Marty Turco Q and A

NHL Conference Call
Marty was named the National Hockey League's Defensive Player of the Week for last week after posting a 3-1 record with a 1.977 goals against average. Last Monday, the Sault Ste. Marie native recorded his first shutout of the season and 22nd of his five year National Hockey League career as the Stars defeated the Edmonton Oilers 4-0. On Saturday he recorded his second shootout victory as Dallas beat San Jose 3-2, and last night he made a season high of 40 saves in the 3-1 win in Anaheim. Earlier this season he recorded his 100th career victory when the Stars defeated the Calgary Flames 2?1 on October 22nd. Again, we thank Marty for joining us today.

Q. Just wanted to ask you about the shootouts, your opinion about them and maybe talk a little bit about mentality, how you prepare for a shootout, is it different than a penalty shot? Obviously it's not the same as a breakaway because you've got to think about it a little bit, can you just talk a little bit about that?
MARTY TURCO: Well, for me, it's - I don't know if it's any different, probably is like most things and other goaltenders. But I just want to be loose and ready and kind of bouncing on my feet, just to be prepared for anything, knowing that the guys that are in this shootout are highly skilled and obviously dangerous. But I don't want to I never want to kind of guess at what the guy is going to do or have something in my mind. Or maybe I might know a move that I can prepare for beforehand, but still, I'm just reading and reacting off of what the player is doing. And whatever he does, then I try to accordingly get in front of the puck. In general, though, it's fun. Both times I've been in it this year have been on the road, and the fans have been great in Colorado and San Jose, on their feet and clapping, and I really think the league should be pretty happy about what they have done in terms of creating a positive atmosphere for the in?house fans, and I'm sure for the viewership. For me, I thought it would be a little more hectic, but it's part of the job now. And I've played a little bit with it in the IHL, the now defunct one a few years ago. It's not tota lly new at this level. And the meaningfulness of it all, I think it's great and been pretty good. For us I can say that, because we've won two of them, but I know that won't last the whole year.

Q. It's been suggested maybe moving from three to five shooters, but would that be too much to ask of a goalie who has already played a full game and overtime to go two more shooters?
MARTY TURCO: Not now. You've seen enough practices, the amount of work guys do and the preparation and conditioning that goalies for the most part are enduring over the course of a season. I don't think it's too much. They probably thought it was going to be a lot to ask of just in terms of a time consumption, but as everybody sees, it doesn't take long. You clean the ice anyway; you might as well do it for the fans' benefit.
But regardless, three or five, I do think it's helped revive the game that was gone for a whole season and helped create more energy and atmosphere in the rinks. And just for anybody, just to have everybody stick around for a game of hockey, that's what we want, and I don't think it's too much to ask. I just think it's great in general anyway.

Q. Dave Tippett said last night that you had got to a point last night where it's just purely instinctive. Just playing instead of thinking, is that true, is that sort of the biggest difference between your play right now and a month ago?
MARTY TURCO: No, it's not the biggest difference. (Laughing). The biggest difference I think just for me is a little bit more day?to?day confidence; the muscle memory, when the shot is coming in, the body is actually is actually doing what I want it to do. Sometimes you just move in a way that's not conducive to stopping the puck. So just having a lot more repetition and getting the mind and the body working cohesively has been important. But as we've talked before, getting in position and being patient is No. 1 and 2 for me, and after that, it's just using my instincts and my game to stop the puck and do whatever it takes after that. So having the confidence that I know that I am in the right position and that I will stay there longer certainly does help. But, you know, it doesn't go without saying that without having the opportunity to play in a lot of games in a quick league and the turnaround, and even back-to-back games; it's not the conditioning part, I do enjoy it. Just in terms of the groove factor, it does help. But if you're playing well, it just can only go up exponentially, and it has for me, anyway. The best part is, at the same time, the guys have picked up our game, so it's been a combo effect and we're enjoying it right now.

Q. You said that awhile ago, we were talking about how seeing more offense might make the better goalies even better. Have you seen that happen yet? Do you think that's starting to happen yet?
MARTY TURCO: Well, I think for guys that are getting their game, you can't discount that it's early November and the first season after a lockout. You know, time will just tell and it will certainly separate those ?? you know, everybody is different. There's a lot the slow starters. I’ll never forget the way Dominik (Hasek) played in his prime when he had that wonderful run there over whatever many years that was. He just seemed to be a slow starter, but he knew the importance of the season, and then the playoffs. So I think everybody is a little bit different and some guys are getting used to it. Teams are just adjusting still. And you know, it's hard, you can't just go ahead and play well all by yourself in this new day and age league, because there's a lot more that goes into it, especially with penalty killing and blocking shots and picking up rebounds. So, you know, we've been doing a wonderful job in all of those aspects, and that's in turn helped me elevate my game, or at least look like that to you guys.

Q. I think you've touched on this a little bit, but I was just curious, we've got the shootout and more offense, but with the new rules and regulation, obviously the people that benefitted least from those are the goalies, at least on paper, going in. Just curious if you can go through what your thoughts were when you first saw with the equipment and rule changes and whatnot, what you first thought about when you first saw those rules, and how that's evolved into your game?
MARTY TURCO: Well, not just for me, but for a lot of us, I was fortunate enough to partake in the GM meetings last spring in Detroit. All we were really ever concerned with as a union, if you will, was just keeping it safe for us and not really getting too ridiculous. We're all fans of the game and want to promote it, and also we want it to be as good as it can be.
So we really ?? right from the onset, there's never much of a concern knowing that 12 inches to 11 on the pads, and other downsizing with the equipment was not going to be a concern. It wasn't going to change the style of our game, the way we play it, the way we block it, the way we move. So that really wasn't much of a problem. But we were all a little nervous with coming into the season with the changes, not just one or two of them, but all of them combined, what it possibly could do. And as you're seeing, the games and the way the goals are going up and the number of lopsided victories, some might say that's the downside of the product, good for home fans if it's your team.

I think as goalies, me and J. S. Giguere were talking last night after the game, and it's just the mental challenge after games and after weeks or months after some seemingly bad games, there's just nights that I've actually felt li ke I've played well and let in four or five goals. But you just have to let it go, and I think you can to let it roll off the back a little easier than the old style of not being able to talk to them all on game days, but you're going have to let things certainly roll a lot better and continue just to try to make the difference for your team every night, whether it's giving up one goal or four. Just want to give them the best chance possible. And that's about it. Worrying about stats is kind of out the window now.

Q. Do you think that people kind of have to adjust what they look at in terms of judging goalies on their stats?
MARTY TURCO: A little bit, Sure, over the course of a season and once we get going, and everybody has played with the equipment and the rules and excuses are no more, numbers are going to be, just like any sport, kind of like a bikini, they show a lot but not everything. I think it's going to be the same for goaltenders. But it's a big difference the way the team plays and helps out now as before. Even if you're on, you can still be subjected to numerous goals and lamplighters.

Q. Is that bikini line original?
MARTY TURCO: No, it's Bouchers. He's the father, or the first I've ever heard it from.

Q. Talk about just the week for you, obviously the hockey club with three wins, just what's going right right now for the Dallas Stars?
MARTY TURCO: I think just the mentality and our game approach, to stay with it. We've had some struggles with letting in early goals early in the season, and that's really taken the wind out of our sails, and that's just can't be the case. And especially with the way the league is going that there's still opportunities to crawl back into games and opportunities to score are certainly there; and mistakes are going to get buried in your net a lot more often. There's going to be just more things to deal with, so I think the ability to stay with it as a club is important. Our positioning, our togetherness on the ice and off, has grown, and that has certainly transpired for good play on the ice. Other than that, you can't always exactly just stay with showing that everybody to a man is playing better; we needed that. It wasn't just one guy scoring more goals or goalie stopping more pucks; we needed everybody to play better. We looked at each other and said look in the mirror, and I think we did that and it's showing on the ice for us.

Q. One hundred wins for you now, you were able to pick up a li ttle while ago, is that a number that you look at, at all, or is that something maybe when your career is over down the road?
MARTY TURCO: Hopefully it grows and doubles or triples. But, yeah, I think it's down the road stuff. When I put that puck in the office at home and has a 100 on it, you know, it just shows ?? it's amazing, I never even imagined myself playing in the NHL, never even thought it was a possibility and almost never was a dream, just didn't seem like something that was destined for me. So, I'm a lucky guy. I knew it the day I played my first game and let five in that day, I was still excited that I had the opportunity to play in the NHL. Whether it was one or one hundred now, it doesn't change my approach in realizing how fortunate I am and how much I just want to continue working hard and giving it my best, because it's a wonderful opportunity for my family, for me, and we cherish every moment we can.

Q. Just curious, schedule?related question, if I may. Just your thoughts on the schedule that has placed you in Anaheim here for three days between games, which is certainly strange, and also, the structure of the schedule the way it is now with playing so many games against the teams in your division, do you like that, do you think that develops rivalries, or would it be better to see some of the teams in the East and that you're not going to see this year?
MARTY TURCO: Certainly we'd like to see all teams and all players, especially having the year off, there's lots of guys and some talented players I just miss being able to see. But thank goodness for satellite television. And for us in the West, we counted; we play 57 out of our 82 in either California, Arizona or Texas. So we're not really complaining too much, even though we spend a lot of time in hotels compared to most, it's not too bad. In terms of the rivalries, I think only time will tell for the beginning of potential rivals that do not exist at this stage. Playing more is going to help, but there's nothing like a playoff series that goes five, six, seven games. That's what we all look forward to and really what we are all playing for is to jockey for position to get in a playoff series and then start really leaning to hate each other, and those are the moments that will usually stick out in your mind. But playing these games will help and seeing more guys and just like for them, maybe it will turn into some fun playoffs times for everybody. But hanging out in Newport isn't a terribly bad thing. Getting ready to play golf today on a day off, actually collecting four points in 24 hours, couldn't think of doing anything better, unless I'm hanging out with my kids at home.

Attēlā: Mārtijs Turko. Photo: Marty Turco. © Andris Jansons (Hokeja Vestnesis)