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NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: CANADIENS v FLYERSMay 24, 2010Michael LeightonChris ProngerKimmo TimonenPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA: Game Five Canadiens – 2 Q. Talk about what it was like out there that 4-minute penalty kill while your partner up there was in the box? MICHAEL LEIGHTON: Wasn't much fun. We obviously did a great job. Our PK was really good tonight. When they took that penalty with a minute and a half left of it, I was pretty excited. But it actually worked out to our advantage. He took a 4-minute, and sat in the box and rested for 4 minutes. He came out and had a good last three or four minutes for us. Q. Were there any doubts after Montreal went up 1-0? CHRIS PRONGER: Well, it was pretty quick in the game, so I don't think we had any time to have any doubts. There were still 59 minutes to play, so we had plenty of time to come back from a 1-0 deficit. You know what, it was one of those things. They wanted to get off to a good start, and came out firing. We had a little bit of a break down there, and that's going to happen. But everybody just kind of rallied and stayed with it. We wanted to continue to get ourselves going, and we were able to do that. Mike got a huge goal there, shorthanded, and allowed us the opportunity to get back to even and get our feet underneath us. Q. Is there a part of you that is in a complete state of disbelief that this is happening to you? CHRIS PRONGER: What kind of question is that, Buddy (laughing). MICHAEL LEIGHTON: It's unbelievable to come where I've come from, to be here right now and to wear this hat and be up here is pretty amazing. My goal in life wasn't to win this award, it was to win the next one. So when that's over and done with, we'll celebrate some more. Q. Can you just talk about Claude Giroux. He has really seemed to step his game up the last few weeks. You've been around hockey for a long time. What is it about this time of the year that some guys can do that? CHRIS PRONGER: Well, he's obviously a very shifty guy that commands the puck. You see him, he wants it; he competes hard on it. When he doesn't have it, he competes to get it back. He's real good with it along the boards. For not a very big guy he's very strong in the puck and plays with a physical edge. He's a guy that can dipsy-do you or make a nice little play. That line works very well together. Q. From a shut down standpoint, Chicago plays with Toews and Kane on the same line. Is it something that you would almost prefer? CHRIS PRONGER: I don't know if I want to talk to you, Tim. I'll talk to you about tonight's game (smiling). Q. Well let's talk about tonight's game then? CHRIS PRONGER: Do you have anything about tonight's game? Q. Well, yeah. At some point in this Playoffs, something happens to a team that you get a feeling it's there. You recognize that you can go far. Where was that point for you? CHRIS PRONGER: Well, I think probably from the time we beat the Rangers in the shootout getting into the Playoffs and understanding we have an opportunity. I think if anything over the last ten years in this league, you've seen 8 seeds, 7 seeds, all the way through make runs and go to the Finals and have an opportunity to win. You know, just getting in, it gives you that opportunity, and you've got to seize the moment and seize the opportunity. And we've done that thus far. We've still got a big hurdle to go, but right from the first game in New Jersey, all the way through, we've always believed in the system and our players and what we're doing on the ice. It's just a matter of us getting into that rhythm and buying into the system. Guys blocking shots and doing all the little things. Sucking it up, and taking a punch to draw a penalty or whatever. The little things that make up a lot of the little battles during the course of the game to win the war. We've done a very good job thus far of that. Q. That's what I wanted to ask you about, about the system when Peter Laviolette took over, was this club ready to play his system? And how long did it take until the bell went on and the light was rung or vice versa, for you guys to play what he wanted. CHRIS PRONGER: I don't know if he watched our first 8 to 10 games under Peter, but they weren't pretty. I don't think we were -- I don't necessarily think ready is the right word. We had to grasp it and understand it and play to a higher level. It's an aggressive, intense, high?tempo system; and we needed to get into that rhythm. We all needed to learn it, and understand it. So it became second nature, and you didn't have to think out on the ice. Probably when we all needed to buy into that system. As the season progressed we went through stages where we looked like we were grasping it, and fell asleep at times. It was a little too up-and-down, and now we seem to be firing on all cylinders; everybody understands what we're doing out there. It's a seamless transition from line after line, and it makes for a fun game to play when we're doing that. Q. Could you talk about Mike's first goal and how much you guys can feed off of that when you see your captain put forth that much effort? CHRIS PRONGER: Well, that's why he's our leader. It's that determination and that grit. You know, diving head first for the puck and being the first one up after a big collision like that to try to get free to the loose puck and put it in the empty net. You know, that drive, will, and determination shows the type of character he has, and the reason why he's our leader. Q. Where does this rank in terms of what you guys do here? Where does this rank for you guys? MICHAEL LEIGHTON: As a team? Q. Yeah? MICHAEL LEIGHTON: Obviously, we're happy. But we didn't come into the Playoffs wanting to win this; we want to win the next one. But obviously, this is a great honor for us. We're excited. We played great. And we're excited for the next round. We've just got to start preparing and go from there. Q. You came here three years ago, the team had the worst record in hockey. Did you ever wonder if you were going to get to this point and what has it been like going through the ride over three years? KIMMO TIMONEN: It took me twelve years to get to this point. Obviously, there's been some bad games and good games. It took a lot of effort, a lot of work to get to this point. But three years ago when I got traded here, I knew I'm going to come into a good organization, a good team. You know, we all know it's been up-and-down pretty much the whole three years. We've played some good games, bad games, but all three years we made the Playoffs, obviously, didn't get this far. But this is obviously a great feeling for me. Like Leights said, we're not done here. We're going to enjoy these couple days and then move on. But like I said, it takes a lot of effort to get to this point, but we're not happy yet. Q. You've seen a lot of captains handle the trophy situation after winning the Conference, were you kind of surprised to see Mike grab it and pick it up? CHRIS PRONGER: He can do it either way. It is what it is. If you win, you'll write about it. If we lose, you'll write about it. You're going to write a story either way, Bud. Doesn't matter. Are you superstitious? Q. (Nodding). CHRIS PRONGER: Then don't worry about it. All that matters is you, Frank (laughing). Q. Kimmo, first period seemed like you were a marked man. Was that part of their tact to come out because you've had such a strong Playoffs? KIMMO TIMONEN: I don't think so. Every game I get hit hard. Doesn't matter if it's Montreal or some other team. I got a couple hits on my head today. But like I said, it's a Playoff game; you take some, you give some. Today, obviously, I took a couple good ones. But it's the Playoffs too. You've got to take it. First period I actually took a stupid penalty there because you know Scott hit me behind. But it's one of those things, like I said, sometimes you just have to suck it up. End of FastScripts |
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