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NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: BLACKHAWKS v DUCKSMay 23, 2015Jonathan ToewsAntoine VermetteCHICAGO, ILLINOIS: Game Four Chicago – 5 THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Antoine, you're very frustrated that you were scratched in Game3. Does the outcome of this ease that frustration a little bit? ANTOINE VERMETTE: Yeah. I mean, at the same time, at this time of the year, you don't want to make an individual or a personal story. The main focus is about the team's success. That's all that matters. I'm glad we won tonight. Q. Jonathan, you said this morning that this is about a test of wills. Maybe that's cliché, but it truly is. Is this game what you're talking about, why you come out on top? JONATHAN TOEWS: Yeah, I mean, I think we worked hard to get to where we were in the third period with a 3‑1 lead. I guess when it rains it pours, in some moments especially today for us in the third. I think a lot of teams wouldn't feel too good about themselves. I think we did a great job of staying calm, collecting ourselves. It is what it is. You can't change that. You have to move forward, find a way to get yourself back in the game. It's moments like that when things don't go your way, they swing the other way, for a minute there it's looking pretty good, you know. I think we had the character and the poise to relax and calm ourselves down, make a game of it, find a way to get back into it. Obviously when we get into late overtime periods, I think we have a feeling as a group that we're going to find a way to win. Q. Antoine, can you describe exactly physically where you were last game. Where did you watch the game? Also, what is the emotion like to not play? ANTOINE VERMETTE: Well, I was here in the building, in the dressing room, like the other guys, did a workout there watching the game. Q. On TV? ANTOINE VERMETTE: On TV, yeah. The emotion, it's not a pleasant one. As a proud competitor, like anybody else on this team, you want to be part of the team. You think you can help the team. I think that's a natural emotion to get. At the same time very supportive of the group. Hopeful we get a couple more wins here. Q. What workout were you doing? Riding the bike? ANTOINE VERMETTE: A little mix. A little bike, a couple weights. Try to get my mind ready for the next opportunity. Q. Jonathan, you talk a lot about drawing on past experience when things are going tough. Have you ever faced anything like that, where they scored three goals in 37 seconds? Was that a new experience? JONATHAN TOEWS: I don't know. My memory's not so good, games in previous years. You probably have a better idea of that than myself. Off the top of my head, I don't think so. But I think we have experienced some moments where you get that sickened feeling, thinking, How did we let that slip? You can run so many scenarios through your head as far as little things you could have done differently to finish the game, avoid the situation that you're in. You just kind of forget about it.  Like I said before, you've just got to move past it, say, Hey, put those three minutes behind us, forget we had a 3‑1 lead, just play the game the way it is now. We're down a goal. Got to find a way. I think you throw in the fact that we got guys that come in and out of the lineup, guys like Vermy here that are just putting all those little things aside and they're just going out there and taking it one shift at a time. It says a lot about what we can do and what we're capable of in this series. I think that's why we feel we have a confident group and there's still another level we can get to. Q. Antoine, can you describe the goal, then describe what happened immediately after, your emotions. ANTOINE VERMETTE: Yeah, I think overall on that shift, we talk about our speed, and I think we are effective when we move our feet. I think that was an illustration of that. We get the puck going in their end a little bit. We stuck with it. I think they're very effective as well whether they block some shots. We tried a few attempts on that shift. We stuck with it. Lucky enough we got it back and put it in. Emotion, in the corner, it was pretty fun. This is a fun group. We had a good celebration. Hopefully we can do that again. Q. Jonathan, obviously a tough situation that Antoine was in. I guess as a captain and teammate, do you sort of feel for it? And how important is it for a professional for it not to be a distraction when something like that happens? JONATHAN TOEWS: I just want to say, Antoine, there's numerous other guys in our locker room that haven't even had the chance yet to come out and show what they can do throughout the playoffs. But everyone is doing a great job of preparing and staying ready for when they do get that chance. Even within games, sometimes we'll have a couple lines that maybe go through spurts where they don't see the ice very much. That's a really tough thing to play through, when you finally are thrown out there, the game is fast, intense, every single play matters, you got to find a way to play through that and make smart plays. So it's a huge testament to the guy sitting next to me and some other individuals in our locker room that are putting their own ego, their own wants and needs aside, and are ready for those opportunities when they do come. Q. Jonathan, how much pressure were you feeling to score a goal? How big of a relief was it when you finally did? JONATHAN TOEWS: I kind of feel that pressure all the time. I know it's there. Most of it I put on myself. Just in some ways got to stay patient and not show any frustration or show any sign of anything snowballing in the wrong direction for my own game. I think as a line with Hoss and Saad, we generated a lot. Finally got a bounce. That's what I was waiting for. Made a difference in the game. Hopefully can continue that confidence that scoring gives you. Continue to make big plays. Whether on the goal score, contributing on the play, whatever the situation might be, you know, to try to get our team on the board, but be responsible on the defensive side, as well. Q. Jonathan, did anybody say anything between the periods? I assume you're aware you're unbeaten in overtime up to this point. JONATHAN TOEWS: Yeah, the talk is always pretty similar when we go into overtime, whether it's the first overtime, third overtime, whatever the situation we might find ourselves in. I think we're a really confident group. We got to understand we got to be smart, we got to be patient, keep working for that one lucky bounce. I feel like we got close a couple times. Sharpie got a breakaway. Had a power play, puck is on the goal line, couldn't find a way to hammer it in. We just keep going, I think it's just a feeling we're eventually going to find that break. We've seen it so far. Hopefully we can continue to work for those bounces. Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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