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NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: FLAMES v SHARKS

May 19, 2004

Darryl Sutter

CALGARY, ALBERTA: Game Six

DARRYL SUTTER: It was a great effort. I think that from standing watching both teams, they were just way down deep. There wasn't much in either team's tank and it was just kind of a -- they were just going on guts, both sides. It was sort of fitting that Jarome Iginla scores the big goal, the first goal and then Martin ended up getting the winner. So it's sort of fitting for how our three rounds have went.
Q. So I guess first goals are the deciding factor, not home ice?
DARRYL SUTTER: Who can figure that one out? But it's what I said this morning though, it's not so much that we scored the first goal, I think it was, what was more important in this series, and every series we played is the way we played in the first periods. I think that it might not always show on the scoreboard, but that's what sets the tone for what type of game it's going to be.
Q. Can you talk about obviously Gelinas and Iggy with the goals that were very important. But Connie is another guy on the line. His faceoff percentage was over 70 percent.
DARRYL SUTTER: Well, him and Steph, it was really important in this series and the first game we had trouble with it. It was one of the reasons that we really tightened up as the series went on and didn't give them much was that those guys taking the faceoffs on the side that they thought they could win on. And then either we would have them both out there or one of them would tell me what side he was getting better at and so those guys, they get puck possession. It made a big difference.
Q. Players seem to think games two and five were the key games. Would you agree with this and what do you think made the difference for that?
DARRYL SUTTER: I thought that two and five we played really well. I think that to be quite honest, it's one of the reasons I think that they won games three and four, is because we played so well in game two in their building. And I know it kind of is what most of those guys are about with their team.
But game five is a pivotal game, obviously, when they come back to tie it up, that is a pivotal game going back to their rink. But I think that we made some adjustments for, as players and coaches, too. We used four lines the last two games extensively because of how much we were having to play some of the kids on defense. So I think that helped us. It just gave us that little extra.
Q. It was a nice gesture you made standing by the Sharks' exit?
DARRYL SUTTER: They're special guys. They're still piled in there and they're all -- you know, we were so close two years ago with most of that group. We lost games six and seven, 2-1 in overtime and 1-0. And so those guys are winners, too. And I'm not saying it because we're finished with them, they're still a benchmark. They're still where organizations in terms of depth and development, teams have to look at and model themselves after. And I've said a lot of times that if we can be where they are in two years in terms of development and overall organization, we'll be in good shape.
Q. Do you want to share anything you said with those guys or not?
DARRYL SUTTER: I felt bad for them. I don't really look at everything but myself -- it's the players. It's about the players. And I felt bad for those guys that -- hey, those guys we went to war together, too.
Q. Dave Lowry's wearing the hard hat in the dressing room. Ville Nieminen, Marcus Nilson, all those guys that you brought in towards the end of the season have been contributing, what about their contributions?
DARRYL SUTTER: Well, I think they're playoff-type players. I think that David worked hard to get back and it was funny, it was the only way he was going to get back was if we could get past two round. And that was sort of, we talked about it and Nilson and Nieminen are young guys are, they're still young guys, they weren't brought in for this, for two months, they were brought in for the long-term; to fit in with the nucleus of our team. Marcus Nilson has done an unbelievable job moving to center ice. He came in right when we lost Reinprecht, so he's done an unbelievable job for us.
Q. It seemed pretty subdued in there for winning a conference championship, is there still a feeling --
DARRYL SUTTER: Well, they're pretty beat up and tired. I don't know if you call it subdued. Other than the two boys that we brought up, Martin Sonnenberg and Brennan Evans, we have played with almost right to the limit. We have big Oliwa as the only healthy guy and right to the limit with these guys, and there's probably two or three more guys that wouldn't be playing normally. We couldn't, as I said before, we couldn't sit somebody out because he was playing not the way we wanted or something. Hey, I got to give them all the credit in the world for that. They faced adversity all series again. Even when we won, the questions they got asked were, how come you can't win at home. Like it was never, it's never ending for them. It's like they have to -- it's like they have to be perfect.
Q. You came close with San Jose, you did it with this team, you're going to the Stanley Cup Finals, that's got to feel great.
DARRYL SUTTER: Yeah, it does. But you know what? It's so hard to make the playoffs. People don't understand. You don't understand how hard it is. And the toughest round, if you can get through is the first round. And then it's left to goaltending and injuries and the break and the officiating. But yeah, hey, I'm thrilled for the players.
Q. There were a lot of reasons for you to feel happy about what's happened. But now that the series is over. Can you ponder the twist of fate that put you in this place with this team to do this against your old team?
DARRYL SUTTER: Not really. I just talked to Mr. Gund. And you know how I feel about it. A lot of those -- hey, for that team to go to the Conference Finals now, they're a young team, they're like our team, they're a young team. I think we'll probably play each other a lot. But how do I feel about moving or changing? Hey, that was a good team there, too. That's what I said. We could have done it there, too.
You know what? Though, I'll tell you, there's -- they always get overlooked, Dean Lombardi did an unbelievable job in putting most of that team together, and if you look at this team here, they're still Cote's players and those guys. Hey, it's not about one guy or one player or anything like that. It's about drafting and developing and making the right moves along the way.
Q. Which is the better match-up for you, Darryl, for the Finals now?
DARRYL SUTTER: Oh, man.
Q. Never too soon.
DARRYL SUTTER: Yeah. I hadn't even thought about it. I watched the game last night and I thought Khabibulin was unbelievable. So we'll see tomorrow.
Q. What about the value of the extra days off now though, especially guys like Lombardi? Is there any chance we're going to see those guys?
DARRYL SUTTER: I can't tell you that. That's something that you hope it's better tomorrow than it was today, right? So the one thing you know for sure though is being the road team, traveling team, you're going to go that -- going that far east, there's a day of travel there. So I'm glad we finished it today.
Q. What role did staying in a hotel last night play in the victory?
DARRYL SUTTER: You know, you guys didn't believe me this morning, it was the guys who had the option all through the playoffs. If they want they can go stay in the hotel. All they do is come and tell me. But it was their decision after the game in San Jose for them all to go. So hey, you know what? I'm not a psychologist and I'm not a -- I wasn't there when they invented the game. So whatever. At this point it's up to them, what they want, how they want to handle it. I don't think that -- you got to trust your group. And that's that.

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