	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: CANADIENS v FLYERS

May 17, 2010

Peter Laviolette

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA: Practice Day

Q. I know you don't like to talk about this, but when you see one of your injured guys, your top gun on the ice skating by himself ahead of schedule, and you're this close to your goal, what are you thinking?
COACH LAVIOLETTE: I don't mind talking about that. Because you see Jeff Carter out on the ice, you see Ian Laperriere on the ice, for me, that's great to see. I mean those are a couple of big pieces on our unit. You know, it's positive. It's positive for the team to see them out there for the coaches, for the fans. That's good stuff. They're a big part of it, and we're happy to get them back on the ice.

Q. Homer said yesterday that it was a stretch that Jeff would play in this series. Does this change things that he skated today?
COACH LAVIOLETTE: Your best bet would be to go back to Homer and ask him that question, because the general manager handles all those details.

Q. Did you know Michael Leighton at all, and did you ever cross paths with him before here? Did you know him at all?
COACH LAVIOLETTE: Well, from Carolina. He played in Carolina. You know, outside of that, no.
His role was, and I said this before, Michael's role was different in Carolina. You know, he never in the role that he was using in the minor leagues in Carolina, he was the best goaltender in the American Hockey League. His numbers were outstanding. When he came up, you know, it was really as a back-up to Cam Ward.
So based on the injuries and what happened with our goaltenders this year, he got an opportunity to start. He deserves a tremendous amount of credit, because he came in and he saved -- he really saved our season back just after Christmastime.

Q. What is it about his personality do you think that has allowed him to ride out, you know, multiple team changes, waivers, all that kind of stuff and be where he's at now?
COACH LAVIOLETTE: I think when you on -- I played a lot in the minors -- when you go through the minor leagues I think eventually you have to want to be good for yourself. You know that you may be going down, you may be going through waivers, you may be changing teams. Then it just becomes about being professional and not based so much on the outcome.
I think a lot of players that have that transition, they go through that. The good ones that end up playing on a good, long time in the minors and making their way back to the NHL, you know, they kind of direct themselves in that way. It's about being professional.

Q. Everybody pretty aware that this Montreal team during the Playoffs has had some losses like they had last night and they've responded pretty well so far?
COACH LAVIOLETTE: Are we aware of that?

Q. Yes.
COACH LAVIOLETTE: Yes. Yes.

Q. Is it something that's pretty easy for everybody to understand that you're probably going to see a better game coming from them tomorrow night?
COACH LAVIOLETTE: We certainly talked about it. We'll definitely see a better game from them. We're hoping to see a better game from us as well. There are things that we can do better. I mentioned that last night.
It's hard to, you know, in the Playoffs and the regular season too, it's hard to predict how a game's going -- nobody would have predicted last night. Nobody can predict what's going to happen tomorrow night, and that's why they make both teams go out there and play.
But Montreal got here for a reason, and we're expecting that tomorrow night.

Q. There was a point, last couple years, a recurring theme was this team would be satisfied with just being average no matter what the score was, they were just satisfied. That's changed a lot this season. Some of the players talk about not being satisfied now. Do you feel that you've had a lot to do with that in changing the mindset of accepting something better?
COACH LAVIOLETTE: It's hard. I can't comment on anything that went on before I got here. But I can tell you that since I've been here, we've struggled a little bit in the beginning. You guys know that. I think there was a change in identity and everything got jumbled up for a bit.
The players really started playing well right around Christmastime, and we hit a skid here and there. But those skids, they get magnified because we were in 14th place, you know what I mean? We started in 14th, and you have to work your way up.
So when a first place team has a skid, it's not such a big deal. When you're in 14th, and you're fighting and you have a skid, the players are the ones that have, you know, from that timeframe on, they're the ones who have to go out there and they have to play a certain style, and they have to play a certain way, and they have to play on the edge. They've done that for the majority from that time until now.
I think with every team there are always slips. There's always a gap where we say we didn't play great here. I think with that comes confidence. And the players have confidence now in themselves and how they're playing and winning hockey games.

Q. When you have all four lines clicking along pretty well, and the top player comes off of injury, is there any concern about the chemistry being upset a little or does that not play into it that you just think I'm getting a talent back, I don't have to worry about the other stuff?
COACH LAVIOLETTE: I think if I even went near that to comment on it I would be putting the horse way before the cart. Is that the other way around maybe, right? The cart before the horse, because the horse typically is in front of the cart (laughing).
Right now we have a healthy lineup that's in there and that's what we have available to us.

Q. Can I take a crack at that from a different angle?
COACH LAVIOLETTE: You can try.

Q. Briere has shown just how good and how effective he is in center?
COACH LAVIOLETTE: He's played great.

Q. He came here. He was moved to the wing, and they almost ruined him. Do you factor that in?
COACH LAVIOLETTE: I can let this information out. Danny Briere will play center tomorrow night (smiling). Again, I don't have that crystal ball that I talked about earlier, I have no idea what's going to happen in the game tomorrow night. He's played terrific down the middle. I will agree with you on that. He's been an impact player down the stretch in the first round and in this round. He seems to be finding his game right now. He's been great.

Q. Is the fact that Laperriere was not wearing the yellow jersey means he would be available for you if you decided to put him in? Or is it too far away?
COACH LAVIOLETTE: I'm going to let Paul Holmgren answer those questions as to when Ian will be back and available to us.

Q. Last night after the game, Claude said that everyone's having a lot of fun right now. How important is that in this whole process? You're grinding through the Playoffs, you have guys going down. How much is it that everybody's still having fun important?
COACH LAVIOLETTE: You know, Montreal probably didn't like their game last night, but I'll tell you what, I'll guarantee they're waking up today and having a good practice and still having fun. The season is long. It's a long year. You get to this point and the first round is long like it's a lot of sacrifice, there are a lot of teams still in it. And you fight your way through to get to that second round. You hope to continue and move on.
There are four teams left right now. If you're not having fun, then it's really such a long year you're probably have to have fun at this point in time. It's what you play for the entire season, and you keep pushing on. But the weather's nice, there's only four teams left. Everything's hyped up. And that's why everybody plays the game. Thank you.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297