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NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: SHARKS v CANUCKS

May 24, 2011

Alain Vigneault

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA: Game Five

Vancouver Â– 3
San Jose - 2

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Did you see the goal go in? Did you see how that play happened?
COACH VIGNEAULT: I just saw it on replay. Obviously, during the game itself, I saw the puck go in the net, the players jumping. I wasn't quite sure what had happened.
You know, this game is sometimes about getting the bounces. Obviously we got some tonight. I think we deserved to get some bounces. It paid off.

Q. What are your thoughts about going to the Stanley Cup finals?
COACH VIGNEAULT: I'm extremely proud of my players, the organization. Real happy for the fans. I mean, obviously this has been a long time coming. Like we had said at the start of the season, we were in this not to win one round, two rounds, three rounds, but to get in this to win the Stanley Cup. Now we're going to get the opportunity to compete for it.
I think our players deserve it. I think our organization and our fans deserve it also. So we're going to give it our best shot.

Q. Talk about Luongo and how he played tonight.
COACH VIGNEAULT: I thought he was real good. I don't know about you guys. I thought he was real good. Tonight, without a doubt, they played a real strong game, probably their best game of these playoffs. We had a couple of breakdowns that he was able to keep us in the game.
We had one line I thought tonight that was really going and it was the twins with Burr and obviously him. He was, in my mind, the difference tonight.

Q. Is that the best game he's played for you?
COACH VIGNEAULT: Oh, he's played a tremendous amount of very good games for this organization since I've been here and since he's been here. We've both been here five years.
Obviously tonight was a bigger stage. It was the first time we were in this type of opportunity. He played phenomenal.

Q. You said you only had one line going tonight. Talk about what they meant in a game like this.
COACH VIGNEAULT: Well, I think you got to give them credit. I thought that their group competed extremely hard. For Thornton to play tonight with the injury he had, you got to give him and his teammates full marks.
But when Hank's line was on the ice, they controlled the play. They made some unbelievable plays at their end. The only thing that didn't do was get a few of those chances through. But they controlled the play, they did some amazing things with the puck. They're elite players and they proved it again tonight.

Q. When Ryan Kesler goes out limping, then he comes back, wins a big faceoff, scores that goal, talk about his ability to do such a thing like that.
COACH VIGNEAULT: Well, he's been one of our guys, without a doubt, driving the bus. I think we got a few guys right now that are helping with that bus drive there.
But at this time of the year, I mean, what he did was what a lot of our players are doing: you got to play through things. Even though I tell you every day that we're all a hundred percent, I mean, it's quite normal to say I might not be telling the whole truth.
You know, he went out and he competed real hard. He gave us a chance to win this game in OT.

Q. Looking ahead, you're going to say you don't care who you play coming out of the east.
COACH VIGNEAULT: Why you asking me the question then (laughter)?

Q. Any kind of adjustments you need to make going into the next round?
COACH VIGNEAULT: Well, I think, first of all, we'll try to enjoy this tonight. This is a great day for our team and our fans. Once we know who we're playing, then we'll get ready for them and make the adjustments that we need to make there.

Q. (Question regarding the farm team in Manitoba.)
COACH VIGNEAULT: Yeah, I think you got to give a lot of credit to Claude Noel and his staff down there who obviously did a great job with our young players. To put some of those players in the lineup at this time of the year, on this stage, says a lot about the work he's done with those guys.
We're real happy with what he's done.

Q. Regarding the next round, have you paid much attention to that series? Were you watching the games?
COACH VIGNEAULT: We've been watching the games throughout. I don't think that we've been paying tons of attention as far as systems. I think we've just been trying to enjoy the hockey.
In between our games, you know, you try and get your team ready. There's a lot of work that goes into that. But at night you got to try and get away. I think for us, being hockey guys, you know, 24/7, the best way to get away is to enjoy the games. Throughout these playoffs, there have been great series, very entertaining. It's fun to watch.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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