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NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: CANADIENS v FLYERS

May 21, 2010

Daniel Briere

MONTREAL, QUEBEC: Practice Day

Q. You guys talked for the practice and then the day of the game, just talked about not falling into the trap, about knowing exactly what the Montreal Canadiens are going to come after you with. But it seemed when the bell rung you guys just weren't there to take it?
DANNY BRIERE: Yeah, I think we might have got away with it a little bit in the first two games in Philly. We weren't at our best. We were able to maybe our crowd, maybe the fact that Montreal weren't at their best as well.
But last night they played much better. No, we just weren't sharp from the start. We never had the chance to come back in the game. So it's one of those good lessons to learn.

Q. When you have a game like last night, is it easy to kind of lose sight of the fact that you guys still have a 2-1 lead in this Series?
DANNY BRIERE: You know, because every game you concentrate so much on that one game in the Playoffs. And yeah, I think last night after the game there was a lot of frustration. Even during the game there was a lot of frustration that we kind of lost track of that. We were so focused, so focused on the one game in the Playoffs. But waking up this morning we're still in good shape. I'd rather be up 2-1 than down 2-1.
So, yes, we're in very good shape. We had a good meeting this morning when we got to the rink. Watched a lot of clips of a lot of bad things we did last night that we weren't doing in the previous Series, in the previous two Series.
But the little things that have crept into our game, bad habits that we need to shake off and realize. You know, when you win and things are going your way and everything's going well, you know you're a little bit more casual. There are a lot of little mistakes that crept into our game that we needed to adjust and get back on track.

Q. What were some of the things on the five-on-five that you saw maybe on the video this morning? You talked last night about some of the Christmas of the past that just wasn't there at all?
DANNY BRIERE: Yeah, well, first of all, execution wasn't good. The puck was bouncing everywhere on us. We weren't sharp. Passes weren't on the tape, and then that's on top of not being very physical, not skating very well.
Also, five?on?five in our zone, we saw a lot of clips the last few games, even the games at home that we didn't play so well we protected on our defensive zone really well. And I think that's part of the reason why we were able to get away with a couple of wins at home.
But last night the coverage was awful, a lot of breakdowns in our zone in the past six games were very sharp, and just weren't there last night. Also, on the forecheck, on the attack, I think we had one cycle shift the whole game, which is not our game. Usually we're a team that is very strong on the puck in the offensive zone. We're able to extend shifts by keeping control of the puck in the other team's zone, and last night I think we only had one of those shifts.
It's not just one thing. Sometimes you lose a game by a goal, two or three guys might not be going on your team, and it costs you the game. But I felt last night we probably had 15 or 16 guys not going.
So everybody at the same time had a bad game, but we have to realize that Montreal's not going to just let us win. We will have to work, and we have to get back to work to be able to move on.

Q. Is that not a bit concerning? If you have that many guys not going this late in the season? You guys are talking about we're not playing our best hockey yet. I guess the question is, if you're not playing it now, when are you guys going to start playing it?
DANNY BRIERE: Well, like I said, because we played so well in the Boston Series, there is a lot of little bad habits that crept into our game, and it's just getting worse and worse. When you win, you don't address them as much because things are going well. You think you'll find a way, and you get too casual about it. I think that's basically where it was.
I'm hoping that's what we needed last night, a good lesson like that that's going to get back on the right track.

Q. Lappy skated today in the regular line. If he returns to the lineup tomorrow, tell us how he affects the team and how his presence will help the team?
DANNY BRIERE: In many ways, first of all, Lappy, just his presence, a veteran presence in the locker room. He's a guy who is very energetic in the dressing room as much as on the ice to get us going, to get us pumped up. He talks a lot in the dressing room and on the ice. So just his presence I think is going to bring a lot.
And we all know what he does on the ice. He's tough to play against. He's a great penalty killer. He brings a lot of energy, finishes his checks. And his line along with Blair Betts and whoever, Darroll Powe or Carcillo or whoever is on the other side have had a lot of success this year.
He's one of those guys that at the end of the night might not have a couple goals and couple assists, but he does a lot of little things right that helps out your team.

Q. You mentioned on the ice there's a lot of talking, but last night there seemed to be a lot of talking on both sides. Is that something you want to stay away from? Is that something that Laviolette encourages or discourages a lot of animation between the two?
DANNY BRIERE: I think as the Series moves along and there is more and more hate from each side, things like that are bound to happen at some point. We have a lot of guys that are good in that department as well. But we just have to be careful not letting their guys that are doing that take control of the game, take control of the emotion on our team.

End of FastScripts

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