David Perron, Brady Tkachuk, Linus Ullmark, Thomas Chabot, Travis Green Game Six Postgame Media

David Perron, Brady Tkachuk, Linus Ullmark, Thomas Chabot, Travis Green Game Six Postgame Media

David, how disappointing is it to end this game given that you guys tied it up in the third and felt like Yeah, it was tight uh pretty much all series except uh the first game there. Um no, I’m proud of the guys. It’s tough to kind of think too much right now about can’t always look at plays, but I’m proud of the guys how much uh they grew this year and even from game to game. Uh felt like we really had a chance to to kind of push this to seven and uh it’s uh it’s tough. Is growth a good word to describe how this season went for the team and obviously for the playoffs as well? Yeah, and the crazy thing is it’s not going to get easier next year is going to get harder to to get back in the same position. I think if we asked the team over there, that’s what they would tell you. So, it’s uh you make one step and then the next step is a little bit even harder to to win one round, win two round, all that. So, uh, but I’m proud of these guys, the way we worked all year to get better and, uh, put ourselves in this situation. For so many of these guys in this room who made the playoffs for the first time, think back to the first time you made the playoffs. How did that help you grow into the future? Yeah, it’s everything. Uh finally for a lot of them too uh they can they can say they played and no one can kind of doubt that they you know they’re good leaders and good players and everybody seemed like they they showed up at the right time of the year they performed um and uh yeah it was awesome to play with them. David, this group battled throughout the series. It was close the entire series. What does that say about how exciting the future is for Yeah. No, exactly. It is really exciting. Uh you know, every game was so tight. We we could have won um 42 ourselves. Uh but uh right now it’s tough like uh they play really well over there. We got to tip our cap to them too. Um all the pressure that they they have they had they’ve had um and and do come through. Good for them. They they play well too. We got to give them credit. That’s right. In the immediate aftermath when you were on the ice, the crowd’s chanting go sends go. And when you’re looking around, just what’s going through your mind in a moment like that after the game? Yeah. uh just kind of like we’ll be back with you can you could feel the the city really coming together and uh and pulling for us and um kind of coming alive too. It’s uh I think that was the the biggest thing the coolest thing for all the guys in the room. The vibe in the city last couple of weeks was incredible and uh it just kind of shows you if we make a deeper run how how crazy it can get. David, it stings right now but if Yeah, you have a couple of days here to reflect. What will this Yeah. No, it stinks for everyone for sure. And I’m sure even more so for guys kind of the first time around, you don’t know it’s going to go when when you lose and all that. The first handshake and everything. Uh yeah, it’s tough to see a lot of emotion. A lot of guys uh taking it hard and uh I I know again all I can think about other than how tough it was is how proud also that we should be of the guys and again for all the doubts and everything. Uh all those guys showed up at the right time. when you signed here, did you spoke about it earlier, but you did you envision this moment to get this far? Yeah, that’s uh I was I was happy to help out a bit in that regard and yeah, like trying to get to a spot where you have a chance to make the playoff and uh it really felt like this team was ready to do that after the last couple of years the way they they went. I fel I felt like two years ago they were right there sometime a little bit of a half step back and we got to make sure I know it’s tough to look forward but we got to make sure that we we keep advancing next year because like I said I really believe it’s not going to get easier. I just left. Fore. Thank you. Thanks, guys. Brady, after just putting so much pressure on the Leafs, can you talk us through the feeling right now of just coming short in this game? I mean, it’s devastating. Um, I really believed and yeah, it’s tough pill to swallow right now. How proud are you of this group? The way they came back being down three nothing. I’m really proud of this team. I’m really proud of every single guy in this room. everybody that even wasn’t playing. Um, staff, trainers, everybody, everybody in this organization. Um, yeah, I mean, I think it, uh, takes will, it takes guts. Um, didn’t get the job done, but I think we’re going to take these lessons and be that much better because of it. and just I know it’s tough to realize right now, but everything happens for a reason and I’ll be better because of it. What lessons did you learn through your first playoff experience? Well, I mean, just the the character we have in this room, um, first and foremost, I knew it all along, but to battle back and even battle back in this game and um, I mean, I just I don’t know. It’s it’s tough tough to swallow, but at the end of the day, it’s to see this city um see this fan base and really wanted to do it for them and I mean, they came out and did their job and it’s going to be a long couple months here, but I know myself and this rest of the group here, it’s they’re going to come with a lot of fire next year. when they were chanting your name and then chanting go senso at the end of the game there and giving you guys a standing ovation for your season. How did that feel? I mean just to feel the support. um it’s been a long 8 years for them and to experience it and honestly I think I’m they don’t really realize the impact that it’s uh that it’s made on me and and uh and this team and just really wanted to do it for them and they were absolutely amazing and I know it sucks right now but I really can’t wait for what the future holds. How much pressure did you sense on yourself in this group entering this game six? Honestly, uh we were playing with house money and um just knew what was you know the reality of know you lose you go home and um we’re going to battle and give absolutely everything that we had and and we did that and just unfortunately wasn’t good enough. Brady, I know you’ve had some other tough losses this season I think about the four nations. Why is this one different? just really believed that now we could win and and um just I mean I think it’s just like the the fans and and uh the amount of energy that they had and know I wanted to keep feeling that keep keep having that energy that atmosphere and um you know do it for them um know how big this series was for everybody and um not just our team but for this whole city and um just disappointed that um couldn’t get the job done. Does it sting a little too knowing that you got through this series, you get to play your brother in the next round? Yeah, I mean down the road that’ll probably happen. So, um everything happens for a reason. So, um for the reasons we don’t know that that wasn’t meant to happen this year, but can happen next year. When you see the Patre goal go in, what are you feeling at that moment? What do you think? Um honest is a little deflating, but know there’s six minutes left to play or five, whatever it was that um I really believe that we’re going to come back and win the game and just um just tough. Just tough. You’re going to have lots of time to reflect. What are your initial thoughts about uh the end of this series and really from September on the growth of this team? Well, that’s a big question. Um well first of all I’m very proud of all the guys in this locker room this organ everybody in this organization from the security guys to the management to uh equipment guys u cleaners everyone has really done a terrific job ever since day one since I got here and that’s all I can base off and I’m I’m really proud I’m really happy with the way that we have taken strides to become um, you know, a better a more stable team that’s, you know, going hopefully for a long time going to always be up there and then in battle for uh, for the playoffs and the Stanley Cup. What are your feelings right now? Yeah, it’s a lot of sadness. Not not like no anger or anything like that. sadness uh emptiness in a way when you put everything on the line and you you say to yourself every night or every night every day that you know I’m going to leave it everything out there and then you don’t come out victorious or successful at the end it’s just it’s just gut-wrenching in a way because that’s it’s kind of like a weight off your shoulder in a way that there’s no no more pressure or there’s no no more games but at the same time when you think about that you get really sad because yeah there’s There’s no more hockey until September. So that’s why I’m so sad now. So many of these these guys in this room, your key guys who made the playoffs for the first time. Think back to when you made the playoffs for the first time. How much did that help you moving forward now knowing what it is the level that you have to get to? No, it was very important for us to be able to get in. That was the first thing. And you learn a lot by being in the playoffs. Everybody can talk about it. And everybody can have their own kind of uh thoughts about it. But once you actually are in it, that’s when you get to feel the pulse right from the start. You understand how intense it is, how everybody put their body on the line, how much faster it goes, and how much more everybody wants to win. It’s not like game 56 in September, whatever, and you feel like you lost three in a row or whatever. It’s, you know, you always have to recharge, refocus. Doesn’t matter if you’re down three nothing or if you’re up three nothing. What’s going to ask just do you think your group in the series they’ll learn fairly quickly what it took to to achieve to win in playoff hunting? Yeah, sort of. You know, there’s possibly some things during the series that we’d like to have back. You know, I can only speak for myself basically and but at the same time, you know, we we go out there game one, they beat us fair and square 62 and then we go out there and push it to three overtimes and we win the the fourth one or the third one and you you know, you can make the assessments yourself if we figured it out. Well, sort of, but we also understood in a way how tight it is and what needs to be done uh for 60 plus minutes. And it’s not easy. You know, I’ve said it before and that sometimes it comes down to lady luck, but you got to earn Lady Luck’s favor. Sometimes after a loss like this, as an athlete, you go to bed and you’re replaying certain moments in your mind. Is there anything that you’re going to be replaying? I’ll be replaying the uh how loud it was from the fans and the the cheers and the support that we got after the uh when we thanked the crowd. That’s what I’m going to, you know, put my emphasis on. Whatever happened happened, but these sort of things is something that I’ll try to remember for for next season and bring with me. What’s going through your mind as the clock expires and your teammates are coming over from Soy? I think Tom would be the first guy to give you a hug. What’s going through your mind as you’re going through the line of the team? Devastation, sadness, start crying right away because like I said, when you leave it all on the line and you don’t get it, you you get really really and you’re really invested in it. It’s devastating in a way. And then you see everybody that you try to or that you go to war with every day and you and you feel that responsibility that if I made another save or it’s it’s something that I always, you know, as a goalender, you can’t shy away from. It’s just how it is. I’m always going to think that if I made one more save, then maybe we’ll take it to overtime and win it there. Uh but at the same time, we always going to win. We’re always going to lose as a team. It doesn’t come down to individual mistakes or anything like that. That’s something that I’ve learned and something that will help me kind of digest this uh loss and this series now afterwards cuz you were uh shaking hands with the Leafs in the line. You and Stallers had an extra moment. Can you share what you you said to him? Yeah, I called him a beauty and stuff like that. But no, he we just said how fun it was every night battling. Uh you know we had some some comments throughout the season or season throughout the series as well. Uh you know we know each other not know each other. We know how tough it is from our position and I mean and uh he was great. You know he battled his uh bottoms up uh the whole series and it was a lot of fun playing against him and that’s what I wanted to tell him that he did a great job and hopefully he can keep it going and and good luck in the second uh second round. so much tougher for to swallow this pill. Just what are your immediate reaction in the aftermath? Yeah. Uh I mean there’s not much to be said. It’s uh sad. It’s disappointing. We um it was a tight series all along and we we believe in each other. Uh we’ve said it all along. Um we really thought we were bringing that back to to Toronto and it hurts. I mean there’s no other words. When you think about this game specifically, is there an area you feel like you fell short tonight? No, I mean, we played good hockey. We stuck to our game. We uh did what we wanted to do is it put a lot of pressure, spent a lot of time in their zone, uh a lot of pressure on their D’s and uh we played we played good hockey. We we found a way the power play wasn’t great and DP found a way to find the back of the net to give us momentum. I mean, you can’t uh can’t be mad. I mean, it’s it’s it’s playoffs. got another chance and they’re a good team and um they don’t miss many of those unfortunately and you learn the hard way but um yeah it’s just good good learning experience I think for the whole group overall without with upset uh how much growth do you see that you’ve s you’ve seen from September right till now yeah um like I said it’s it’s it’s hard to to put it into words at this moment uh as you guys expect but um you know what you at the end of the day, as much as it stings right now and it sucks, it’s uh it’s a hell of a year by everybody uh right from the get-go from training camp. Um every single guy in this room bought in to the plan uh to the process and we never uh we never stopped. We we kept going and kept going all season and um there was some tough times, but we found ways to to get out of them and and be stronger as a team. And um no one ever doubt doubt us in this room as players within each other. We had a tight group. We um learned a lot. Um and I think that’s the the main thing. This series was so tight. Pretty much every single game was neck and neck. What does that say about how exciting the future is for this team? Yeah. Uh that’s positive of it. You’re facing the best team in your division, which we arguably probably had won the strongest division this year and um every game could have pretty much went either way. Um, you know what? You just got to be I’m I’m just proud proud of this group. We um every single night, whether it went our way or not, we showed up the next game. Um down three nothing. A lot of teams could have just folded and we um stuck together and we went right back at them. And look, we came back home here. We thought for sure we were going to bring it back to to Toronto uh in front of our fans. um that’s another story, but um they’ve been amazing all year. They stayed behind us. They supported us all season and they brought the energy and playoff. So, we thought for sure. So, it’s definitely disappointing right now. You waited a long time to get to this point and while the result isn’t what you want, how special was it to just take part and experience playoff hockey? No, it was it was unbelievable to be honest. It was it was the fans, the the everybody, the the city, everyone. Um, get off the plane the other night from the airport, there’s about 30, 40 people there waiting at whatever on a Tuesday night at 1:00 a.m. Uh, you don’t get that anywhere else. We I’ve said it all along, even in the tough years, we do have the best fans in the league, I believe. Um, they’re there. They’ve been there for all eight years that I’ve been. um they love the game, they love this team, they love the the players that we have. And um I think that’s what hurts the most right now is we we thought for sure coming back home we were we were going to put off put pull it off for them in front of them. They brought the energy all night and uh you know what it hurts even at the end there. You just saw the sport they still gave us even though we lost uh means the world to to myself and I know to every single one of my teammates. How did your experience in the playoffs match up to how you may have envisioned it over the years, particularly when you’re not in the playoffs? Uh, it was it was everything and and more that I expected. And it was uh it was amazing. It was uh it’s a it’s it’s it’s a big learning curve I think for for entire group. Um but you know what it was the energy in the building, the way the games are played. Um, every little single play uh matters and like I said, it’s it’s a good learning for our group, but um you know what? Uh I hate talking about next year right now, but it’s it’s going to we’re going to have to do it all over again. It’s probably going to be even harder next year. Um got a bit of a target on us, I feel like. Um first time in playoffs and and and we showed what we kind of kind of can do and uh but you know what? right now. You just gota hang around your teammates and and be there for each other. to feeling plusch. Um, latex [Music] [Music] [Music] in your face. just what are you thinking right now? Uh much like our players disappointed. I guess that’s the best way to say it. I thought our guys played much like the the whole series. It was it was another good game. Could have gone either way. Came down to a couple plays here and there. People will look back at this playoff series as a learning experience for most of your players who are in the playoffs for the first time. What are some things you hope they take away from their first experience in terms of actual lessons? Well, they’re going to take away a lot. Um what playoff hockey is like, how hard it is, uh how razor thin the margin is. Um, you know, every shift, every battle matters. Uh, attention to detail. But, uh, I’m proud of our group. Like, man, they played hard. Took, you know, that was about as close of a series as you’re going to see. To be honest, I think most people would agree that that series probably could have gone either way. Okay. What can you say about how your team showed resiliency after being down 3 0 trying? Yeah. Uh again, proud of our team. You know, they’ve it’s when you haven’t won and you haven’t made played in the playoffs, uh you know, you kind of got to fast track when you get there. And uh they held their head above water. They didn’t get too down much like the regular season when things weren’t going their way. And uh they just stuck with it. I know it’s fresh. What will you remember about about this group from the start of training camp to to tonight? Ah man. Yeah, it’s fresh. You’re right. I don’t know what I’ll remember about it to be honest, but I they’ve taken a big step from the beginning of the year from last season. Um but it’s still, you know, the coach in me is it’s still one step and it’s uh it’s not easy to make the playoffs and it’s gets even harder after you do. What was your message to the team after, you know, just getting into the room after the way they’ve played and and losing? Yeah, I mean, you’re not usually prepared for what you’re going to say after a loss like that in that manner. You know, you battle back and they get a late goal. Uh, I was honest with him like we have been all year. I told him I was very proud of them uh for the year they had. uh they’ve all come a long way. Uh but in saying that, it’s just one step and uh you know, as coaches, as as an organization, we’re going to push them to be better and uh continue to take more than one step. kind of mentioned this, but you must have been pleased with the way your team kind of fasttracked its learning curve after game one. Yeah, I was um and and not surprising. They’ve been uh you know, I’ve sat up here a lot, many times this season, talked about the how bad they want to win, but also how coachable they are. They’re very coachable. They’re they they want to learn. They want to get better. and uh you know I thought that was evident as far as them learning and wanting to win in the playoffs. Anything else? Thomas mentioned that he thinks your team will now have like a target on its back just because of how well you guys did. But for these guys to get a taste of the playoffs, how do you think that’s going to influence just the gusto they come back with next season? It will. Um, you know, I think it goes back to what I said. We we’ve made a lot of strides from last year and uh but it’s just part part of the way. We’re not here to just make the playoffs. Uh, you know, our goal is to win Stanley Cup and uh, you know, making the playoffs and losing the first round is not the ultimate goal. And uh again, that’s up to our team, our players, our coaches to keep pushing ourselves to be better. Uh not only, you know, it’s on the players, it’s on the staff. Where can we can improve uh where the players can improve and and you know, that’s that’s what it takes to win. You got to keep improving. Travis, uh, I wonder how much you can appreciate not just the foundation being built on the ice, but off the ice and just how this city got behind this team. Yeah, it was awesome. Uh, you know, as disappointed as you are to lose for your players, uh, you’re disappointed for the fans, too, just to see the building all three games. But tonight was was it was great. and uh you know you’d like to have won this series just for the city to see more playoff hockey. Fans in Ottawa and fans across the hockey world were waiting for Brady Kachchuck to get his first taste of postseason action from your vantage point. How do you think he handled that experience? Yeah, excellent. You know, he’s he’s a great player in the league. uh he wants to win badly. Uh you talk about a team that wants to win and and wants to get better. Uh when your captain is at the top of the list when wanting to win and wanting to improve, it’s not like he’s he doesn’t just want to win, he wants to be a better player, too. And uh he’s very coachable that way. And and when your captain has that approach, it uh it makes it easier throughout your lineup. What did you think of Brady kind of playing to the crowd after game four where he’s pointing at the crowd he’s saying like we’re bringing it back here and when he’s talking to us and he’s saying it’s going to take the entire city to get behind. He’s clearly playing to to the fans. What did you think of that? Yeah, to be honest, I don’t think he’s playing anything. I think he’s just being himself. Uh he’s he’s a passionate guy. He loves winning. I I think it’s the opposite to be honest. It’s it’s not a play with him. He he he truly wants to win and wants the city to win and wants the city to feel good about the hockey team and and uh you know, you couldn’t ask for anything more.

Hear from forwards David Perron and Brady Tkachuk, goaltender Linus Ullmark, defenceman Thomas Chabot, and Head Coach Travis Green following Game Six against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Canadian Tire Centre.

0:00 David Perron
4:49 Brady Tkachuk
8:51 Linus Ullmark
14:42 Thomas Chabot
21:20 Travis Green