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NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: BLACKHAWKS v RED WINGS

May 22, 2009

Patrick Sharp

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: Game Three

Detroit Â– 3
Chicago - 4

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Patrick Sharp and Cristobal Huet.

Q. Cristobal, what were your thoughts being inserted into the game at the start of the third period, given the fact you hadn't played in a long time?
CRISTOBAL HUET: Well, didn't have time to think really. You know, I've been practicing for a long time for that moment, and I was anxious, but in the same time ready to help the team any way I could.

Q. Is that the toughest situation you've ever been placed in, given the circumstances and the fact you needed this win so badly?
CRISTOBAL HUET: Well, I thought the guys, you know, played very solid in the third. I don't know if it's because I was there. But obviously they tried to keep it simple and wait for our chances. I thought, you know, we did a good job in the third doing that.

Q. Patrick, a young team, sort of the walls are caving in, you said there wasn't much said in the second period intermission.
PATRICK SHARP: Wasn't too much said. I think we've learned a lot over this year and we've been in a situation before. We knew that carrying any negativity into the third period wasn't going to help us at all. So we weren't happy giving up the three-goal lead, but we know that we needed to play our best third period of the season. We played one of our strongest of the playoffs so far in carrying it into overtime. So it was a big rally for our team.

Q. (Question regarding the overtime goal.)
PATRICK SHARP: It was one of those shifts where the shift before had some great pressure, felt like a scoring chance is coming. Matt Walker was cruising around pretty good in the offensive zone making things happen. I don't know if it was shown to all in the replay, but Sammy Pahlsson made a great pass to get a backdoor. I just wanted to make sure I hit the net.

Q. Patrick, on the winner, Nicklas Lidstrom had broken his stick. That is a matter of you getting an advantage like that, you have to take advantage of a situation?
PATRICK SHARP: Yeah, it's tough enough to play in the D zone this time of year, especially when you don't have a stick. We need to take advantage of it.
Like I said before, we had great pressure for about 30 seconds, and we were able to get the chance we were looking for.

Q. Cristobal, were you on alert that you may see action tonight when Nik didn't practice yesterday?
CRISTOBAL HUET: Well, not really. You know, everybody's playing with some kind of, I wouldn't say injuries, but bruises. I wasn't alert of anything that Khabi could have. It's my job to be ready for, you know, a moment like that. That was it.

Q. Patrick, have you ever had a moment like that before in your career in such a big game?
PATRICK SHARP: Not professionally. That was pretty exciting to be in the building. I mean, I got one in double overtime once in the minors, and in college. But to do it in front of our home fans, I think the building was pretty electric all night long. I don't think the fans were too happy with the three-goal letdown. But it was pretty loud when that puck went in and it was a great feeling.

Q. Cristobal, you said you have to be ready. But when you haven't played for six weeks, how do you stay mentally sharp and ready to go in at any instant?
CRISTOBAL HUET: Try to keep the guys on, I think practice, it's my only job, is to work hard in practice. You know, it's been fun watching the guys play. They've done a terrific job for, you know, all the playoffs all year long.
Obviously the fans are awesome. You know, they help us a lot tonight. You know, that was great for me to get in, and I was pumped.

Q. How would you describe the emotional ride of this entire series so far?
PATRICK SHARP: It's been a lot of fun. I mean, the whole playoffs, all three series have been a lot of fun. I think that all the talk, for lack of experience that our team has, has gone out the window. I think we're kind of learning as we go and really enjoying the ride.
Great atmosphere with the Detroit/Chicago rivalry. It's really grown over the years. The fans are having fun with that. It's been a lot of fun. A lot of ups, a lot of downs, but we expect that in the playoffs.

Q. Mike Babcock thought the hit on Havlat was legal. How did you see that hit?
PATRICK SHARP: Well, I think there were two pretty good officials out there and they made the call. I'd have to take a look at it again. I didn't really get a look at it. But I'll trust the officiating.

Q. What have the playoffs been like so far for you, having to wait and hope you get your chance? And, Patrick, Joel was saying how much he stands out in practice, what are your impressions of him in practice?
CRISTOBAL HUET: Well, from watching from the bench, you know, I think I really thought that our team is getting better and better and confident. And even after getting, you know, down two games against Detroit, tonight we came out strong. That's the kind of team we are, I think. We never give up. We just play and have fun and, you know, try to win games.
It's been fun to watch. Khabi was great. For my part, it's just try to work in case something happens.
PATRICK SHARP: Huey has been a pro all playoffs. He's not fun to shoot on in practice. He never gives up a play. It would be easy for a guy in his situation to kind of go through the motions. His hard work has paid off.
We feel like we have two No. 1 goaltenders. Whoever is in there is going to play hard for us. Really proud of Huey the way he stepped in there for us and I think he was a big part of the game.

Q. Cristobal, what time did you know you were going into the game?
CRISTOBAL HUET: When I came back to the locker room, Gapper, the trainer, came to me and said that Khabi is out. Actually, I had a little time to get warmed up and ready to go.
THE MODERATOR: Thanks, guys.

End of FastScripts

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