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NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: LIGHTNING v BRUINSMay 19, 2011Patrice BergeronTim ThomasTAMPA, FLORIDA: Game Three Boston – 2 Q. Patrice, can you talk about how you felt out there being back, and when you were sitting out, did you project all along, you were hoping to get back for this game or was it just when it occurred? PATRICE BERGERON: I felt pretty good out there. I was pretty happy to be back to help the team. And, no, I didn't know which game, it was more a matter of taking it a day at a time. And it felt good for the past week. So I decided I was ready to go, and I had some practices this week. And I had a little bit of contact with the extra guys on game day last game. And I felt good. Q. Patrice, was there ever a moment -- you may have already answered this, but was there ever a moment at all during this process where you thought you might not come back this postseason? PATRICE BERGERON: You know what, from my experience, I tried to take it a day at a time. I didn't want to put pressure on myself. When you do that, it can make it worse. So obviously I was confident. I knew it was mild, and I felt good. But we didn't want to take any chances, any risk. And I felt like today was -- I felt good. I was confident that I was ready, and the doctors and trainers were in the same boat as me. So it was time for me to be out there. Q. Patrice, could you talk about the way the team played tonight in comparison with the other night in Boston when it was a wild game? PATRICE BERGERON: Yeah, obviously the last game wasn't really the way that we wanted to play. It was pretty open. And obviously have a lot of fire power up front. So we tried to avoid that. And tonight, overall, it was a great team effort. Everyone stepped up, and we all played well. We all played our role. And that's how we win. Q. Tim, along those lines, for you, what was it like, the feel of this game throughout as opposed to the constant rush, those constant rushes, the whole tempo of Game 2? TIM THOMAS: That felt more like a normal game. That felt like the game we played most of the season. Playoffs are always more faster and more energy and a few more scoring chances than a regular season game. But that was Boston Bruins hockey. Q. Patrice, can you say what your mood was the night you got dinged, and given your history, were you really down about it? PATRICE BERGERON: Yeah, obviously I wasn't very happy. I was pretty disappointed, especially at that time of the year. You know, you want to be out there, you want to help your team. So I was pretty happy with that big win. Gave me some time to, first of all, to rest, but don't also miss -- I didn't miss too much time, which I was pretty happy. And obviously that first night was frustrating, and it was hard to take. But I thought I stayed pretty positive in the process again. And, I mean, obviously it's behind me. I'm looking forward and I'm happy it was mild like it was. Q. Tim, you mentioned it was a more normal game for Bruins, your team. For yourself personally, was it a more normal game for yourself and how you felt and how you played, did you feel? TIM THOMAS: Well, kind of a product of the way the game goes in front of me. So I was able to play more under control tonight, but a lot of that has to do with the fact that we played the way that I'm used to. So I felt comfortable in a game like that. I think getting the first quick goal definitely helped the whole team. And then not just sitting back in the third but going out and getting that second goal made us able to stay relaxed and calm throughout the whole game. Q. Talk about Bergie, one of the best two-way players on the team, clearly, how important it was in the defensive effort tonight to have Bergie back on the ice? TIM THOMAS: Like you just said, he's very good, not just at both ends of the ice but just in all areas of the arena, whether it's in the faceoff circle or in our defensive corner, in the offensive corner, all over the place. And it was great to have him back. The most important thing is his health. So when I saw him get hit there against Philadelphia, it wasn't a fun thing for me to watch, and I'm just glad that he's feeling better. But since he is feeling better, he's back and he definitely made a difference for us like he always does, and like he has been this whole Playoffs. He's one of the best, if not the best, player on the team. Q. Patrice, was there anything out there tonight that you feel wasn't where you exactly wanted to be? There is a build-back process in this, but be it even strength or penalty kill or anything like that? PATRICE BERGERON: To be honest with you, I felt pretty good out there. I felt like I was myself. I felt good. Maybe in the first period I was kind of keeping things simple, which I think it's pretty normal, you know, coming back from -- I missed two weeks. Even though I only missed two games, it was two weeks. So I kept it simple, and as the game went on, I felt like I was feeling better. And I think it's about making plays, making sure when I have the puck, just know where my teammates are out there in the offensive zone, and I felt like it got better as the game went on. Q. Bergie, how important was the first hit to take tonight? PATRICE BERGERON: It was. But at the same time, I wasn't worried. Like I say, I was confident. I was ready. I was back 100 percent. And when you're like that in your mind, you know you're fine. I wasn't really worried about that first hit. I knew I was going to be all right. Q. Tim, about four minutes, five minutes in, six, there was a -- there were three successive plays, a real, bang, bang, bang sequence. Could you just go back, could you relate that to us? TIM THOMAS: They came in pretty fast, and I was moving when the first shot came, so I made the save. But as I was doing it, my momentum carried me towards the corner. And out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lecavalier was going to get the rebound. That's when I did the spin around. I'm assuming that's the one you're talking about. Spun around and got to the center of the net and fortunate to get a leg around it, and then actually, whoever was the forward on the net was the one who made the save on St. Louis, so the third one didn't get to me. But it felt good. It was important for us to keep the lead only a couple months after a lead score, and I think that helped our confidence as a team grow. Q. Patrice, every game somebody seems to get rattled, and tonight Krejci got hit pretty early there. What did you think when you saw him get hit? PATRICE BERGERON: Just tried to give him a yell out there, that the guy was coming on him. And the last second, I think he kind of saw him. So I was just happy that he was all right, he was okay, and never want to see that. But he looks fine, so I'm just happy to see him, because he's been great for us all along and we need him. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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