The music was blaring in the Florida Panthers dressing room.
With the volume so high, Tomas Vokoun suggested he and the interrogator go into the hallway for a conversation.
"This is a great barn to play in on a Friday night," said the Panthers goaltender, after the morning skate.
Actually, the way things have gone the past few weeks for Vokoun, any barn, any night, would be a good place to play.
Vokoun may be the all-star netminder and the marquee man between the pipes for the Panthers, but it hasn't mattered lately. He's been serving as caddy, while Craig Anderson started seven straight games before Vokoun received the nod for last night's clash against the Calgary Flames.
"It's always tough not to play, but there's nothing I can do," Vokoun said with a shrug. "Every other guy in the league would be sitting, too. Look at his stats and how he's played. Nobody's played better.
"I've played long enough to know I'll have my chance to play again. I'd take it a lot harder if I was a young guy, but I've played 10 years and been through stuff.
"It's not bad."
Anderson, who was drafted by the Flames in 1999 but didn't agree to a contract, has the NHL's best save percentage (.946) and second-best goals-against average (1.94), but was given a rest after posting a 41-save 2-0 victory Thursday night in Edmonton.
Vokoun, acquired prior to last season, is taking it all in stride, accepting the situation could change back in the blink of an eye.
"Andy has been playing unbelievable," he said. "I don't think there's a better playing goalie right now in the league, and it's working and we're winning. That's part of being in a team sport -- sometimes you're not playing but things are going good, so there's no reason to change."
Then again, Vokoun's history against the Flames would have been a good reason to make the switch regardless of the fact the Panthers are playing on consecutive nights.
Over his career, albeit nearly all of it while with the Nashville Predators, Vokoun went into last night's clash with an 11-3-3-1 mark against the Flames with a 1.97 GAA.
"The record is important, but every game starts 0-0 and every game is different," he said. "No matter what happened in the past, this is a brand new game, and we have a big task and have to play well to beat them."
At least the Panthers can talk about playing well so far this season. Despite having a slew of players on the shelf due to injury, Florida has been hanging tough in the playoff chase.
The team arrived in Calgary having won five of six overall and four straight road tilts.
"We're playing smart, smart hockey," Vokoun said. "We've got some timely goals and timely saves. When you win, you have to do something right, and I think a lot of things have went well for us. Hopefully, it stays that way."
At every turn, even during a winning streak, the Panthers are still being questioned about star defenceman Jay Bouwmeester's contract status. Bouwmeester is due to become an unrestricted free-agent. Vokoun insists it's not a black cloud.
"This is the 2008-09 season, and that's what you worry about," he said.
