	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: FLAMES v SHARKS

May 10, 2004

Darryl Sutter

SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA: Practice Day

Q. What did it mean for you having Chris Simon back in the lineup yesterday?
DARRYL SUTTER: Well, it gives us another guy in our lineup with some experience, with some size, with some -- you know, it's why we acquired Chris. We needed somebody that could play in our top nine forwards. That's what he gives us.
It wasn't easy for him. He hadn't done much for almost a month actually. It's not easy for a big guy.
Q. Would you talk about the five-on-three of your team? Doesn't seem like a lot fazes the guys.
DARRYL SUTTER: Well, we got through the -- I said it after the game, we got through that 5-3, which to me was the turning point of the game.
I think we've proven all through the playoffs it doesn't really -- composure is really important, I think especially with the young guys. I think when we got in trouble yesterday, a couple of our young defensemen had trouble exactly with composure.
It's interesting, because the other players really remind them of that all the time, you know, "Just settle down." So that's good.
Q. ESPN, ABC try to sell this game of hockey. I don't think anything can sell this game of hockey better than the kind of game we saw yesterday.
DARRYL SUTTER: They got their money's worth. Could have been 10-6, 10-7. So, you know, hopefully we've learned that we can't fight fire with gasoline. We can fight it with fire. Hopefully we'll be a little better for it tomorrow.
But it was an exciting game. It was fun. They got everything they wanted.
Q. You guys have won so many one-goal games, four in overtime. What is it that makes a team able to win those close games?
DARRYL SUTTER: Well, it's probably the same thing that got you into the playoffs. Number one, it's great goaltending. Number two, you know, it's natural for everybody always to focus in on the star players or the key players on both teams, but the key to be able to sustain and play extra periods or extra minutes, you need somebody else to be a hero, somebody else to be a star. That's how we've won.
I mean, our overtime goals have been scored by -- two by Gelinas , Montador, and Marcus Nilson. You have to be able to get it from different people.
I think with Montador scoring last night, that's the 14th player that's scored for us in the playoffs, and that's really important.
Q. Game 1 won on their home ice, do you think that really puts the pressure on them in Game 2?
DARRYL SUTTER: I don't think that puts pressure on them. I think, you know, when I said that yesterday afternoon, it's dead true, it's a lot easier to win Game 1 in the opponent's rink than it is Game 7. That was our approach for yesterday.
We move on. Really, it doesn't really matter if we would have lost 4-3 in overtime or won 4-3 in overtime, we'd still feel the same way about our game. We know there's areas we have to get better. We know they're going to get better. It's how our young guys respond to that.
Q. Some of the players were saying it was an adjustment coming from the Wings style of play to the Sharks style of play, needing that one game.
DARRYL SUTTER: The big adjustment, this team is a lot better than the last two teams we've played. That's the big adjustment. Detroit is better than Vancouver, and San Jose is better than Detroit. It's that simple.
Q. But their style of play, as well.
DARRYL SUTTER: I think that's evident. Go watch them practice. Who is faster, Detroit or San Jose? It's a big adjustment.
Q. What are your instructions to your team before the start of overtimes?
DARRYL SUTTER: Hit and hope (smiling). No, I'm just kidding.
Q. Sounds good.
DARRYL SUTTER: No, no.
Q. Good headline.
DARRYL SUTTER: No. Hey, you know that you need everybody. I mean, you're not going to be able to shorten up to -- shorten your bench to do it. At some point, somebody is going to make a play. Even if you look at the goal yesterday, Jarome and Donovan were out on the ice. Jarome is going to have to play center. That's what we were getting to. Something we talked about before the game, with Lombardi being out, hey, we got guys that are going to have to play out of position. In overtime, there's two right-wingers on the ice when we score.
You know, you just talk about everybody being ready for it. You know, I don't think there's a whole lot of talk anyways between overtime or getting ready for overtime. I think most of your players are -- you got 15 minutes to kind of recharge. They don't need coaches giving them a whole lot of advice at that point.
Q. How strange has it been for you to come back into these buildings?
DARRYL SUTTER: I mean, I've been here now - I don't know, how many times have we played here - probably four or five or more. Quite honestly, it's great coming back because you see a lot of people that you know.
But it's easy to separate everything else. I mean, game day is game day, and that's it. I mean, it's not -- you think about it, if every coach or player that's moved around, if it was a distraction for him to go back to where he was at some point, he'd have a hard time.
Q. Three points by your defensemen last night. Is that a big bonus or is that expected when they are able to contribute offensively?
DARRYL SUTTER: I don't see it as a bonus, no. Our defensemen have done a pretty good job all through the playoffs for us. They haven't always been rewarded for it. Steve Montador led our team in shots a couple games. They know what they're allowed to do, they're allowed to join and jump in.
It was good to see him be rewarded. But answering your question, it's not that big a deal.
Q. You seem like a kinder, gentler version of Darryl Sutter. Is that because you like the GM better this time?
DARRYL SUTTER: I don't really think about it like that. I mean, I think when you get to this point with your players and your team, it's so good that both these teams are in the final four, put it that way. I think everybody should enjoy it a little bit more.
Q. You mentioned your young defensemen having some difficulties yesterday with their backside pressure. Is that a communications thing to help them out or do they have to make their decisions faster?
DARRYL SUTTER: Regarding what?
Q. You're talking about like Commodore, who had some problems with backside pressure from the Sharks yesterday. Is that a communications thing or does he have to make those decisions faster?
DARRYL SUTTER: Playing a better team. I mean, he played in the American Hockey League all year. Everything is happening a little bit faster.

End of FastScripts...

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297