucks that get them second and third opportunities.

Q. How deflating was the Patrick Kane goal, gave them the first lead of the game, and how big was Ville’s goal to not only tie the game, but sort of swing the game back in your favor?

CHRIS PRONGER: I think deflating was the wrong word to use. I don’t think anyone was deflated at all. We needed to bounce back, and there’s going to be momentum swings through the course of the game, through the course of the Series.

I don’t think when somebody scores like that there’s lots of time left. I don’t think anybody was panicking or deflated. I think it’s a matter of just putting your head down and getting back to work.

Q. You play with him all the time, so you would know best. How much better is this Matt Carle now than the Matt Carle you started with at the beginning of the season, and in what ways?

CHRIS PRONGER: Well, I think we work well together. It takes a little bit of time to get that chemistry and that cohesiveness of knowing what one another is going to do on the ice.

But I think you’re seeing the good first outlet pass, him jumping into the play, him making good, smart decisions. And a lot of times, as I’ve said before, his defensive play gets overlooked. He’s very solid one-on-one. He may not be running guys over out this, but he gets in the way and forces guys to make mistakes.

Q. Chris, you’ve played on a lot of good teams. What is it about this team that you think makes it so special in the way it counter punches and handles all the adversity that’s been thrown your way?

CHRIS PRONGER: Probably our practice. Practice, we have had an awful lot of adverse think year. We have had to learn on the fly. I don’t think anybody has ever questioned, in the locker room anyway. I’m sure some of you clowns have, but we haven’t questioned ourselves or questioned exactly what it is we’re trying to do. We’ve struggled at times and been able to turn the corner and figure it out.

Q. Chris, does it surprise you at all that a guy of Danny Briere’s size is able to get the goals from the dirty areas that he seems to be able to get them from?

CHRIS PRONGER: Not at all. I think having played against him for a number of years, and now with him, he’s a guy that is gifted offensively. He’s always got the puck on his stick. He’s very quick with wraps and things behind the net. He’s got a sneaky shot. He always puts himself in areas where he can score. He’s a feisty guy that plays gritty and goes to those high draft areas where you’re going to score those goals from.

Q. We’ll put you in the coach’s seat for a little bit. Looking at this game, how you played going into the next game, are you going to have to do anything different to elevate your play? What do you do differently? Or do you keep just going and doing what you do or what you’re doing?

CHRIS PRONGER: I think as we go with each game we’ve tightened up certain areas and we’re going to need to continue to do that. What they are is for us to know and you figure out on your own.

Q. Chris, before this Series began, a lot of people talked about Chicago’s speed, and even after the first two games I heard commentators saying the ice was chippy in Chicago, maybe we didn’t see their speed. Tonight there didn’t seem to be — in the speed department, it seemed to be equal. Do you think that this Flyers team is just as fast and quick as Chicago’s team?

CHRIS PRONGER: Well, I think we both try play up-tempo games. Which is going to make for a fast game. It’s going to make — if someone thinks the other team is faster, then it’s going to make him not look as fast. Both teams are out there skating as hard as they can. There’s an awful lot on the line. And both teams know it.

Game 2 Photos:

http://www.nhl.com/ice/gallerylanding.htm?id=15926

Game Summary:

http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20092010/GS030412.HTM

Event Summary:

http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20092010/ES030412.HTM

Play by Play:

http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20092010/PL030412.HTM

Faceoff Stats:

http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20092010/FC030412.HTM

Game 2 Highlights

Post game comments from the Philadelphia Flyers

Post game comments from Kimo Timonen

Post game comments from Claude Giroux

Comments from Danny Briere

Post game comments from the Chicago Blackhawks

Post game comments Joel Quenneville

Post game comments from Patrick Sharp

Post game comments from John Madden

Post game comments from Patrick Kane

Post Game comments from Jonathan Towes

Post game comments from Adam Burish

Transcripts Courtesy of the NHL Communications Department

Post-Game 2 comments from Blackhawks Head Coach Joel Quenneville, Antti Niemi and Marian Hossa

Post game comments from Blackhawks Head Coach Joel Quenneville

Q. Marian Hossa breaks through, scores that big goal late in the second period. Talk about that lift that gave your team, seemed like they mobbed him right after the goal and then you scored a couple seconds later?

COACH QUENNEVILLE: Yeah, it was a big goal. Looked like it was the kind of game whoever scored first would have a big edge. Kind of different, just the opposite of the first game. But the pace was fast, it was competitive. Obviously, a very timely goal, and then Benny to come back with a big one right after, and you’re in a good spot right then.

Q. Whether they were his fault or not, five went in on Niemi the other night. What is it about him that enables him to play the way he does after games like that?

COACH QUENNEVILLE: That’s the way he is. His disposition is very laid back, very quiet, very unassuming guy, and he just moves forward. I think he just looks ahead, and looking to stop the next shot and refocuses. But, you know, you’ve got to commend his attitude and his preparation. At the same time, that’s just the way he is.

Q. Were you relying too much on Antti Niemi in the third period, you thought?

COACH QUENNEVILLE: No, we certainly didn’t want to spend that much time in our own end, and the quality that they’re getting, we had to be better. They’re coming, they’re pressing, and they’ve got a lot of guys that can make plays.

I think that’s, you know, that was one of those games where we’d like to spend some time in their end. We’d like to have some more puck-possession game, we started the game the way we’d liked. Second period we might have been fortunate coming out with some very timely goals.

But at the same time, we did better in our team game tonight, and Antti really complemented that.

Q. What was the thinking throwing Ben Eager out there right after that first goal? Obviously, it turned out to be a great decision, but what was your thinking having him out there with a different group?

COACH QUENNEVILLE: Well, just those guys give us some speed. They give us energy. Sometimes as a line you can just insert them with other guys. Benny gets in on the forecheck, and whether Prongs is out there or not, hopefully, he creates a little bit of space and puck possession.

But he made a great shot. Benny’s got one of those shots that’s deceiving, and got more pace on it than you’d think or know. It was a huge goal.

Q. Continuing on Benny here, can you talk about how a player who plays the way he does can change the momentum in a game like that?

COACH QUENNEVILLE: Well, that line, that’s their niche. That’s what their effectiveness is is bringing energy, hitting, getting in on the forecheck. They had some shifts in the offensive zone, and a couple of times he got inserted with different guys over the course of the game.

But all play-offs long, I think that that group has been useful in their ways. They don’t get a ton of ice time, but they manage to make it important whether it’s five to nine minutes. Very useful again tonight with their contribution.

Q. Everything looks like it’s rolling forward. You’re up two games, 7 in a row. Do you guard against overconfidence?

COACH QUENNEVILLE: No, you’ve got to commend our guys with their approach. You I think whether it was in the Vancouver Series or the San Jose Series, I think we’re looking to play our best game next game, knowing we have to be better.

We’re going on the road there, and they’re playing well at home. I think we’ve got to go back to what made us so effective in the road trips in San Jose and Vancouver Series, and look to check our way into a very competitive type of team.

Q. Now that you took care of business here, how super charged do you expect the building to be in their place on Wednesday night?

COACH QUENNEVILLE: Well, you know, you’ve got to expect a loud building. I think we went into some loud buildings in Vancouver and San Jose in the playoffs. You know, you eventually like to quiet it as best you can. But I think that’s a challenge that’s going to be out there.

But I still think that being excited about thinking we have to be our best next game, it’s going to be you a tough game and be ready for it.

Post game comments from Antti Niemi and Marian Hossa

Q. Antti, obviously, the scoreboard was different than the first game. Were you seeing the puck better, were you getting better help from the blue liners? What was the difference for you tonight?

ANTTI NIEMI: I think our “D” played maybe a little bit better in front of the net in blocking shots and letting me see the puck. But it’s always a little bit about the luck, too, how you see the puck, and how it bounces.

Q. Can you just talk about what you felt right after you saw that puck go in the net?

MARIAN HOSSA: Oh, I mean, it’s been a long time. Just try to work hard. And when the bounce, the garbage goal I scored went in the net, I was looking for some ugly goal like that to get the offense going.

Like I said before, our line creates also a lot of chances, but we weren’t able to capitalize on the good chances. And finally, it seems like game before and today we got lucky bounces. So a relief, definitely.

Q. You had said during that little goalless drought that you weren’t getting frustrated. But now that you’ve scored, can you tell us the truth, were you getting frustrated?

MARIAN HOSSA: Yeah, you know, it bugged me definitely not going goals for me. Trying to create offense, either passing, but when I’m shooting the puck doesn’t want to get in. I try, like I said, I tried not to get frustrated, but it’s in your head, you know.

I was waiting for some, like I said, just garbage goal and hopefully now that our line keeps going offensively better and better.

Q. How much has your confidence grown from making the team in Helsinki when it was tight between you and Corey Crawford, and Corey got sent down and to now, the journey in eight months?

ANTTI NIEMI: Well, it’s like night and day. It’s a huge difference, and I think that’s the biggest reason why I can play this well right now.

Q. Right after the game, you’re out there on the ice, the crowd’s chanting your name, what did that feel like to you?

ANTTI NIEMI: Well, it’s an unbelievable feeling how the people react to our game.

Q. The last two years you’ve been so close. Last year you were in this same situation with Detroit up two games to none after winning two home games only to swallow a pretty bitter pill against Pittsburgh. How can you draw on that experience and maybe show your teammates that it’s not over yet, you’ve still got to play it one game at a time?

MARIAN HOSSA: Definitely, I mean, I don’t like go away in the past, but in the same situation everybody knows how good things we’ve got going on right now winning both games at home. It’s really great for the confidence and really good for momentum.

Right now going into their building it’s going to be really important how we start out Game 3. And that’s going to be one of the most important games we play this year, definitely.

Q. There’s been a lot of talk about how depth has gotten you where you guys are at this point in the Playoffs. With the first line struggling a little bit, how important is it that your line has played the way it has to this point?

MARIAN HOSSA: I mean, our first line was carrying the team through the whole Playoffs. I don’t think they’re struggling; they’re creating chances, but they cannot, you know, in the first two games they couldn’t put a puck in the net. You know, which is good thing we have good depth, and the other line could step up. That’s what good teams have. Right now it’s different lines turns.

Q. Every time you have a game where you have four or five goals, it seems that you’re able to refocus where you come back to a shut down game where you give up none or maybe one or two. How are you able to do that?

ANTTI NIEMI: It’s hard to say. It’s a great thing that it’s been that way. I want to keep it that way later too. But maybe it comes out of how I feel after the bad game or game allowing five or four goals. I don’t know how it happens

Post game comments from Ben Eager and Duncan Keith

Q. Ben, maybe some thoughts on scoring a Stanley Cup Final goal against the team that drafted you.

BEN EAGER: It was pretty exciting. You know, been working pretty hard this post-season. It was definitely a nice feeling to see that one go in. It was a big shift before us. Hoss scored a big goal for us and really got the bench going. We got out there next and got a nice bounce.

Q. Duncan, the Flyer fore-check, is that the best you’ve seen all year?

DUNCAN KEITH: I don’t know. They’re pretty good. Let’s put it that way. Definitely got some guys with a lot of speed. Especially on their forwards who can get in there quick and create some havoc. Anytime you get in there with some speed, it’s tough.

But we as defensemen, that’s our job to get back, make quick plays and smart plays, and get the pucks out to the forward. Definitely Philadelphia is good at the fore-check, for sure.

Q. What happened at the end with Pronger, Ben?

BEN EAGER: Nothing, really. Just a little post-game chat, but it was nothing.

Q. Can you elaborate?

BEN EAGER: He’s been picking the pucks up after the game, and I just told him he can keep it.

Q. Duncan, it seemed like Philadelphia, they really put the pressure on there in the last half, about in the third period. What was it like trying to defend them? They were making it uncomfortable, weren’t they?

DUNCAN KEITH: Obviously, it’s a 2-1 lead. It’s a close game. They are pressing for a goal. So there’s pressure on them to score, and there’s pressure on us to defend. I would rather be in our position trying to defend, if you go in the third period late like that and having the lead.

But definitely they were pressing and making some plays and they had some chances there. I thought Antti made some nice plays, took up a lot of the net. We did a good job clearing some pucks out to not let them get any rebounds.

Q. Duncan, what was better about tonight’s effort versus Game 1, and what has to continue to get better as you move into three and four in Philadelphia in your mind?

DUNCAN KEITH: Well, I just think that we did a lot of things better than we did last game, as far as managing the puck and being better positionally, defensively. I still think those are things we all think that as a group we still feel we can be better at than we were tonight. I just think we’re looking forward to the next game now and just keep on improving as the series goes on here.

Q. Guys, Niemi — for both of you, Niemi had no Playoff experience coming into this, and yet he seems to bounce back instantly from any subpar performance. What is it about him?

DUNCAN KEITH: Maybe that’s better he’s had no experience. He just shows up to play every night. He works real hard in practice. He doesn’t like any pucks getting by him. We’re real confident when he’s in nets. He played another great game for us, especially in the third period there.

Q. Ben, you were very popular player in Philadelphia. What are your thoughts now going back to a place where you were cheered and beloved?

BEN EAGER: It’s going to be fun. I had a lot of great times in Philadelphia. They gave me a chance to play in the NHL, and I’m thankful for that.

But it’s one thing to be playing in the NHL. But to be playing against the Flyers is pretty cool. And it’s going to be a good atmosphere at the Wachovia Center next game.

Q. Hoss was saying he was frustrated not being able to score the last three or four games. He’s talking about that frustration. How happy are you for him that he finally got one in the net after a while?

DUNCAN KEITH: Yeah, I think it was great to see him get that one. Just a nice play being right around the net, getting that rebound. He’s had a lot of chances. To score goals. And for empty nets and other chances where he just hasn’t been able to get it in.

But he’s been creating chances for us all throughout the Playoffs and last game especially, and tonight again. For sure it was nice to see him get that one.

Q. Duncan, the difference between your defensive effort as a group has been so drastic between Game 1 and Game 2. What do you attribute that to?

DUNCAN KEITH: Well, I just — you know, I think — I don’t know what it was. For whatever reason, in Game 1 it just seemed maybe on both sides that there was a little bit of feeling out there. Just some indecision and sloppier plays. I think tonight both teams kind of got back to playing better defensively and playing smarter with the puck. I think that showed in the score.

But for whatever — I just think we got to keep moving forward here and keep trying to improve on those things and keep drilling it in our head that that’s what’s going to make us successful, being smart with the puck and being smart without the puck.

Transcripts Courtesy of the NHL Communications Department

Post game 1 Statistics, Analysis, and Post Game Audio/Video

Photos from Game 1:

http://www.nhl.com/ice/gallerylanding.htm?id=15923

Game Summary:

http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20092010/GS030411.HTM

Event Summary:

http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20092010/ES030411.HTM

Play by Play:

http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20092010/PL030411.HTM

Face off Stats:

http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20092010/FC030411.HTM

Post game 1 audio:

Game 1 Highlights:

Chicago Blackhawks Post game comments:

Post game comments from Tomas Kopecky:

Post game comments from John Madden:

Post game comments from Niklas Hjalmarsson:

Post game comments from Patrick Kane:

Post game comments from Jonathan Toews:

Post game comments from Dave Bolland:

Philadelphia Flyers post game comments:

Post game comments from Aaron Asham:

Post game comments from Jeff Carter:

Post game comments from Danny Briere:

Post game comments from Michael Richards:

Post game comments from Chris Pronger:

Post game comments from Scott Hartnell

Post game Comments from Michael Leighton: