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NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: FLYERS v LIGHTNINGMay 20, 2004Simon GagneKeith PrimeauPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA: Game Six Q. Was there ever any doubt about winning tonight's game in your mind? KEITH PRIMEAU: We obviously had no choice, and that's the way we talked about it between the second and third period, is leave nothing for doubt, leave nothing in the tank, see where it goes. And I give our team a lot of marks because we showed a lot of courage and played with a lot of heart in the third period to battle back. Q. Can you describe that game-winning goal for us, how it developed? SIMON GAGNE: It was a great play by Primes and J.R. J.R. took a big hit I think on that goal and the puck came across, I think Khabibulin was looking a little bit more for Gerard to shoot and the puck came right on my stick. It was a little bit far, and on that goal, you can see it, I shot between his leg, I had a little bit more open side on the right, but I just shoot as hard as I can and the puck went between his legs on that shot. Q. After you scored to tie the game, in the replays it looked like you looked up at the score board to see how much time there was left and you gave a sigh of relief; did you know how much time was left? KEITH PRIMEAU: On the way down he said I kept looking up at the time clock. I don't remember doing it -- I remember at one point I didn't look in the first half the period and I looked up and there was seven minutes left and I was trying to figure out where the first 13 went. We were putting lots of shots out and getting lots of chances and Khabibulin was great again. We just stayed with it, found a way to score a goal and take it into extra periods. Q. Can you talk a little about playing with J.R. and Primes as linemates? SIMON GAGNE: I think we clicked pretty well tonight. It was very exciting when I see that line on the board this morning. There was no doubt in our mind, we had to put everything in that game, and as a line, I think we battled hard and we got a couple of goals. I guess we had no choice to win it. We put everything in, and a couple goals went in and hopefully that we'll keep going Game 7, too. Q. Can you tell us what was going on on the bench during the overtime period? You were obviously dominating play, but it was chance after chance and not going in; what were you saying to each other? KEITH PRIMEAU: Actually it was pretty quiet because at that stage, we were going three and we were just rolling. You get to that point, and Zeus and I have talked about it a lot and I know Alex feels the same way, for us in the middle anyways, go as hard as you can, give all you've got, watch your guy. There's not a whole lot of conversation, just waiting for your guy to change and shorten up shifts at that point to keep the energy level up. It's more of a reprieve trying to get your breath and getting ready to go back out. Q. The importance of having guys that have been to the finals before in a Game 7, especially on the road, talk about the importance of that? KEITH PRIMEAU: I think it's important. You can talk to younger guys or guys who maybe haven't been there, just let them understand the importance and the situation that you're in. But I'm also a firm believer that you have to play the game and throw all of that stuff out. Once the puck drops, any nerves that anybody might have is out the window. You just have to compete as hard as you can and try to win the game. Q. Were you aware of what Bob Clark said the other day about your play and how did you feel about him singling you out like that? SIMON GAGNE: I don't know. Usually I don't read the paper, but I had a couple calls back home. I think the paper of Montreal -- on the paper, so at that point I knew what happened. It's something you, maybe it's a message or something it was trying to tell me. I think the chance was there the last couple of games but was not the way to find to put the puck in. Tonight was a great moment to do it, and that's something I have to do every game. KEITH PRIMEAU: I don't know what was said but I play with Simon every night and I know that he's given 100% every chance he gets. Like I said, I play with him every shift, and the kid has got more courage than most people. He's going in, I know he's not as big as most guys but he's driving right through so I know I'll get a chance to get the puck. Like I said, I don't know what was said but it's not the time to talk about that. Q. Do you feel it's destiny that you are going to score that goal, you're playing so hard and going so well, things are just going your way? KEITH PRIMEAU: They are falling. As I say, I need everybody around me to help, and I got that tonight. The first one I got, Vlad makes an unbelievable pass and I just got an empty net. I'll put five out of ten of those in. I felt really good. At the start of the third, I just felt it, if I had to get two, I had to get two. And I felt it in overtime, if Esche could just keep us even, it eventually was going to fall for us then, too. Confidence-wise, I feel good. Q. How do you like the pressure; tonight you were compared to Rocky and Superman on the boards (laughter) -- and it worked. KEITH PRIMEAU: I didn't see those. My kids tell me about them all the time. But, you know, it's a wonderful building to play in at this time of the year. It's electric, and I tell you what, I got energized by their emotion and their passion in the third period. I played buildings in the past at this time of year where people go south on you where things start to get hard and get tough and they rallied and they stayed right with us. I wish we could take all 20,000 with us to Tampa. Q. After the second period when it seemed like the Lightening were pretty much in control there, did you guys wonder at all if you would have anything left for the third period; was that even a topic of conversation? KEITH PRIMEAU: No. The one thing about our group is our guys will spend two days recovering but they will empty it. They will empty the tank. We'll dig deeper than -- it will dig deeper than you could ever possibly imagine. There's never any guarantees. If this thing was easy, we'd all have rinks and we'd all have championships, but it's not. So you just have to continue to persevere and battle. Q. Nobody has won two in a row yet in this series. Is there anything you guys feel you have to change in your routine or something going into this game as opposed to after the last two wins? KEITH PRIMEAU: Yeah, we won't go in two days before the game. We'll go tomorrow and see if that's the lucky charm. Again, for us, now knowing it's a Game 7, we can't look at it as trying to string back-to-back. It's a one-game series and winner takes all. Q. On the tying goal, did you try to move your skate to touch the puck or was it -- did you try to kick it? KEITH PRIMEAU: Actually the puck came out of the corner and I think somebody had my stick. I didn't have it in front of the net, anyways. I kind of directed it with my skate and then I thought, oh, don't go in. I want it to go in, but I didn't want it to go in because I was thinking they are going to review it and it's going to be disallowed and all of a sudden it kept coming across the crease and I was coming out the other side and I got an easy whack at it and I was excited. Q. Coming in down three games to two, would you say it's appropriate being a desperate team is being a dangerous team as well? KEITH PRIMEAU: I think desperate teams are dangerous. I agree with that. Because you just throw everything but the kitchen sink at them. You have so much more to lose on that situation, and so that's why game 7s are always exciting for those watching because both teams become just as desperate and just as dangerous. Q. The winning goal, did that go off Kubina? How did the puck get to you? KEITH PRIMEAU: Simon moved it to J.R. behind the net. J.R. moved it around the wall to me and I kind of backed out in the corner and I was throwing it to J in front and Simon said it went through, went through J.R. and I couldn't see. I was just watching the back of the net, waiting to see a black thing in there and all of a sudden I saw it cross the line. I knew it was Simon on the far side. Again, he's the guy you want over there because he's going to put it in every time.
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