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NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: FLAMES v LIGHTNINGMay 29, 2004Shean DonovanJarome IginlaChris SimonCALGARY, ALBERTA: Game Three Q. Jarome, I guess someone has to ask, what about the Gordie Howe hat trick? JAROME IGINLA: Some good breaks. The goal came at a time when it probably, you know, the damage had already been done and the goal really wasn't a factor in the game. And as far as the assist, what a play -- I made for three efforts on it to get us going and the fight is just a part of the intensity out there. It is about everybody knows what is on the line, and both teams and they raised their game physically last game and I thought we really upped it as a group physically and the fight just kind of happened. Q. Jarome, was tonight as good of a blueprint that you can think of what Calgary Flames hockey is all about, you keep the shots down, lots of big hits, you get a goal, assist, tone setting fight, your goaltender gets a shutout? Would you just like to play that tape for people who ask, what Flames hockey is about ? JAROME IGINLA: It was a good game for us. First period we only had two shots but at the same time they had five but we got back to playing our style of game. I think every single guy was ready physically and even though we only had a couple scoring chances maybe not even, we had a good period that kind of set the tone for the game. So it was a good game and we were able to see a big goal by Dono, who really was probably half the size of these two guys. It was a huge momentum turner. Q. Shean, what do you guys do now to break the trend of good game/bad game? How do you come back with a good one? SHEAN DONOVAN: I think we just have to play the way we did tonight. I think we learned with experience. Every series we kind of learn things and get better through the series. It was a good game. We know we can get better, lots of things we can improve on. Video session tomorrow. Darryl will break it down. We can do a lot of things better. They are a great team. They will come out better. We know we have to come out better. Q. Chris, talk about Jarome's fight, and Jarome, can you talk about Chris's goal? (LAUGHTER). CHRIS SIMON: I think that fight was huge. It really set the tone physically for us and we talked about that before the game that we had to bring a physical presence. They have got a lot of skill on that side and especially those top two lines, if you give them time and space, they can thread the needle through anybody, and we tried to take away time and space tonight. But I still think that there's a lot of things that we can do better as a group and we'll talk about that tomorrow and get ready for the next game. JAROME IGINLA: Si's (Simon) goal, he has been so big for us since he's come in. A big presence and being on the power play and helping it out. That goal was -- he took a first shot. He didn't quit. He took another. He gets so much room, he deserves it. He plays tough and he plays hard and he never quits and he has been great for our power play ever since he's come. He scored a lot of big goals already this playoffs on the power play, too. Q. Speaking of the power play, could you talk a little bit about you getting two goals tonight. Just so many people have talked about the power play, the power play, does this sort of take a little bit of that away from it? JAROME IGINLA: Yeah, I mean we put pressure on ourselves and the guys are out there. We know last game we had four power plays in the first 1-nothing game or 0-0 game. We didn't get it done. But at the same time, once the game is done, we try to learn from it. We go from video and we try to be better the next day. Tonight was a huge goal for our confidence on the power play, confidence is a big part of it. We're trying to keep it simple. Our D are getting shots. You have got to give them credit on the other side. They block a lot of shots. It's very hard on our defensemen. They are trying to get them through. They kept firing away and you know, we'll get some -- we believe we will have another good day on the power play. If it doesn't go, just keep being optimistic. Q. Kind of got lost in the physical play and the power play, but Kiprusoff had another shutout tonight. How well is he playing right now and how much confidence do you have in him? SHEAN DONOVAN: Kipper, the reason we're here is because of Kipper. All season he's played great and even the game before, four goals, we didn't play good in front of him. He had a great game. Made some huge saves for us. He does what he does every game and he gives us a chance to win and obviously tonight he's main reason we did win. When you look at it, he had some huge saves tonight and you know, the reason we're here is because he's the best goalie in the league. There's a couple of reasons, too, one, besides me and all the guys in the room, but you know, he was great again tonight. Q. You have four of your team's six power-play goals now in the playoffs. How did this come about? Did you go to Darryl and say, I can be a factor? Did he come to you and say, we'd like you to be a factor? CHRIS SIMON: Well, through my career I have played with a lot of great players: Adam Oates, Mark Messier, guys like that, now a chance to play with Jarome Iginla, I think that we kind complement each other, Iggy has great speed and a great shot and I just try to be a presence in front of the net and get him the puck when I can, try to tie guys up in front, you know. He scored a lot of goals for us and I think with Mikka and Iggy have been a huge part of why we're here. Q. Chris, your decision to drive into the glass, what was that for? Was that an homage to the guy on your left? And Shean, what did you think when he did that? CHRIS SIMON: I was just so excited. I didn't know what I was doing out there. It was just emotion and you know, just so happy to score a goal. I really don't have much of a celebration, so you know, that's my, I guess my type of celebration is banging into something. (LAUGHTER). SHEAN DONOVAN: It was pretty -- it was a huge goal for us. Chris did it again for us and he didn't get much elevation on it, but it was impressive. He was excited. He was in the boards, and it was nice to see. Q. Chris, three and a half weeks to go in the season you are on a team going nowhere and now you are here. Can you talk about the change in your fortunes, what it's like to be here when you know, you were really going nowhere? CHRIS SIMON: Well, it's a huge change. Unfortunately things weren't going well in New York and the guys tried hard to win hockey games. I was so glad to get an opportunity to come to a team that had a chance to get into the playoffs and you know, this team worked so hard and they battled hard all year. I am a huge hockey fan and I have all the games on TV and I like to watch the games on off-nights. I watch a lot of games when I get home from the rink. Playing against Calgary, you just respect how hard this team works. This team did a lot of great things before I got here and I was just fortunate to come here and help in any way I can. I am just so happy that I have had an opportunity to come to a team and to get into the Finals here and a chance to win the Stanley Cup again. Q. Shean, the big plays might be forgotten by your team. Kiprusoff makes a save on a breakaway on Richards. Then you guys get the one-nothing goal. Saprykin blocks a shot, leads to you going for 2-0. Some of the big plays might be forgotten? SHEAN DONOVAN: Saprykin is playing awesome for us. A young kid like that coming in and every game he's getting more confidence. You can see what kind of player he's going to be. For him to make a block like that, he's a great player and he's doing the little things now, and you look at guys like Chuck Kobasew and the young guys, they are all filling in our D. Obviously we're getting a lot of great play from our young guys and you need that to get to the next level. I mean, those were huge plays obviously. Kipper, you can talk about every play during the game because he's awesome. He stands on his head for us every night. Q. Chris, being on the top line, the new line, what you thought of it, when did that change happen with you, Iggy and Nilson? CHRIS SIMON: Well, throughout the course of the game, I think, you know, you got to be prepared for anything and I played with Jarome and Conny when I got here and you know, we have got four centermen that are great players to play with. They are all easy to play with and you know, I think when you do move up and play more, you have to rise to the occasion. When you play with a guy like Iggy, he takes so much pressure off me and I think also you got look at a guy like Krzysztof Oliwa, who steps in and plays physical. He gets a lot of respect out there, too. He plays smart and disciplined and it helps to have a guy like him around. Q. Jarome, must have been nice to win at home, get that monkey off your back, kind of rise to the challenge. JAROME IGINLA: It's nice to play at home. Period. It's a great atmosphere. Our crowd has been the best crowd that I have played in front of in the NHL. This is unbelievable. So it does feel good. But last game at home was a good game for us, too. The playoffs, it's been a month and a half or whatever, but we try to learn from it. Our record isn't as good as what we'd like at home. We're building on two games at home. We were intense and physical and that's what we need to do. Q. You didn't get to play in the Finals one year, but other than that, can you compare and contrast the feelings of your Finals experiences versus this one? Is this a better chemistry team? CHRIS SIMON: Getting a chance to play is awesome, you know. That's what it's all about is playing and winning and you know. In Colorado I didn't play in the Finals but I learned a lot. I played with great players like Patrick Roy and Joe Sakic and Claude Lemieux. I tried to take -- I listen a lot to what those guys said in the room before, during games. And you know, then in Washington I played on a checking line with Craig Berube and Dale Hunter. I learned a lot from Dale in playing smart and poised out there. It was a lot of fun. To come here it's awesome, you know, to be depended on night in and night out is awesome. And you know, winning is what it is all about. I will do whatever it takes and whatever I have to do to win.
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