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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 24, 2008

Marc Savard

DAVID KEON: Good afternoon, everyone. I'm David Keon with the National Hockey League's Public Relations Department, and I'd like to welcome you to our call. Our guest today is Boston Bruins forward Marc Savard. Thanks to Marc for joining us today, and thanks to Matt Chiamira of the Bruins public relations department for arranging the call.
Two goals and six assists for eight points in four Bruin victories, Marc was today named the National Hockey League's first star for this past week.
Twenty-one games so far the season, Marc has tallied eight goals and 19 assists for 27 points. He tied for second in overall league scoring with Washington's Alexander Semin, trailing only Pittsburgh's Evgeny Malkin by four points.
With a plus/minus ranking of plus 13, Marc is third in the league, and his 19 assists place him second. Boston leads the Eastern Conference with a record of 14-3-4 for 32 points. On Wednesday, the Bruins travel to Buffalo where they will meet the Sabres. They will return home on Friday and host the New York Islanders at the TD Bank North Garden where they will host the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.
Thanks again to Marc for joining us, and operator we'll open it up now.

Q. From a plus/minus standpoint, you're having the best season of your career. What specifically do you think you've down to improve that area of your game?
MARC SAVARD: Well, I don't know, I just think I've been building ever year, you know, since Coach Hartley helped me out in Atlanta, and I kind of came here and I've learned a lot from Claude.
So things have helped that way. Obviously with our system it makes it a lot easier to obviously be a better plus player than what I've been in the past.

Q. What has Claude's system done specifically to help your game?
MARC SAVARD: Well, just, you know, it's right there. He tells us exactly what to do. It's right in front of us. Trust in your teammates that they do their job. It makes it a lot easier. Just that. Just little things, being down low and what exactly you do when you're down there. And being better away from the puck overall has really helped me too.

Q. Do you feel you're a more complete player this year?
MARC SAVARD: Yeah, I do. I'm killing penalties this year for really the first time in the NHL since they've done that, and taken a lot of big face offs. So it's nice to be counted on like that. It feels good, and hopefully we can keep winning like we are.

Q. I have a couple questions for you. The Boston Bruins success as of late has really raised eyebrows around the league. As a team, what do you think you're doing so play to be playing this well?
MARC SAVARD: I think we're just playing together. We get along so well. I know a lot of teams say that, but we really do. If there's something to be said, we air it out in the room and go from there.
I think when Dallas came in here, I think I look at that as our turning point in the season. We started off with a 500 schedule I think through our first maybe six games, and then Dallas came in here and we had a big game against them and we just grew from a there and been on a pretty good roll since then.

Q. If the Dallas game was a turning point, what do the two recent wins against Montreal mean to the team? They have to mean more than just beating any other team given how they've had your number so much.
MARC SAVARD: Yeah, obviously it's a huge rivalry. You know, we're not the biggest fans of the 'Canes, and I'm sure they're not the biggest fans of us. It's nice to be able to finally get some wins against them. I think we're just building off it and just rolling over. You know, we're a confident team right now, but at the end of the day we know that we have to work hard to get our victories, and we have been able to do that too.

Q. Milan Lucic, you've been with Boston long enough to see as he came into the NHL. Are you guys surprised how much instant impact he made with Boston and how he keeps growing as a player?
MARC SAVARD: I knew right from day one when he came into training camp. I went right to our GM and said, you know, He's ready. I knew with his size and stuff. I played with him in one exhibition game early on. I think it was his first one, actually. We played against the Islanders up in Halifax or Brunswick. I knew right then that he was ready to play.
He has more skill than everybody gives might have him credit for, and I could see that. He makes good little plays. We've been working well together. Hopefully we can continue to do that. He's going to have a big career, that's obvious.

Q. That's interesting. So you recognized that right away. Is he even better this year than was last year?
MARC SAVARD: I think after the playoffs where he had a great playoffs for us, really was a huge presence out there. I think he's just rolled over this year. And playing on my wing, you know, I can take advantage of him and chip it in the corner that he's going in because not too many guys are going to be the first one back there when he's going.
It's been a great addition. We have a good mix to the line, so it's nice to have him on the line.

Q. Coach Julien has been fairly active in moving players around to see what will work, but it seems like he's had you and Phil together a lot. I noticed the defensive work of both you. Can you talk about that defensive awareness that you guys have.
MARC SAVARD: Yeah, well, playing with Phil and Milan, they're both younger guys. For myself, too, you know, for us to be out there and get the minutes that we get, we try and stress to each other we got to be good defensively. If we are, we're going to get a lot of offense. Really it feels like we haven't been in our zone too much for that reason, that we've been getting back, breaking up plays, and getting it in.
We're having a lot fun as a line, and like I said, Kess has really worked hard at that aspect so he can be out there in key situations. As he gets older, he's going to obviously be a top guy at both ends.

Q. P.J. Axelsson has always been moved up to the first line on a few occasion. I was thinking like the world is turned upside down when we see this. Phil Kessel thought of as an offensive player and Axelsson as a defensive player, but Axelsson winning games with you in shootouts. Claude Julien is really asking a lot of everybody.
MARC SAVARD: Yeah, he is. He's a demanding coach, but in the same sense he's fair. If you're playing hard and playing good he's going to give you that ice time. We've been getting that as a line.
Obviously our team's played great throughout the whole lineup. If someone's not going one night, someone else picks them up. So it's been good that way.
But we know what we have to do to win, and we just have to keep working. Claude keeps stressing that every day. There's not too many days where he lets' that stuff slide. We know what we have to do as a team to win, and we've been able do it.

Q. One of the little subplots of Saturday night's game obviously was the fact that you guys stayed clear of Georges Laraque. One, was that talked about prior to the game? And two, there was a faceoff in the third period when Georges was sort of squared off with Milan Lucic at the faceoff circle just outside the Montreal blueline. They were really yacking it up a little bit. You came over and had something to say. Things seemed it settle down. I don't know if you'd care to share that we me, but I was curious about it.
MARC SAVARD: I just told Georges that there's going to be another time for this. Right now we're worried about wins. Milan is a hockey player and not just a fighter, so that's basically what I said. Kept him quiet for a little bit anyway.

Q. Just stay away from Georges and let him play and let Milan play?
MARC SAVARD: Yeah, exactly. If they wanted to put Georges out there that much that was fine with us. We didn't want anybody fighting, especially -- we're obviously short of the defense core right now with Ference out, and people were saying, Why didn't Z grab him?
There will be time for. I'm not saying they're gonna do it, but right now wasn't the time, especially playing up there. We were on the road, and if they get hot on the power play, which they're capable of going, we didn't want them to do that either.
So we played it the way we wanted to play it, and there was nothing else about it.

Q. A couple things. Would you like to be considered for the Canadian Olympics team? Seems like they mentioned all the other players but not you. The other question is your passing ability. You take great pride in that. In know in the past three or four years you've had almost the most assists in the league.
MARC SAVARD: Yeah, you know, first, on the Olympic thing, that would be a huge honor for me. I mean, it's something that I don't go into every game thinking about, but it would be nice to work for that. Right now I'm worried about the Boston Bruins. Like I said, it would be a huge to wear my jersey for my country. There are a lot great players on that list. It would be nice to be mentioned.
The thing at passing side, yeah, I've always been a passer first. I've been trying to get away from that to open up more things, and I've try to have more shots on goal this year. I have done that, and it's obviously work out well.
Yeah, on both things, you know, it's nice to get some recognition on that aspect. Hopefully I can keep setting up my wingers and keep scoring some goals.

Q. Do you think the Bruins who have maybe flown under the radar for a while won't be able to do that now? I know it's only 20 games into the season and there's another 60 games to go, but when you set some kind of bar early in the season the games become a heck of a lot harder.
MARC SAVARD: Yeah, I mean, for sure. Now that we know teams are coming for us, they're going to be ready every night. Claude keeps us pretty on honest on that side, that we've got to be ready every night. The best thing about our hockey club right now, we're obviously a confident group right now, but we know what we have to do to win games, and that's work hard and stay with the system and play at both ends of the ice.
We've been able to do that. Obviously we're getting great goaltending, and we're getting different guys stepping up every night. We're getting a good mix of things right now. Like you say, we know it's only twenty games in, so we're not getting too high right now and try to keep an even keel. Things are going well.

Q. Could you talk a little bit about how important Tim Thomas has been to the success of your team this year.
MARC SAVARD: Tim's been huge. You know, he's a great goaltender. He hasn't got a lot of credit over his career, but he's played really well for us this year. It's nice to have a goalie back there that's going to make that big save for you, and he's done that throughout the whole season.
Obviously with Manny back there too it pushes Tim a bit more. Because when Manny goes in there he's played well, too. We got a great one-two punch right now, and hopefully they continue to play the way they are for us throughout the season.

Q. I thought actually that the Saturday night situation with Laraque and Lucic was a pretty good example of your veteran leadership on a fairly young team. My question is, every stop you've had along the NHL do you feel like you've brought that leadership, or do you feel that's really something that developed with the Boston Bruins team?
MARC SAVARD: I think throughout the years as I got older I've been able to become more of a leader. I've learned a lot throughout my career. Obviously there's been some tough times, and you only get stronger from that. We have a lot of young kids, and for me being an older guy now, I'm able to help those guys out.
Playing with Kessel and Lucic, between shifts I'm always talking to them. I always want more and I always want them to want more, too. I think they're proving that this year.

Q. What you do you think makes a good leader on a hockey club?
MARC SAVARD: Well, not on be being able to say something, but being able to go out and do it. You know, I do like to talk a lot and have a lot of fun before the game and keep guys loose.
In the same sense, I like to be serious and get things going. Those are things I try and bring, and hopefully I can continue to do that.

Q. What has been your impression so far of Blake Wheeler, and why do you think he's had the early success he's had?
MARC SAVARD: Well, Blake a skilled hockey player and a big boy, so he's got a lot of things going for him and he skates well. He just came in here and really just looks like a veteran out there. He's played really well. Coach gave him a good opportunity to play a lot, and obviously their line is playing really well, too.
So they bring a lot to the hockey team. He keeps getting better every day, and obviously he's been a big part of our Shootout success of late that we've had. He shoots first, and I think in the three shootouts he's scored twice.
I think he just keeps growing. He obviously has one of his best buddies in Kessel here, so that helps him out for the adjustment. The sky is the limit for him.

Q. You mentioned his size. Is he as physical as you had expected him to be?
MARC SAVARD: Yeah, obviously when you got a big guy you expect him to finish his checks. You expect everybody to finish their checks. When you got that kind of size and that kind of gift you hope that he uses it. He uses it well. He uses it to his advantage. He gets to the net hard, and with that big body he's able to get some goals.

Q. You mentioned how close this team is and kind of the chemistry. You hear that a lot, like you said, from other teams. That's something that's kind of develops over a long time. Was there a moment or a point over the course of the last year when you realized that this was kind of a team that was in it together?
MARC SAVARD: Well, I think it started with maybe our last -- you know, it started out throughout last year. Obviously when Bergy went down we came together closer because we know that each guy had to step up.
As we came into the end of the year we had to battle to make the playoffs, and from then on in we won in the seven game series against Montreal and were able to battle back the way we did, and really have the same guys come back and add three players, we're really just taken off from there.
I think in the room, whether we're on the road, we get along so great, all the guys. Like I said earlier, I know a lot teams say that, but it's the truth here. We hang out all the time. Yesterday we had a little team get together. It's just like a family here. We're able to stick up for each other.
That Dallas game this year also brought us closer together. We stuck up for each other, and that was one of the biggest wins at home this year, and we've just really taken off from there.

Q. A lot teams like to incrementally grow together. Does the start you're having, has that maybe changed expectations in the room for this season?
MARC SAVARD: Yes and no. But I think at the beginning of the year we knew that we had a great team, it was just about when it was going to come together. It's obviously came together pretty fast.
Like I said, off the Montreal series last year we really grew as a team, and we knew the damage we can do if we work hard and stay within a system. We've done that, and now, like I said, we're a confident group, but at the end of the day what wins us hockey games, and that's working hard and coach keeps us honest at that aspect and we've able to do it.

Q. Somebody told me that like today's players seem to really prefer playing within a system. How important is that in Boston?
MARC SAVARD: It makes it a lot easier. The system is there to protect you, and if you get away from it you're going to get in trouble. I think we know that as team. We probably don't have the most skilled team in the NHL, but if we stay with what we're taught we are able to win games through hard work.
We do have skilled players, and it's getting proven every night. Different guys are stepping up. I think as a whole we're a confident team right now, but at the end of the day we know we have to work hard.

Q. Take you back a little bit. When you played for the Oshwa Generals, you set the team's scoring record. They're one of the oldest teams in the Ontario Hockey League. There's a pretty good chance that record is going to get broken this year. Tell me what it's like to have that record and to be a part of that history of one of older franchises in the league?
MARC SAVARD: Yeah, that was a great thing, great night. I'll never forget it. I've got a picture of it at home.
But records are made to be broken, and obviously he's going to most likely do it for sure. It's something special, and I'm sure he'll enjoy it.
Playing for the Oshwa Generals was something that I'll never forget. I know I'm 31 now, but you still think back and miss those junior days when you're just a kid with not too many worries in the world. It was a lot fun.

Q. Have you had a chance to see Tavares play at all? Tell me a little bit more about what it's going to be like if you get a chance to see him breaking the record.
MARC SAVARD: Yeah, that will obviously be a special night. But, yeah, I have seen him play at the World Juniors last year. He played really well in the time he got. I was able to watch one game on TV when they had the Canadian game of the week or whatever.
Yeah, he obviously has a lot of skill, and he'll be in the league for a lot of years. So all the best to him, and hopefully he does it.

Q. Only Dany Heatley, Sidney Crosby, Ovechkin, and Thornton has scored more points than you since the lockout. A, did you know? And B, what do you attribute your success offensively from that?
MARC SAVARD: Yeah, I didn't know that. Yeah, I just, I don't know. I think I'm focused. I think going into games I want to help the team offensively. I want to produce every night, and I'm hungry to do that. I think that's why I've been able to keep the consistency up since the lock out.
Obviously I've had a good opportunity to play in the cities I've been in, and things have worked out well that way.

Q. Are you upset that because Lucic is a big guy other guys want to fight him? When you've got a fledger like Georges that wants to fight a guy that his only problem is that he's big himself, but he's got lots of points, does that upset you that he should have to put up with that? And a lot of young players break into the game with a bang, like Crosby and Malkin Ovechkin and stuff, but it took you a while. What do you have to learn to get to where you are now?
MARC SAVARD: Yeah, well, on the Lucic stuff, he's obviously going to get challenged a lot because I think his record is pretty flawless in the fighting department. People want a chance not only to fight him, but to get him of the ice because he's such a factor in most hockey games. He's only getting better every day. For myself on that, I like having him out there. Obviously when he goes in the box it shifts up our line and stuff like that, so it makes it a little tougher.
And myself, coming into the league, I think, you know, I had some growing pains that I went through. Obviously coming into the league and playing on the Rangers we had a lot of stars and it was tough to make a name there. Then I went to Calgary and got a great opportunity to play. And then when I moved onto Atlanta that's where things started to get better. Obviously Coach Hartley really helped me out, and I owe a lot to him, especially in the early stages there.
He just told me, Here's the ball. If you want to take it, just go. He gave me a lot of ice time and I was able to succeed there, and I moved onto Boston where I'm happy and hopefully I can finish out my career here and keep getting better.

Q. I was interested, when you said that the Stars game was your turnaround point in the season, I had been thinking that the 1-0 overtime win against the Oilers earlier that week. You played eight of your first eleven games on the road, and you only had one win at home before you beat Dallas. How important was the two wins on the three-game western trip there?
MARC SAVARD: Well, that was huge. Obviously we got some great goaltending on that trip from time Timmy. He had a huge trip. We were upset with our game in Calgary, but those two wins on the road were huge. I think, you know, it proved to us and we can win the 1-0 games. We've also had the high-scoring games that we've won.
I think we're a confident group in any situation we get in now because of that. Like I said, Timmy was a big factor in those wins, but you're going to need good goaltending to win in this league every night. We've been able to get that.

End of FastScripts

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