NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: RED WINGS v FLYERS

June 3, 1997

Kirk Maltby

Brendan Shanahan

Steve Yzerman

STEVE YZERMAN: Well, obviously, we are pleased with the start of the series here. I guess we are in a position with the great opportunity to go up with a win in Game 3 to go up 3-0. So we enjoyed the victory tonight. It was a very close game and particularly when they come back and pressured us well. But, the next game is obviously very crucial, can really determine what kind of a series it will be. So, it is a huge game. It is Game 3. We can relax for one day and that is it.

STEVE YZERMAN: First of all, I thought he was a real good guy, didn't spend a lot of time with him there away from the rink. But in, the rink, I thought he was a real nice guy and a real upbeat guy and positive guy. And, he was a real intense and physically strong player, hard nose player, played with a lot of emotion. And, he was available, obviously, so much talk with Keith Primeau not coming back and Brendan wanting to be moved on. Basically all Scotty asked me about him was, you know, if he would fit in well in the room and be a good guy. I basically said, yeah, I thought we -- he plays with a lot of emotion and intensity and is a big guy and a winger who is a natural scorer, something that we need.

STEVE YZERMAN: I think when you got goals coming from a lot of different people, it allows the team to just kind of go out and play, you know, play. I don't want to call it a system because it is not that technical, but just kind of go out and play well defensively, play your position and not necessarily force things because it gets to be a feeling somebody will figure we will get a goal somehow and someone will contribute and that is kind of the way it has been to this point.

KIRK MALTBY: It was just it was odd man. Again, it was me against 2 of the "D". I just wanted to get a shot on the net, and I didn't even see it go in. Coffey kind of went in the path of my view, so I was getting ready to start back, checking, when I saw the puck come out, and Chris and Joey were coming towards me, so I figured it must have went in.

KIRK MALTBY: I am not sure. I think we are just getting a few more breaks. I mean, we have worked hard, Joey, Chris, and I. We have played the second half of the season, pretty much the whole second half together, and we seemed to be able to read off each other well. And, as far as the last game is concerned, we were able to get a couple of breaks, turnovers, and make the most of it and tonight was just a shot on net, which is a goal of ours to try and get as many shots on net and get it to the net and I was fortunate enough that it went in.

KIRK MALTBY: It is definitely -- it is nice, I mean, when you come down here, you definitely want to try and at least split and we were able to weather a couple of storms from them tonight and keep the lead there and, I mean, you always want to be ahead in the series, but by no means, I don't think we have any type of hold or advantage over them.

KIRK MALTBY: Well, I mean, as far as we are concerned Mike has been the big difference for us in this Playoffs. I think he has played awesome, and I mean, we are not -- I mean, they made a change for this game for their goalies, and I mean, we are not -- we can't worry about what they are trying to do to get their team going. We just try and worry about ourselves, and I mean, we are not going to change our game plan for, you know, them, taking their goalies and changing or taking guys in and out of the lineup. So, I mean, as far as we are concerned Mike has been great for us, and we are just going to stick to our game plan.

STEVE YZERMAN: You know, I don't know that we are in control of the game. I think we are able to remain composed throughout the game. There are certainly sometimes when they had a lot of pressure, sustained pressure, in our zone. Our goaltender made some real good saves. Our defensemen, I thought were real solid in front of the net in blocking some shots and clearing pucks out and keep them out of the zone. But, Kirk's's goal to make it 3-2 after they had tied it, we come out with a goal there and were able to settle down and start to play well defensively again and not allow many great scoring chances. I don't feel that we controlled the game by any means, but we were able to remain relatively composed when the heat got on us.

STEVE YZERMAN: I think it is coincidence. Again, you know, he is on the ice for Kirk's goal, is basically a stand-up guy. Kirk shoots it and it goes in. It is really coincidence. We are not really keying on, you know, obviously we worry about the Lindros line, we try and get certain people on the ice on -- certain groups of people on the ice against that line and Brind'Amour, but it is more their entire defense, we are trying to play -- concerned with how they move the puck up the ice. That is our biggest concern with their defense. Again, it is just a lot of times you are on the ice for goal 4 and really don't have an impact on the play, nothing you can do about it.

KIRK MALTBY: I mean, it is something that you dream of as a kid growing up to play in the NHL and get a chance to win the Stanley Cup. And, I mean, I am just having a lot of fun with it. When we are out on the ice, it is business, but outside of that, I mean, we are staying relaxed and having a bit of fun. So, as far as the SI Cover is concerned, that was just a fluke. It was being in the right place at the right time for that.

BRENDAN SHANAHAN: What is that? My brain? (audience laughter)

BRENDAN SHANAHAN: No, not really. Different plays kind of. Actually I was just trying to settle on the break away. I was trying to settle the puck down there the whole time there. I guess I had about half a foot to put the puck in the net, but one of the guys told me afterwards that somebody poked my elbow. I just think I muffed up the puck or the deke myself. As far as the goal went, really, I just positioned myself and Marty made a great pass. Marty can score from that area. He scored a lot of goals so far for us there. So, goalie has to challenge him, and, you know, he made a pass where I didn't even have to stop and I could just one-time it.

STEVE YZERMAN: I think momentum can change and especially on a goal, we go up 2 nothing there, I thought we were playing really well at that point and beyond that point, we were in control for a while, then we ran, I think, in 3 consecutive penalties and they scored bomb, boom, boom like that. Briefly we were in control. And, like I said, momentum changes very quickly and it changed back the other way when they got -- when Brind'Amour scored his first one.

BRENDAN SHANAHAN: I don't know if we felt a big momentum shift. But, certainly it is nicer to play with the lead. It was a big goal and, you know, I think it kind of caught everyone by surprise. Just the way that the puck came out of the net so quickly. So, it was a lift for us, and, you know, we seemed to play well with the lead and certainly I think what our bench has done well, and as a team what we have done well, is kept our composure. And, not getting too excited when we scored and not getting down on ourselves when the other team has scored.

STEVE YZERMAN: Play solid and play well. I think Philadelphia is an excellent road team as they have shown in the Playoffs. Biggest thing when you play at home is not trying to be fancy and getting careless. If you play strong, discipline defensively and play well positionly, you are going to create scoring chances and get them. We just continue doing the things we have done and to this point in the Playoffs we have remained, like Brendan said, relatively composed and not gotten too high when things have gone well. I think we can expect Philly to come out strong, really strong in the third game. It is important that we are prepared to play Game 3. I thought we did a good job in getting ready to play tonight. Start of the game, it has to be the exact same way for the third game because we are really in the same position with another opportunity to win a game and get go up 3-nothing in a series with a win next game. So, it is vitally important that we start good in our preparation for the game. We can relax tonight, practice tomorrow and get ready to go again.

STEVE YZERMAN: Well, I think -- not necessarily the Finals specifically two years ago, but the entire Playoff run of two years ago, last year, and to this point, we have played a lot of games, majority of our team has played a lot of games and we have won tight ones, we have had overtime, we have won some; loss some; been through a lot of experiences. I think that has really benefited our team to this point. We have a lot of experience. We have been through a lot of different situations. I think everybody just feels a lot more comfortable right now and is able to deal with the entire atmosphere, I guess, or everything to go along with the Playoffs in this point.

BRENDAN SHANAHAN: Yeah, but I think that is part of pro sports pressure. It is better than not facing any pressure. I think you become -- if you have the mentality, kind of person that wants to be a professional athlete, you enjoy pressure and, you know, certainly it is a lot more if you know when you are successful with it. But, it is horrible to be sitting down and not involved. That is not what we are trained to do. So, when you have got the support, the support on this team that I have, and I think we all share the load. Sometimes guys are singled out in a positive way, and we take turns at that. But, really, I think to each man, we all know that everybody is responsible for the success.

KIRK MALTBY: I talked to a few of the guys there through the year, I am friends with a few guys there, and they said he was playing great. And, I saw him through the Playoffs. I mean, he carried a lot of ice time. He played very well defensively and he was jumping up in the play, and he is going to be a great part of their team as far as their defense is concerned. And, I mean, I am just --. Like I said, as far as this Playoff for me is going, I am just having fun with it. And, I mean, the success of the team is a lot more important than what, you know, scoring few goals is, but I mean, I am just glad it has worked out for both players. And, if they feel they have got the better of the trade, then that is fine too. But, I am just happy to be here.