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NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: FLAMES v LIGHTNINGJune 7, 2004Nikolai KhabibulinMartin St. LouisTAMPA, FLORIDA: Game Seven Q. Your the first person in your country to win a Stanley Cup as a goaltender. How proud a moment -- is this that big a thing for you guys? NIKOLAI KHABIBULIN: I don't think it makes that big a difference where I am from. Where I am first or not. I am just happy overall that we did it and it doesn't matter where I am from. Q. Martin, could you talk about the feelings that you are having right now? It was a rough road for you during your career, you didn't have it easy, but now you have what you want? MARTIN ST. LOUIS: Yeah, I think everything I have done in hockey has been gradually. I never skipped steps. I know -- I played four years of college. I felt like I -- same way in professional. I had to work my way up in the minors. When I got to the NHL I wasn't an impact player right away. I had to work for that. This is the ultimate dream for a player and really proud of the team that I am playing on. We're going to walk together forever. We are winners. Nothing can describe how it feels to be the last team standing. Q. Nik, you had that situation in Phoenix where you walked away. You weren't playing for a while. Tortorella had been there. He trades for you his first big move when he comes here. When he brings you in here this team is really down. Did you think this was possible to win a Stanley Cup with this team? NIKOLAI KHABIBULIN: (Laughs) Well, I don't know about too many people, if you go three years ago, go back three years ago, I don't know too many -- if anybody thought that we could win Stanley Cup. But you know, we were taking step by step, we were playing better, you know, I think the most important thing that the core of the players stayed the same. Guys like Brad Richards and Vinny and Martin, a lot of the guys matured and you know, obviously become very good players now. I think that that helped. Q. You have talked about how you have struggled and you have been up and down in the Playoffs. How were you able to persevere through some of the frustrating moments to bring it together and lead this team to the Cup? MARTIN ST. LOUIS: Well, I wasn't really frustrated to be honest. I tried to score every game. Some games it's not going to happen. I don't think you can judge a player on one game. You have some ups and downs in your season and in the Playoffs but you try your best every game. Sometimes it doesn't happen. I have taken a lot of physical play and I expected that and I had to fight through that. I wasn't frustrated because they were hitting me. I was frustrated sometimes because we didn't get a win. It's a rollercoaster ride emotionally. It's toughest thing emotionally I have been a part of and physically. Try not to get too up, try not to get too down but it's tough. Really it takes a toll. Really happy that it's over now and we ended it the right way. Q. Martin, you probably make it tough for every aspiring NHLer under six foot to have an excuse as to -- they can't use size as an excuse. I have what makes you do it, shift after shift, game after game. I have never seen a guy with such heart as you have, getting knocked down and getting right up? MARTIN ST. LOUIS: I don't know. That's the only way. You get knocked down, you get up. Doesn't matter how many times you fall, it's how quick you get back up. I don't want to get away from the play because I got hit. I give my hits too; it's not like I take it, I don't dish it back. I try to dish it back sometimes. But it's very tiring to play that game and when I try to do that too much I get away from what I am really here for. At times I felt -- I played a little too physical and got me tired in moments that I was putting my energy in the wrong place. A few of my teammates reminded me to stay focused on what I have to do and that's obviously be creative and provide some offensive sparks. Q. What hurts more, a puck off the shin or champagne in your eyes? MARTIN ST. LOUIS: I haven't seen the champagne yet. I'd have to answer that tomorrow. Q. Nik, going into this Playoffs there was a question about your performance in the Playoffs. Do you think that this has done anything for you personally as a goalie in the NHL, maybe puts to rest any of those questions that came up before this run? NIKOLAI KHABIBULIN: Well, I definitely hope so. I didn't really try to put any pressure on myself going into the Playoffs. I just tried to you know, tried to do the best I can every game and see where it takes us.
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