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NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: CANADIENS v FLYERSMay 21, 2010Simon GagneClaude GirouxMONTREAL, QUEBEC: Practice Day Q. For both of you, how important is it to get the feeling of desperation back like you had against Boston? And can you get it back being ahead in the series 2-1? SIMON GAGNE: You know what, I think for us, what happened last night we learned a lot from it, and we need to go back and play on your toes, you know. That's the best way I think we have to come to the game tomorrow. We did it against Boston when our back was against the wall. We were down 3-0, and just put us on our toes. You know, the whole Series after that. And last night, I think we just -- I don't know. If we were looking to see what they're going to do, how it's going to be with the crowd and stuff like that, it's just we didn't play our game and they took it to us. It's over. It's one game. We didn't expect to beat Montreal for nothing. So, no, tomorrow's going to be different. We're definitely going to come with a better attitude. CLAUDE GIROUX: Yeah, as Gagne just said, we've just got to be more aggressive. We just let their top guys skate, and obviously a lot of skills. I think we didn't play our best game yet. We played well against the Bruins the last four games, and I think our first three games we didn't play the way we should. Q. How do you explain that? That's one of those things you guys are so prepared, you've gone through so much, but to say that you haven't played your best game yet, isn't that something you guys should be doing at this point in the Playoffs? CLAUDE GIROUX: Yeah, I think we need to have a better start next game. Like I said, be more aggressive and make them think and just we've got to make sure we react better. Q. There's been talk the last several games about the five-on-five play not being up to par. Is that because of the overreliance almost with the power play doing so well in the previous series? SIMON GAGNE: Maybe. You know, when you win sometimes you ?? no, it's been six game in a row without losing a game, so you kind of go away sometimes from your game because now you just win and your power play's doing well, your goalie's playing well. So you kind of forget about a couple of things, you know, those little details five-on-five. No, it's just a good wake-up call for us tomorrow that we definitely have to play a lot better five-on-five and be the one -- be more hungry, you know. Play on our toes, you know, not on our heels, and that's the best way to try to get the momentum in the game. Right now they have it, and we have to get it back. Q. You guys talked a lot about yesterday after the game, a lot of the players did, about hopefully this would be a wake?up call. Was the mentality or anything different at practice today where you could sense that you guys were a little refocused or anything of that nature? SIMON GAGNE: Yeah, you know what, guys came here this morning. I think we turned the page. We focus on the game tomorrow. Sure, we had a meeting to look at a couple of things on the video. We had a good practice today, and that's where everything has to start in practice. We were sharp in practice, and now we just have to bring that into our game tomorrow. Q. I wanted to ask you when you talk about playing on your toes, I'm wondering how often a team can actually do that without sort of running dry? SIMON GAGNE: Well, that's an expression, you know. It's, what I mean by that it's go first on pucks, you know, go first in forecheck. Go at the net, finishing your check. Not waiting and see what the other team's going to do, you know. That's a little bit what we did against Montreal last night. We kind of, we can't expect that we were going to come really hard at us like they did, but sometimes you just want to wait and see what's going to happen. By the time we realized that they were ready to play a big game it was almost too late. Q. Lappy skated on a regular line today. What would his addition mean to the team? SIMON GAGNE: He's a big part of the team. He's a character player. He's a role guy that at this time of the season is really important. He's a guy that's going to do everything for his teammates. He's going to block shots, we all know that. He's going to be physical; he's going to be tough to play against. He's the type of guy you like to have on the ice when it's two minutes left in the game, when you've got the lead or for checking the other team's best player. He's maybe one of ?? I think he's the best player on the PK. So I don't know his stature yet. He's looking pretty good. It would be easier to ask him if he's playing or not, but he's getting closer for sure. Q. Mike Richards was pretty critical of this team last night, probably some of the stronger comments he's made all year. Can you talk a little bit about -- each of you talk a little about what he brings to this team? I think his leadership probably has grown in the past year or so, but can you each talk a little bit about Mike Richards? CLAUDE GIROUX: Yeah, he obviously shows a lot of leadership on the ice. He leads the way pretty much in every situation: PK, power play, five-on-five. He's our go?to forward. Every time he talks, you know there's something wrong because he doesn't talk very much. But when he does you know it's pretty important. He's obviously right. That wasn't good that last game, and we've just got to be better. End of FastScripts |
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