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NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: SENATORS v DUCKS


May 28, 2007


Randy Carlyle

Ryan Getzlaf

Andy McDonald

Travis Moen


ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA: Game One

FRANK BROWN: Questions.
Q. For either one of you guys, I would imagine, other than early in the first period, this is pretty much the way you want to drop Game 1 here?
ANDY MCDONALD: Yeah, I thought we did some good things. We used our forecheck. We were physical. I thought as the game went along we wore their defense down a bit and I thought that was a factor.

Q. Could you talk a little bit about Miller's contribution tonight and specifically the hit, setting up that goal?
ANDY MCDONALD: Yes, I certainly give him credit to come in and to play like that. It's probably not easy. I'm sure he was pretty nervous. But he did a really good job. He was aggressive. He skated hard. And, like you said, on the goal he went in and made contact and they turned the puck over.
So he was strong for us tonight.

Q. Travis, where would the 75 residents of Stewart Valley, Saskatchewan be watching this game all in one place there, and how would this go over?
TRAVIS MOEN: I'm sure they were at home watching. I know my mom had 15, 20 people over watching. So lots of fans at the family home.

Q. How would it go over? How big a deal is this?
TRAVIS MOEN: Yeah, it's huge. I've got lots of support from my family and friends back home. They're just really excited to see me in the Stanley Cup playoffs. So it's pretty exciting.

Q. In terms of the five-on-five, obviously a concerned effort to outwork the ends. Two power play goals. No major surprise but that worked on the five-on-five for most of the game. Focus for the team tonight?
TRAVIS MOEN: Clearly five-on-five we played well. We played the way we wanted to do, physical. Nothing too pretty. Lots of chips and dumps. No banging. They got two power play goals on us. We have to secure that up, and we took a few penalties we can't take, and I think if we do that, shore that up, we'll be okay.

Q. Before we talk about your goal, can we talk about the penalty with Comrie, what was going on there?
RYAN GETZLAF: Obviously I was being a little too aggressive behind the net there. I gave him one too many whacks. You can't do that right now, especially when they're looking for it. They have such a strong power play.
Our guys did a great job responding after.

Q. Travis, can I ask you again, can you talk about the goal, what was going through your mind when you see the puck right there and what it means to you at that point and now?
TRAVIS MOEN: I saw the puck, I think Bobbie tried passing it to me and it was kind of bouncing and I got lucky and caught it on the way down, got a lucky shot and it went in. It was huge. Go up 3-2 with a couple minutes left.
We battled at the end and got the win.

Q. These are dreams you have growing up. Have you gone through this dream before when you win the Stanley Cup Final, a game in the Stanley Cup Final?
TRAVIS MOEN: It's huge. I think every kid dreams of scoring a goal to win a game in the Stanley Cup Final. It's something special and something I'll never forget.

Q. Ryan, can you talk about the physical tone you guys set tonight, maybe it took a little while to get that going, but then once you did it was okay?
RYAN GETZLAF: I don't think we came out with an excellent effort. We came out, skating hard, little chips. I think Thornton and May-Day and Marchant went out with that one shift and they hit everything in sight and kept that puck in their zone for about two and a half minutes. You gotta give all the credit for those guys for sparking our group, and I don't think we looked back after that.
We had everybody rolling after that and everybody was hitting and chipping and it just looked good out there after that.

Q. Travis, I'm wondering in a situation like this, do you take more pride in the fact that you scored the game-winning goal or the fact that your line was able to so completely shut down their top line in five-on-five play?
TRAVIS MOEN: Well, it was a definite team effort. But the offense line, and they're extremely skilled. We got lucky tonight. We tried to keep playing their end and stuff. We're happy we got the win and looking forward to Game 2.

Q. Ryan, you're from Saskatchewan. Have you been to Stewart Valley, incidentally? And tell me how you would think that would play there, since you're from a province, when somebody does something like this?
RYAN GETZLAF: In Stewart Valley they're jumping around right now. There's the heart and soul right there sitting next to me. No, I've never been there to tell you the truth. I've been places close. I'm sure it's a wonderful place. It is in Saskatchewan.
FRANK BROWN: Thanks, gentlemen.
Questions for Coach Carlyle.

Q. Coach, can you talk a little bit about it didn't really show up on the score board, but can you talk about the play of Brad May's line and the impact it had on the game with the physical tone you were kind of able to set?
COACH RANDY CARLYLE: Well, I guess it goes back to probably the issue of not having a four-line hockey club that was created at some point.
And we felt that we could put that group of players together and they would first, A, be responsible defensively and, B, provide us with a physical element.
And I think they did both of those things tonight for our hockey club. Any time that you have those players and those players specifically in our group make a contribution, it just builds confidence through the rest of your players because a lot of times they don't get the recognition that they necessarily deserve.
I think it's huge when you have those character individuals, Thornton, May and Marchant, come on to make a strong presence in a hockey game, in a Stanley Cup Final.

Q. Were you at all surprised at how well the Pahlsson line was able to handle whoever they were out against in the five-on-five tonight?
COACH RANDY CARLYLE: I don't know if you could say you're surprised. I think what we try to do is try to make sure that we play a conservative type of checking shift after shift after shift. And not really complicate things on the offensive side.
A lot of times the old adage was a good defense is offense. If you can keep the other team in their defensive zone, then you don't have to worry about them scoring against you.
And it's a key to the Pahlsson line, with Niedermayer and Moen, is that they cycle the puck well. And if they can have puck possession in the offensive zone, usually, A, it leads to either momentum, and, B, sometimes it draws penalties.

Q. Other than the nuts and bolts of the game, can you tell me what you feel right now? You set this as a goal to coach your first Stanley Cup Final game?
COACH RANDY CARLYLE: Really, that probably has not sunk in yet. It's another game and we're in a situation where we're very fortunate through the work and the commitment that our players have put forth that we get to enjoy the ride.
Let's not complicate the issue. It's the players getting the job done out there and they're to be credited with the win and the success that we've had.

Q. Coach, can you tell me a little bit about the Penner-Perry-Getzlaf line, not only how they played but tell me what Ottawa was doing against them tonight. Ottawa had some pretty good depth charges?
COACH RANDY CARLYLE: The thing is the young players, with the Getzlaf, we know how dominant he can be. And he was at times tonight. Penner is a big, strong kid that when he controls the puck down low he's a force.
Perry is kind of guy that's slippery in around the puck, has a tremendous nose for the net. And I think when you put the combination of those three guys together and when you refer back to tonight, I think that they can play better than they did tonight. That's my personal opinion of it.
I'll review the tape and do an assessment. But, again, when you send a guy like Getzlaf down the wing and scores the tying goal, not too many players can score that type of goal. Those are the kind of things that you never really ever can be satisfied or look back upon that situation with those young players because I think they always have more to give. And tonight I thought they got better as the game went on.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about using Scott Niedermayer and Pronger at the same time, even strength situations against their top line and how did you think it worked?
COACH RANDY CARLYLE: Their top line has been so dominant throughout the playoffs, that we had talked about it. We mulled it over and today we made a decision that it might be something that we would explore. And tonight it happened more often than I think that we talked about, but we're happy that the result was where we can go on the top end of it.
But it was a very competitive hockey game. There was lots of chances that I think that we'd like to improve on as far as defensively. There were lots of turnovers. So we've got our work cut out for us because we know they're a hockey club that got to the position that they're in because they've earned it. And they've got a tremendous amount of skill and heart.

Q. How would you grade Teemu on his game tonight?
COACH RANDY CARLYLE: Grading Teemu Selanne's game. I think the combination of Miller, Selanne, McDonald gave us at times spark on the offensive side of it.
I think that the mandate for them is, again, they're not any different than any other grouping we put together. We expect them to be responsible defensively. We give them a lot more leeway in the offensive zone and I thought tonight they delivered.
When momentum was swinging in our favor, they were at the forefront of it. And that's what they're supposed to do.
FRANK BROWN: Thanks, Coach.

End of FastScripts
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