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NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: FLYERS v LIGHTNINGMay 15, 2004Robert EscheJohn LeClairKeith PrimeauMark RecchiPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA: Game Four Q. Robert, Hitch said just a few minutes ago that he felt like you were probably excited, having the opportunity to redeem yourself. Is that the way that you looked at this game coming off the last one, did you have that thought in your head in? ROBERT ESCHE: I really don't take a lot of baggage with me from one game to the next, good or bad. Obviously, you're always happy to come back with a good game after giving up a soft goal with two games to go. But right now, today is already done with, too, as far as I'm concerned. That's just kind of how I treat them. Q. John, can you talk about watching your captain elevate his play every game in these playoffs, especially in a game like today where you needed the win? JOHN LeCLAIR: Primes has been a guy that we've been looking to and following. He's really taken charge of a lot of games, and again today he did the same thing. He was a difference out there, every time goes on the ice. Q. You guys are down in the series, you're down a game, killing a five on three, your stick breaks, four minutes later you guys are up 2-1; is that about as important a segment of your career as you've ever had? KEITH PRIMEAU: That was a dangerous moment. One, you lose a faceoff. Two, your stick breaks, and you're already shorthanded, and they have got so many guys who are capable of scoring goals, especially on the power play. Fortunately, we were able to battle the puck out and no harm was done. With killing those penalties, we've got some energy from it, and we were able to finish it very strong. Q. Could you talk about the play you made, though, on the goal, like for John? KEITH PRIMEAU: Sami was battling the puck up the wall, he couldn't hear me and I talked to him between periods and he said he was waiting for somebody to come support him. I was picking up speed, and finally I got to him and the puck was just kind of sitting there, and it kind of stopped up at the blue line and I was able to get it by the first guy. I think the linesman, the ref and the second guy. I cut through the middle, it went off my shin pad, went right off my stick and I heard Johnny hollering from the bench. He's the right guy to give it to in the shot because he's going to bury it. Q. Hitch said yesterday that you guys wanted to come out and be more physical and pound them, pound them, pound them, and do you think by the third period it was the difference in the game? KEITH PRIMEAU: We have a certain mindset going in every night and that part of that mindset is to finish our checks. We hope that by the end of the night or at the end of a long series, that it starts to pay dividends and we've got some guys who are staying on that page and because of it, we're getting some real energy on the bench and that's helping it a lot. Q. With all the talk of the fans wanting you to shoot the puck and shoot it, was there any chance you were looking at Simon getting the puck up there? KEITH PRIMEAU: I was giving it to him. He's the goal scorer. I was just trying to get it, I knocked it out of the air and I was trying to get it to settle. By the time I settled it, I was crossing the blue line and their defenseman took one step and I had no choice to shoot it. I was lucky it went in. Q. Do you feel that collectively that it seems like a lot of the goals in Game 2 went in high, yours went in high, do you feel that's the proper place to beat Khabibulin is high to the glove? MARK RECCHI: Well, in situations, I mean in Keith's situation obviously 90 percent of the goalies nowadays, their percentages, it's all percentage and they play that technique that they go down and you have to make the perfect shot. You know, on Primeau's blow, I think he made the perfect shot. But, knowing that, when you have an opportunity like that, obviously you're going to have to go up there, because they are so good at down low, goalies nowadays, they cover the net so low -- whatever. (Laughter) You know, they cover that, and then they make you try and make the perfect shot. We were fortunate to get three by him, and obviously, a deflexion and then obviously a couple of good shots. But, you know, any time you go on one-on-one with a goalie, with that thought process, it's got to be high. Q. How disappointed are you at not being selected to the Canadian Team? KEITH PRIMEAU: I didn't know until actually after the game. One of the interviews I did, they actually mentioned it, and I actually wasn't expected to be nominated for the team. So, I'm fine with it.
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