NHL ALL-STAR WEEKEND

January 20, 1996

Ray Bourque

Q. Ray, did you rehearse that ending before the game or any time last couple of days?

RAY BOURQUE: I don't think I could have written that any better than that. When they tied it up we got thinking it would be nice to score the next goal. When Pat Verbeek tried to give it to Mark Messier and they kind of tried to get it to net. I was following the play up close hoping something would squeak out and it did. I just hit a good backhand and it was a great feeling. I knew there wasn't much time left and I knew it would be a great ending.

RAY BOURQUE: I think it was a great game. It wasn't the most physical game, but the scoring you know, we shut them out in the first period. I can't remember the last time that happened. And great goaltending; great plays, and a little defense, and it was nice. I really didn't expect it to be a low scoring game, 5-4, I think it is a real low scoring game and in an All-Star game, so I think we put on a good show. I think the crowd enjoyed the game. Finish was great; the way everything kind of came together at the end.

RAY BOURQUE: Well, I was hoping to do a little better with the targets especially at the breakaways at the end. I was kind of -- got to miss it to give them the win, just wanted to go out tonight and play a good game, and you know, come out on the plus side, and not get beat too much out there, and things went pretty well. And it is all timing, things came at the end; I got the opportunity with a tie game. It was great.

RAY BOURQUE: It was great. I mean, this will be the one, I am sure, I will remember forever. It will be real special, especially being here in Boston, and you know, winning at the end like that, scoring the goal and just having the crowd go crazy. It has been a great relationship for 17 years, you know, to have it happen here and in my building, extra special, I got to say.

RAY BOURQUE: I talked to him between the second and third period. He was starving. He left the bench. He was behind the bench for pretty much the whole game. He left. I said when you left, that is when they started to scoring some goals. I asked him for a little special test between second and third period to give me a goal. Things happened in the third. He was there. This will be great for him. Real special for me. His name is Christopher. He is ten years old. He is a great little hockey player. He loves the game. I had family and friends, 30 people here at the game watching it, and you know, all the fans. This was great.

RAY BOURQUE: Well, Brad, I remember it well. It was a one-timer; pucked just kind of scooted out from the middle of the pack and he just fired a shot that just missed, I think, Ramsey's head. It went in. I think it was over time and just everybody was going nuts. Whenever something happens at end of the game like that, you know, it is always dramatic, and you know tonight was that way. It wasn't much time left. It was no O. T., but it was special.

RAY BOURQUE: Well, I don't think it could have gone any better for me. Obviously could have scored 10 goals and a whole bunch of assists but scoring the winning goal with 30 seconds left in your own building in front of your fans, you can't ask for a better feeling than I had tonight when that thing went in. You know, it was great. Winning M.V.P. I have been there a lot of games and maybe one other time I had a shot, I was kind of fortunate nobody had a hat trick or a few goals and I was able to sneak through with the M.V.P.. I will take it and enjoy it.

RAY BOURQUE: Yeah, I haven't been this nervous for a game, I think, in a long time. This afternoon I kind of woke up a little nervous from my nap. I was kind of nervous and I don't get that way too often, and you know, it was -- just wanted to go out and play well. Just didn't want to get embarrassed out there and these games sometimes that certainly happens and things went well end