NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: CAPITALS v RED WINGS

June 16, 1998

Chris Osgood

CHRIS OSGOOD: I don't look for that. I didn't play for that. I played to -- for my teammates, for myself or for the fans, for Vladi. That's why I play. I don't -- I always said along all those questions that were asked, I have no problem with them.

CHRIS OSGOOD: In all honesty, I was treated pretty fair, the way anyone else who has played before. I felt I was being treated unfair, I said something, and I think the people who did say something know who they are, and let's just leave it at that. It is an over-and-done-with topic, really.

CHRIS OSGOOD: Not really. I thought last game I had more difficult saves than I did this game. Although they had 31 shots, shots sometimes are deceiving. They shot more from the outsides, more from the point than they did in previous games. I think 1 and 3 were my best games of the series. And tonight although they had more shots than usual, they shot more from the outside. It's a different game than the first three, really.

CHRIS OSGOOD: We were -- I mean, all year, really -- we don't -- we didn't like to talk about it, didn't really come out and look to talk about it. We were really very, very -- hoping to get to this situation, hoping for the chance to do it for Vladi and Sergei. We really worked hard. I mean, that gave us motivation for this year. I mean, we've seen him a couple of times in the season down in Florida once and he came to Detroit during the Playoffs. We knew he was going to be here today. We really wanted to try and win it today and make it a real special moment and, I mean, they really -- it really was an emotional time for us. I don't think it sank in for some guys, really, but it was a little different than usual when a team wins the Stanley Cup to have something like that on the ice and all of the things our team has been through the last 2, 3 years.

CHRIS OSGOOD: More satisfying, more gratifying. I mean, to have been there, lived it and have played is a lot different than just watching. Watching you can learn some things but there's nothing like on-the-job training and this year was really special to me, special to -- the thing that meant the most to me was when Steve Yzerman gave me the Stanley Cup right after Vladi. To me, when he says things about me, that means more to me than anybody else talking about me, really. That's what -- I mean, he was always behind me and always was saying good things about me. That meant more to me than anything else these entire Playoffs.

CHRIS OSGOOD: It was emotional. I've been through a lot the last two and a half months, worked hard to get to that spot and everything just happened at once with everything that I've been through the last year not playing. It was -- with Vladi, just really everything. I mean, it's something you don't plan. Something you don't think about. It just happened. I mean, I was -- sure I was emotional a lot of other guys were, too, when we were in that crowd.

CHRIS OSGOOD: More excitement. No relief. I was more excited -- just had an incredible feeling inside that I've accomplished what I've strived for from the time I got into the League. It's taken everything I've had to get here, mentally and physically. I mean, I think I've grown up 100 percent in the last two-and-a-half months and -- like I said, I don't hold any grudges, hold any revenge, hold anything -- anything towards anybody. I'm just -- I don't look back on everything -- that has happened to me in the last two months with negativity but it's made me a stronger person and a better player.

CHRIS OSGOOD: No. He was just looking for me, he couldn't find me. I was over talking to somebody else and he was yelling at me. That was about it, really. But just the moment, I don't think that you really have to talk. That really meant more to me than anything else that's happened in the last two-and-a-half months.