Jonathan Cheechoo Quotations

We know how they play, they're very stingy defensively. We're just going to have to match that. We have to limit their chances, try not to give them any odd-man chances, and score when we get the opportunities.

Obviously our record speaks for itself, the numbers. It's been quite a turnaround. It's great to have a player like Joe on the line.

He draws a lot of double-teams, and he sees the ice so well. Basically, all you have to do is find a soft spot in the ice. He does a great job fighting off guys, and I just pick up the garbage in front of the net.

He dove into the net for it. It was pretty cool. We've just seemed to connect since he's gotten here. It was nice for him to get an assist on it, too.

He's a great player. I've watched him since '94, I guess. He's always been one of the best players in the league, so I got lucky to get ahead of him.

We matched them better physically and we matched their intensity through the whole game. Every win is big for us. We are trying to get back into the playoff race.

He was just trying to get the goalie to maybe bite a little on his move. He froze him enough to give me time to put it upstairs.

Kids in Moose Factory and kids around the whole area were amazed that I was playing at (the junior level).

Joe does a great job drawing double-teams and fighting off guys, and I just pick up the garbage in front. I just always play hard, and if it happens, it happens. ... It's amazing to play with him, and we're making up points against teams ahead of us in the standings.

Joe and I connect well. We have a little bit of chemistry out there. We control our own destiny in making the playoffs.

I think they've shown a lot of confidence in me and I'm confident in the team. It's pretty exciting. When they went out and got Joe Thornton, it showed they wanted to win.

I think the time in Cleveland helped him. It's tough to play there. It's a good development league, but it shows you what you have to do to get here.

It doesn't really matter how many, just as long as they go in and we win.

That was nice. Anytime you can get and jump on them right away, and get a lead, kinda gets them back on their heels and gives us some momentum, and gets the crowd into it.

Most goalies just drop. I was looking for that spot just over his pad.

We were undisciplined. The calls were pretty much one-sided, but we put ourselves in that position by taking those penalties.

We got on a roll in December, and we've just been feeding on that and carrying over. We're going into the playoffs playing really good hockey, and hopefully we'll get to play Nashville.

We wanted to get the puck in deep because their defense is a little slower and smaller than they have been in the past. Everybody stuck to it and we got a good effort.

We need to get back on track. We really didn't put forth the effort tonight. It was unfortunate, but it happens.

We weren't very disciplined; (we) took a few penalties maybe we shouldn't (have). It was pretty one-sided, the (penalty) calling, but at the same time we were putting ourselves in that position.

To get that many goals, I never expected that. I just wanted to contribute to the team's success, and luckily I've just been finding the back of the net this year.

You have to get the puck to him, he's a great player.

The puck's just been finding me in the right spots.

We got our legs moving. Everyone started skating. You do that they've got to haul you down every once in a while.

We're going to try to send a few guys in there and try to get in his face so he has to move back in the net. He's challenging a lot of shots right now, staying up in the top of the crease. You get a body in there to try to move him back ... and hopefully things will start to go in.

I've been working with my agent to try to get something set up. One of the things I think I'm going to start doing is a hockey school for sure because they are big hockey fans up there.

They actually had a (men's) team that was basically made up of my uncles and my dad. I just watched them since I was a little kid. They are all hockey fanatics.

It was a nice feeling. Not a lot of guys have reached it so it's pretty special.

I've always known I could score goals. But when Joe (Thornton) came, I got the opportunity to play with him.

You never expect to have anything like this, but this is what I worked for. This is what I spent my summer training for. I wanted to be as good as I could. ... I always liked the way (Thornton) played, and I watched him play a lot growing up, when he was in juniors. He's a great passer, and I like to shoot.

They used to put me in front of the TV when I was just a little kid, and that's the only time I would be quiet, my mom said.

They play a similar style. For us, we've got to get up in their face and stop them before they can get going. We're still probably the fastest team. We need to get our defense up in the play to snuff out their forwards so they don't get a chance to get out on the breaks.

There were a lot of penalties out there, so there were a lot of chances for special teams. Both teams just took advantage of it.

There was still an angle there. I knew he was paying attention to the other side of the net. Joe made a great pass and I basically just tried to get it on net and get it up a bit where he'd have trouble controlling it.

It's exciting. I've been close a couple times before. I figured eventually it might come if I got the bounces.

It's exciting when you get a player of that magnitude. He's in the top 10 in the league ... I'd say top five ? one of the best passers I've seen in a long time.

It's a good thing. I was pretty excited. I never expected anything like this coming in. I just wanted to be at this level, contribute and anything I get on the side is just a bonus.

It's a nice feeling, not a lot of guys have reached it so it's pretty special. I've just got to thank my teammates for helping out so much this year. It's because of them I've reached it.

It's a huge win. Everybody stepped it up tonight and we came up with our best effort.

It's a hockey-rich town there, and everybody lives hockey. When they go hunting now they even take a generator, a TV and a satellite dish out there so they can watch the playoff games.

It's a pretty big win for us. Every win now is big for us. We're trying to climb back into the playoff race, so these games against teams that are above us are huge for us.

It's pretty frustrating. We're trying to get the ship righted.

I've gotten used to it and embraced it. Now it's something that I kind of take pride in and I enjoy speaking to the kids.

It was one of our best efforts. We've struggled in the last four or five games so it was nice to come back like this.

I wanted to put myself in a position where he'd make the first move.

They battled hard after coming out flat in the first period. We jumped out to an early lead but we started to make it too difficult on ourselves and they got right back into it. It was nice to get that third one to get the guys going again.

They were missing some guys and they have older players, too, so we knew we had to come out hard and take it to them.

Any time you can get a little bit of rest it helps.

I knew it hit my foot and I looked down at my skate. Everybody started celebrating so I knew something happened. I guess you get one of those every once in a while.

I never really imagined it, but it's amazing. A lot of guys who I have a lot of respect for when I was growing up have got their names on that trophy. It's still sinking in.

In the new NHL you've got to always keep pouring it on, you can't take any shifts off because you don't know when they're going to get a bounce or a call.

I just turned and seen there was nobody between me and the net, so I just shot it. I didn't even look at the clock.

I came in, trying to set myself up so I could shoot at any time. I got into shooting position and he dropped down pretty early, so I knew I just had to get it upstairs.

The first couple of shifts we sustained pressure in their end, and had good control. When you spend that much time in their end, I think everybody gets a little more energized.

The last time we played them we came out a little bit flat and they played a really good, solid road game. So it's nice to come in here and to the same thing to them. I think we matched them a little bit better physically than we did at home, and we matched their intensity for the whole game.