Bartulis looking for a perfect season

Oskars Bartulis was excited to get into the lineup for the Stanley Cup finals.

"As soon as I was told that I would get to play I called my parents and my wife and told them that I will play", Bartulis says, smiling.

It wasn't easy to get ready for such important games after a long pause, though.

"I hadn't played since the first round. It was difficult to get into the game. I watched a few videos to remember all the nuances. I was nervous in the first two shifts. Then everything went fine."

Bartulis hasn't been playing much, but ice time isn't as important to him as winning games.

"The coach has more confidence in the more experienced guys", he explains. "That's it. I don't care how much I play. The main thing is we won [Game 3]."

Overall Bartulis is very happy with his season.

"If someone had told me before the season that I will play in the finals, I wouldn't have believed it. But I've had a terrific year. I was at the Olympics in Vancouver and in the Winter Classic in Boston. Winning the Stanley Cup would make it all perfect."

Bartulis is confident the Flyers can beat the Blackhawks.

"Of course, yes! And why not? Each game has been a one goal game. Shows how close it is."

Bartulis says coach Peter Laviolette told the team to simplify their game heading into overtime in Game 3.

"He told us to get more shots on goal. Don't think too much and look for passes. Put pressure on them. And we did."

"We thought too much and overdid things at first. We started shooting the puck more in the third period and put more pressure on their goal."

The first step has been taken now.

"Now we're three steps away."

Quotes from today's Sovietsky Sport