Sutter, Quick postgame quotes (June 11)

Here’s the raw transcript for the press conference with Darryl Sutter and Jonathan Quick…

Q. Jonathan, if you could just speak a little bit about the journey
as a whole, maybe starting with December, the coaching change, how you were
able to ultimately end up here.
JONATHAN QUICK: Well, it was a long road even before that.
Obviously, Darryl came in. You know, I felt like everybody felt a little
more accountable for their own actions, their day-to-day play, practice,
everything.
But obviously at the end of the day, you know, no matter what, it’s
got to come from the room and guys have to make a decision to work. I
think we did that. You can’t say enough about this group and how hard they
worked.

Q. Darryl, you put a lot of years of sweat and toil into this. What
does it feel like when you finally get there?
COACH SUTTER: It’s pretty awesome. Obviously when you have a three-
or four-goal lead with five minutes left, you know what these guys are
capable of doing. Then you start seeing it on the bench. It’s the feeling
of seeing them so happy, the work that you go through.
The first thing you think about as a coach, these guys are all young
enough, they’ve got to try it again.

Q. Jonathan, you’ve talked a bit during the playoffs about not
liking to be in the spotlight or not caring much about that. Now there’s
probably no avoiding it. What is it going to be like from here on out?
JONATHAN QUICK: I don’t see it changing too much. You know,
obviously you still go about your day the same way you always have. It is
what it is.
I think the attention the team’s going to get is great. That’s
something we have been looking for in this market for so long, is to get
that attention towards hockey.
It’s just an honor to be on this team. I’m glad to be a part of it.

Q. I’m wondering what was going through your mind as the lead is
growing, you’re ahead three, then four. What was going through your mind?
Was it hard to not think about winning the Cup at that point?
JONATHAN QUICK: As much as you keep pushing it out of your mind, it
will creep back in. Especially you get that four-goal lead, you know, it’s
hard for it not to creep into your head a little bit.
But you just keep reminding yourself how dangerous of a team they
are. The second you become relaxed, get your mind off what you’re supposed
to be doing, that’s when they’re going to take advantage of you. You keep
telling yourself to work.
Obviously I think when we scored that fifth goal, the empty-netter,
that’s when you take a big, deep breath, relax a little bit, and know it’s
going to happen.

Q. You had that unfortunate play on the power play goal in Game 5.
Did you talk to your teammates at all about that, Jonathan? How did you
put that behind you?
JONATHAN QUICK: You know, I didn’t really feel there was anything
that needed to be said. You know, I think guys know that I’m just going to
go out there and work.
You make mistakes. Everybody makes mistakes. It’s part of the game.
You can’t be a hundred percent every time, make the best play every single
time. I was trying to help out the D men a little bit. I made a mistake.
It’s going to happen. Guys know that.
I don’t think they were looking for me to say anything. I didn’t
feel like I needed to say anything. Obviously you just want to get out
there and stop the next shot. That’s all you try to do.

Q. Darryl, when Dean called you when you were in the barn, you took
the phone call, what would you have said if somebody told you shortly
thereafter that this would be happening?
COACH SUTTER: Oh, seems like a long time ago, middle of December,
whenever it was. But you know what, you look at the big picture now, and I
was right on how I thought about what type of players these guys were.
You look even at Jonathan answering the questions about the game,
staying in the moment. These guys can stay in the moment. You know what,
they could get there and stay there, be resilient.
They’ve pretty much heard it all, right? Now they just can soak it
all in.

Q. Jonathan, you had that stretch, the Kings did, middle of the
season, December, where you carried that team. Ron Hextall was saying on
the team, this team is not here in the playoffs without Jonathan Quick.
Was there ever a moment when you were worried that this wouldn’t happen?
JONATHAN QUICK: You know what, it’s December. There’s four months
left in the season. I think everybody in the locker room knew what kind of
players we had in there.
You know, at our lowest moments, I think the biggest thing is nobody
ever turn on someone
else. Everybody stuck with it. Go through five-, six-game losing streaks,
whatever it was, you know, and guys are still encouraging, still competing
in practice.
You just can’t say enough about resiliency that it took to get
through those times during the season and still make the playoffs.

Q. Darryl, can you take us back maybe to the last time the Stanley
Cup was in Viking, at your mom’s house and what it’s like after all these
years to get one?
COACH SUTTER: Dog (Duane) and Brent got their name on it six times.
I wish each one of my brothers could have been on there. Take a run at it
again. That’s the next thing.

Q. You’ve said twice in a short amount of time that these guys are
young enough that they’ll do it again. You’ve said again you want to take
another run at it. Will you take some time to enjoy it?
COACH SUTTER: Want to enjoy it first off. As soon as we get out of
this room, we’re going to enjoy it.
These guys, you know what, since March 1st, they’ve lost about six
games. They’ve taken a lot of public negativity towards them. Look what
they’ve just done. Pretty awesome. Tells you what type of players they
are.