Satans Hockey Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 (edited) Tickets are still available for anyone living in the area wanting to go to tonights game. I picked up a pair of tickets for game 7. Edited June 5, 2006 by Satans Hockey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueSkirt Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 I'll watch tonight to see how the Oil come out after the layoff. Cinderella vs. a team taking a second stab at the Cup. And no matter what, it's the SC Final !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
langs15 Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 LET'S GO EDMONTON! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devilsdude530 Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 Doc and JD have the call. Chris Simpson and Bob Harwood reporting. Bill Clement, Keith Jones, Neil Smith, Brian Engblom and Mark Messier are in the studio for Games 1 & 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devilish34 Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 Go Oilers That was like eating Lava soap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satans Hockey Posted June 5, 2006 Author Share Posted June 5, 2006 Bill Clement, Keith Jones, Neil Smith, Brian Engblom and Mark Messier are in the studio for Games 1 & 2. I didn't think it was possible to make the studio crew any worse, but wow they did it. I usually change the channel during intermission, now I have even more of a reason to. to Messier being in the studio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vinnie Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 Hopefully Smyth can make Ward snap like he did to Gigeure earlier in the year, but more than that hopefully they can steal home ice advantage. GO OILERS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek21 Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 I'm looking forward to a good series. Note: Cam Ward will become the first rookie goalie to start in the finals since Ron Hextall in 1987 against Edmonton. Here's today's info: THE NHL TODAY - MONDAY, JUNE 5 NHL, HURRICANES SUPPORT "COACH'S CHALLENGE AGAINST CANCER" The National Hockey League and the Carolina Hurricanes announced today that it has teamed up in support of the "Coach's Challenge Against Cancer," an initiative created by Hurricanes head coach, Peter Laviolette, to raise funds and awareness for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Eastern North Carolina Chapter. Laviolette developed the program in honor of his six-year-old Raleigh neighbor, Julia Rowe, who is battling leukemia. http://media.nhl.com/media/app?service=pag...06/06/3745.html For more information on The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Eastern North Carolina Chapter, http://www.lls.org/nce THEY SAID IT "If I didn't play him as much as I do he'd turn around and give me the hairy-eyeball." - Hurricanes head coach Peter Laviolette, on captain Rod Brind'Amour. For this and other news and notes, read NHL.com's Stanley Cup Final Notebook: http://www.nhl.com/cupcrazy/2006/serieso/notebook060406.html "Well, I don't think Ryan's the face in my eyes, because I always saw the back side of him." - Oilers goaltender Dwayne Roloson, when asked whether he considered Ryan Smyth the face of the Oilers franchise. THE BIG STORIES -- HURRICANES EXPECT TO BE HERE -- HURRICANES' STILLMAN A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR -- HURRICANES' BRIND'AMOUR THE 'BODY' OF THE FRANCHISE -- OILERS' SMITH A CONSUMMATE TEAM LEADER -- OILERS' PRONGER LOOKS TO ELEVATE HIS GAME ON THE BIG STAGE -- OILERS' ROLOSON ON THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW -- DEVORSKI BROTHERS MAKE STANLEY CUP HISTORY HURRICANES EXPECT TO BE HERE Luke DeCock writes in the RALEIGH NEWS AND OBSERVER , "The Hurricanes aren't saying, 'You never know.' They know. When they take the ice for Game 1 tonight against the Edmonton Oilers, it will be a moment they have expected since Day 1. Even before the season, the Hurricanes believed that not only did they have a chance to win the Stanley Cup, they had as good a chance as anyone. But such ambition is not spring-fed, a wonder of nature. It has to be nurtured and cultivated and nourished and coddled until it blossoms into all of its manifestations-confidence and hunger and drive and belief." http://www.newsobserver.com/122/story/447197.html HURRICANES' STILLMAN A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR Neil Stevens of CANADIAN PRESS writes, "Cory Stillman's contributions during Carolina's march to the NHL's championship series can't be overemphasized. Stillman is tied for the league playoff lead in most game-winning goals, and he's tied for second in points with 19. He's had a sensational spring, yet, the 32-year-old forward often is overshadowed by teammates when credit is distributed for the Hurricanes' success. 'He's an under-rated player,' coach Peter Laviolette said on the eve of Game 1...'In my opinion, not only is he under-rated through the league, even on our team he never gets enough recognition for what he does...He's a very important piece to our puzzle.'" http://www.canada.com/topics/sports/hockey...82a251a&k=99411 HURRICANES' BRIND'AMOUR THE 'BODY' OF THE FRANCHISE Jim Matheson of the EDMONTON JOURNAL writes, "When he was asked if he was the face of the Hurricanes, the clean-shaven Rod Brind'Amour, who doesn't believe in the scraggy playoff beard look, blushed...'Uh, me? I wouldn't say that,' said the Hurricanes captain, who's always subscribed to the old motto, that there's no 'I' in team. His teammates beg to differ, though. They see a guy playing 24 minutes a game - more than any other playoff forward - leading in face-off percentages and setting the bar with nine goals, which ties him for the playoff high. Then there's the penalty-killing he does. 'If he's not the face,' said Ray Whitney, 'then he's the rest of the body.'" http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news...bc-df3009902cf0 A DEEPER LOOK Hurricanes RW Mark Recchi is making his first Final appearance in 15 years. In 1991, he captured the Stanley Cup as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Recchi's Stanley Cup Final appearances 15 years apart will break the mark of 14 years held by Dino Ciccarelli (1981 Minnesota-1995 Detroit). OILERS' SMITH A CONSUMMATE TEAM LEADER Joanne Ireland with the EDMONTON JOURNAL , "The trademark fiery stare, that intense look that flashes right across his eyes, is vintage Jason Smith. Time and again, it has agitated opponents and ignited his teammates. But other times, Smith draws on the lessons learned from all those captains that came before him-and maybe none moreso than Doug Weight, who will be across the ice tonight when the Oilers and Carolina Hurricanes face off in the opening game of the Stanley Cup final. Smith, the man who picked up the captain's mantle after Weight was traded from the fiscally restrained Oilers to the free-spending St. Louis Blues, will skate out with his defensive partner Chris Pronger this evening, leading his team into their first championship game in 16 years." http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news...93-d0080908c112 OILERS' PRONGER LOOKS TO ELEVATE HIS GAME ON THE BIG STAGE Robin Brownlee writes in the EDMONTON SUN , "As outstanding as he's been, Chris Pronger says he can be better. That's saying a mouthful less than 48 hours before the Edmonton Oilers face the Carolina Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup final, given all the evidence Pronger's game is about as good as it gets right now. With 17 points and averaging almost 32 minutes of playing time a night through the first three rounds, Pronger is enjoying the best post-season of his career. When talk turns - as it always does on press row - to who the Oilers' Conn Smythe Trophy candidate is, Pronger is mentioned repeatedly, along with Dwayne Roloson. Still, despite being as close to the Stanley Cup as he's ever been, Pronger sees himself - as has been the case with this Oilers team this season - as a work in progress. You mean there's more?" http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Columnists/Brown...03/1614119.html OILERS' ROLOSON ON THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW Larry Wigge writes on NHL.COM , "Dwayne Roloson's career path has had more deflections than a 80 mph slap shot that bounces off a skate, a knee and a shoulder before finding an unpredictable ending in the back of the net. The 36-year-old goaltender who is leading the Edmonton Oilers to their storybook first visit to the Stanley Cup finals since 1990 is not a former first-round draft choice who predictably developed into a stopper in goal. Heck, he was never drafted by an NHL team and doesn't have a long history of 30-win seasons or an impressive playoff record. In fact, he wasn't even a wee lad in 1990, when the Oilers beat the Boston Bruins in five games to win their fifth Stanley Cup in seven years. He was already 21then and still scuffling around lower-class junior hockey programs in Ontario." http://www.nhl.com/columns/wigge/roloson060306.html DEVORSKI BROTHERS MAKE STANLEY CUP HISTORY Terry Jones writes in the EDMONTON SUN , "Referee Paul Devorski and his linesman brother Greg will be the first set of brothers in NHL history to work the final as officials. While they don't know the combinations of officials for each game yet, the two, who worked together in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final here Thursday, will almost certainly come up in combination...Paul is 11 years older than his, er, little brother (and) is more or less responsible for Greg getting into the business. "I used to take him as a goal judge when I did Senior A playoffs. I said 'Put on a shirt and tie and be a goal judge. You get $20.'" http://www.edmontonsun.com/Sports/Hockey/2...614932-sun.html QUICK HITS -- John Kreiser on notable numbers to keep in mind for the Stanley Cup Final: http://www.nhl.com/columns/kreiser/finals060206.html -- Mark Messier to join OLN as Guest Studio Analyst for Monday and Wednesday's games: http://www.olntv.com/nw/article/view/16998...icleWrapper.tpl -- Brian Biggane talks to some legendary Oilers alumni: http://www.palmbeachpost.com/panthers/cont...c_nhl_0605.html -- Mike Zeisberger on the Hurricanes' Eric Staal: http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/Playo...614126-sun.html MULTIMEDIA -- Watch the Carolina Hurricanes Media Day: http://boss.streamos.com/wmedia/nhl/press_...r_pregame_1.wvx -- Watch the Edmonton Oilers Media Day: http://boss.streamos.com/wmedia/nhl/press_...r_pregame_2.wvx OILERS, HURRICANES TRANSCRIPTS ON MEDIA.NHL.COM For the latest in media information on the Stanley Cup Final, post-game and off-day quotes, practice and media availability schedules, satellite coordinates and more, make sure to visit the NHL's media website at http://media.nhl.com 2006 STANLEY CUP FINAL SCHEDULE Read NHL.com's series preview: http://www.nhl.com/cupcrazy/2006/serieso/preview.html Locate OLN in your market : http://www.olntv.com/article/view/743/?tf=footerArticles.tpl http://www.nhl.com/cupcrazy/2006/serieso/g...ance060506.html The time has come: Drop the puck! By Phil Coffey | NHL.com June 5, 2006 RALEIGH, N.C. - In one sentence, Ryan Smyth summed up the feelings of both the Edmonton Oilers and Carolina Hurricanes on the eve of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. "It's time to play," said Smyth, the Oilers' veteran forward. And play they will tonight (8 p.m. ET, OLN, CBC, RDS, NHL Radio) as the Hurricanes play host to the Oilers with the Stanley Cup on the line. The Oilers have been off since eliminating the Anaheim Ducks May 27th and Edmonton is eager to get its act together and get going again. The Hurricanes have had a much shorter time off since eliminating the Buffalo Sabres in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals June 1. Teams with time off have not fared well this postseason. But for the Oilers, the break was a tonic in ridding the team of a lingering flu bug that had plagued most of the team against Anaheim. Smyth said in recent days, the players have gotten back into the swing of things. "The last couple of practices that we had were more of a scrimmage and they were a little more intense," Smyth said. "I think if it went on a little bit longer, we'd get in scraps." "I don't think it'll be a problem,'' center Michael Peca said. "I don't think anybody wants eight days without hockey. But we did have some guys who were sick, some guys who needed that time. I think it'll pay off for us." The teams did not face each other during the regular season, so there is an element of the unknown here, but players and coaches from both sides expect the series to be fast, hard hitting and entertaining. "It will be a battle," Oilers forward Jarret Stoll said. "Definitely it's going to be interesting. They have got a lot of good shooters out there. They move the puck pretty quick and they don't waste time out there, they like to get the puck to the net and we're going to have to do a great job blocking shots and not letting them set up the way they want to. Just make it tough for them and make them force a decision, force a pass, just take them out of their ordinary feel, and that's what we did against Detroit and that's what we're going to have to do here." Stoll doesn't sound like he isn't familiar with the Hurricanes now does he? "That's where you've got to do your scouting, get your video sessions in and learn about them and whoever executes the best is going to win the series," Stoll continued. "Discipline, all of these things that come into factor, specialty teams that are huge on playoffs are going to have to be huge again. "It's no secret what's going to win this series. You've just got to execute your system and your game plan to a tee. They don't know us very well and we don't know them, it's going to be a battle." Carolina coach Peter Laviolette is blessed with a deep and talented lineup. For Carolina, the second-seeded team in the East, it will be a case of continuing to do the things that have made the club such a success this season, namely playing a team-oriented game. "Well, we've relied on our entire lineup throughout the year and picking people to step up at different times," coach Peter Laviolette said. "What (GM) Jim (Rutherford) said is true, one of the greatest points we have is the depth of our attack, whether it's forwards, defense or goaltending. "Both goaltenders have carried us at some point through the course of the season. You know, Marty had an opportunity at the beginning of the playoffs and it didn't go his way. He was battling the flu and had some tough periods, but Martin Gerber is a reason we finished as high as we did and maintained home ice here in the Finals. Cam came in in a pinch-hit performance that night against Montreal and he played real well, so we went back with Cam and he ran with it. He played extremely well." To no one's surprise, goaltending will be a pivotal factor. Ward, the talented rookie, has exuded confidence and shook off the rare defeat in getting the Hurricanes to within four wins of the Stanley Cup. In the other net, Dwayne Roloson has more than justified the first-round pick it will cost the Oilers for acquiring him at the trade deadline from Minnesota. "I've said all along I don't want to pinch myself quite yet," Ward said. "Obviously we're having the ride of our life here and doing everything I can to enjoy it. But, you know, I did get some playoff experience at the junior level and last season in the American Hockey League. I realize it's a whole different level, but at the same time I'm trying to use that and carry it on over to this stage." Edmonton Oilers pre-game quotes - Craig MacTavish Contact Information: June 5, 2006 2006 STANLEY CUP FINAL EDMONTON OILERS HEAD COACH CRAIG MACTAVISH PRE-GAME QUOTES Q. Can you talk about the job that Chris Pronger has done consistently in front of the net just clearing bodies out and the presence that he is right in that area. COACH CRAIG MACTAVISH: Yeah, you can't say enough about the way he's playing, not just in front of our net but just his overall game. He's a top player at the very top of his game right now, and he controls -- as we said when we got him, there's nothing that he can't do. You know, he's an integral part of our power play, our penalty kill, the last minute of the game when we're down a goal, the last minute of a game when we're up a goal; he's a very complete player, playing very well right now. Q. How tough is it to prepare for a player like Eric Staal that a lot of you guys haven't seen before? COACH CRAIG MACTAVISH: Well, the thing about today's game is that there are no secrets. The video travels and we see him play lots, even during the regular season, we're all curious as to just how good of a player he is, and certainly we have seen him lots on video. We've had Jeff Ward at the last series scouting for us. So I think it would be very hard to keep any secrets from either of the coaching staffs going into this series based on the amount of availability, the information. We have a pretty good sense of how good he is and where his areas of strengths are. Q. You talked a little bit the other day about Cam Ward being surprised to see a young goaltender who has been this good this quick, can you just expand on that and talk a little bit about what you see when you look at the footage of him. COACH CRAIG MACTAVISH: Well, we have the -- I don't know whether it's the luxury, but our goaltender coach is the president of the Cam Ward Fan Club. Because Pete Peeters played with Cam in Red Deer, as those of us from Alberta know. So Pete has seen Cam lots. He is not the least bit surprised with the progress that he's made this year. You know, the one thing that he's pointed out all along is how mentally tough this guy is and how unflappable he is. When you go into a series against your boyhood idol, Martin Brodeur, and win that series, I think it would be unrealistic for us to think that he's going to be -- his confidence is going to waiver under the pressure of the Finals. I don't anticipate that. I think he's going to play very well for them. Q. Still with Cam Ward, he showed a tremendous poise for a young guy in the playoff run, but you guys have had a very good track record throughout the playoffs of kind of rattling the opposition's goalie, do you think you can do that against this guy, and how important is that to kind of establish that early? COACH CRAIG MACTAVISH: No, I don't think we can. We don't anticipate that he's going to come unraveled for sure. Our game plan in this series is the same as it's been in every other series, and we want to see both goaltenders. It's normally a sign that things are going wrong for your opponent, which is always a good sign. We'd like to see Gerber at some point in the series, and we're going to do what we've done the last three series; we'll try and get pucks to the net, and everyone knows that playoff goals are not always the prettiest goals, and you want to get pucks in traffic to the net, but within the confines of the rules. I think we've been walking that line very effectively through the course of the first three series, getting to areas where we can get rebounds, but not getting penalized by getting a bunch of unnecessary goaltender interference penalties, and that will be very important this series, as well. We want to get into the sight line but we don't want to interfere with them. The referees have done a real good job distinguishing between the two. Q. You said it's no secret that Montreal and New Jersey and Buffalo really didn't take it to Carolina's defense, will we see the team that weathers the storm, in the first ten minutes after the layoff, or will you be the physical team that you were in the games against San Jose? COACH CRAIG MACTAVISH: I wish I had my crystal ball, but that's a question I'm waiting to have answered tonight. Certainly I feel like we're ready to take it to them. You never know what the effects of the layoff are going to be. As Kevin Lowe said the other day, you push the rewind button and our game plan is going to try to put a great deal of pressure on their defense. Our team has always been a team -- we're better off the rush now than we have been in the past, but we've always been very good at creating offense but putting pressure on the opposition's defense and that will be a very integral, important part of our game plan tonight. I'll be interested to see how we come through the layoff. Q. Can you contrast your preparation as a player when you're going into the first game of a Stanley Cup Final to what you have to do as a coach? Obviously now you have to manage your team, sort of nervous energy and that sort of thing. COACH CRAIG MACTAVISH: Yeah, you feel -- as a player, I guess the easiest way to describe the difference for me is as a player I really felt I was responsible for my own play, my own intensity, knowing the game plan, know the areas that I had to be on the ice. As a coach, you feel responsible for everybody. You know, we've had enough time. It really worked to our favor during the Detroit series where we had the time to prepare after the last game, so we've had a considerable amount of time to prepare. I think we're -- you know, I feel like we're well prepared and ready to go, and that would be the difference. Q. Three people on your coaching staff that came from the NHL, very different kind of players, and can bring those attributes to the players, can you speak about what attracted you to Bill Moores and his role. I saw him do quite a bit of detail work in practice. COACH CRAIG MACTAVISH: Billy is one of the few guys in the game that can speak to anybody at any level in the game of hockey and he can present it in a fashion that can make sense to them. He can go into a pee-wee team and speak to them in a fashion because of his experience, they are very capable of understanding it. He can teach coaches, the highest-level coaches, seminars, he can teach them the intricacies of the game, as well. He's a wealth of information, and I'm glad you mentioned his name, I couldn't be happier for him in this situation, and certainly a guy that's paid his dues. He has the utmost respect from the players and very knowledgeable guy and very important member of the coaching staff. Q. The penalty kill has obviously been pretty good, but do you feel like you need to cut back on the number of times that you find yourself short-handed in the box? COACH CRAIG MACTAVISH: Well, absolutely. We've taken a lot of penalties the last number of games and a lot of bad penalties, a lot of too many men on the ice and we're not going to get away with that in the series and we've talked about that. We have to be better and more disciplined in that area. We've got a very healthy respect for their power play. You have to, any time a power play is operating at 26 percent, you know, you're going to pay a price if you're taking bad penalties. You may get away with one or two of them but you're not going to get away with taking nine or ten or 11 penalties during the course of a game, or you're going to be hurt very badly. And our penalty killing has been good, but, you know, this power play, these two units, are going to pose significant challenges for us, as they have for the three previous teams that they have eliminated. Q. You know a guy like Mark Recchi from your days as a player -- COACH CRAIG MACTAVISH: I played with him in Philly for a bit. Q. What in your mind does he brings to this Hurricanes team, the addition of him and Weight, but specifically Mark, at this point in his career and his experience and his abilities at this point? COACH CRAIG MACTAVISH: Yeah, his experience I think is probably the main -- one of the main things that he brings, having won a Stanley Cup himself in Pittsburgh. He's still got a considerable game. He's playing very well right now. So he's a handful down low, and he's playing -- he's always been a gritty player, and maybe that's the least-known aspect of his game. He's going to have a certain hunger for sure. He's been there and he knows what it's like and doesn't want to let this opportunity slip away. They have a few guys, as you mentioned, Doug Weight in that category as well, where a trip to the Finals is not something that's going to go underappreciated by them, and they are going to be very motivated, and that's a tough combination. Q. Lineup changes for tonight, do you -- COACH CRAIG MACTAVISH: I don't normally talk about that, no. I didn't answer it before. (Laughter). Thank you. Carolina Hurricanes pre-game quotes - Peter Laviolette Contact Information: June 5, 2006 2006 STANLEY CUP FINAL CAROLINA HURRICANES HEAD COACH PETER LAVIOLETTE PRE-GAME QUOTES Q. What are your expectations of the Oilers from a physical standpoint? Are they as physical or more physical than other teams you've played? COACH PETER LAVIOLETTE: They look like they have been banged around pretty well. We got banged around in the Montreal series and they had a big, tough defence I think in Montreal. Komisarek plays a tough game, so it's not something that we're not used to. It appears that they were skating well and were finishing their hits and getting in on the forecheck. I don't think it's going to catch us off-guard. But they are a physical team. Q. You guys have had great success going to the net and getting traffic in front of goalies but now you're facing a defenseman like Pronger, does had a change your game plan in the offensive zone at all? COACH PETER LAVIOLETTE: Honestly I'm not sure because we have not played them. I think there's been a challenge for us every series, to be honest with you to try and -- we've faced some good defences and some good goaltending and I think this is just more of the same. You know, the first round with Montreal, getting through their defence, and getting through Kobasew, was playing extremely well at the time and the second round with New Jersey, and they are a defensive-minded team and they kind of collapse in towards their goaltender, and then you have Marty Brodeur behind them. The last round, Buffalo put up a wall and we had to try to find a way through it, and so we have had these challenges all along. That will obviously be the challenge this round as well. Q. What do you think about the goalie match-up just in this series? You couldn't really ask for a more stark contrast as far as Cam Ward versus Dwyane Roloson. COACH PETER LAVIOLETTE: You know, there are so many questions about -- what about this, what about that and that's ultimately why you play the games, and Roloson has obviously played well to this point. Our goaltending has played well to this point I think, also. Cam Ward has been outstanding. So, you know, it should be -- the goaltending is a great match-up. Our forwards versus their defence is a great match-up, our power play versus their penalty kill is a great match-up. That's why we play the games. Q. Do you think you do more coaching or is coaching more crucial in the early stages of a series like this, where you don't know each other very well, as opposed to later when maybe the series has its own life? COACH PETER LAVIOLETTE: I think there's always -- at the beginning of each series there's always been a lot of preparation time. What's been good for us is there's always three or four days between series. Some series, go back to Edmonton, they left Game 7, and two nights later they are starting and that's not a lot of preparation time when you're trying to focus on the job at hand. We have had a lot of time to prepare, and for us, we always do spend a little bit more time breaking down Edmonton, what they do, their system. It's not our focus, but we do get into how they kill penalties, how they set up on the power play, how they forecheck in the neutral zone, certain faceoffs, and we do our best to prepare for them. Once we get going into the series, it's more about what can we do better against them and it reverts back to us because we've always thought about us and not about the opponent. Q. A lot of your guys have talked about the team bonding exercise you did early and the chemistry you've tried to foster throughout, can you talk about your philosophy about that an d maybe where you learned some of this or where you developed your thoughts about that? COACH PETER LAVIOLETTE: You know, honestly it's probably a minor thing. I started coaching in the minors and the East Coast Hockey League. I feel like your teams are so close in the minors, not as many walls and players, not even player to player, but player to staff, player to management, player to ownership, spouses, children. It's nothing that really is different for me. I think a lot of it has to do with your upbringing, my mom and dad and their influence on me and my family life and just what I believe in really. But ultimately, it's about the players. If the players decide they want cliques all over the locker room, all of the team building in the world won't help -- well, it may help a little bit but you're probably still going to have a segregated locker room. We have a unique set of guys in there, where they truly enjoy being with each other, and it's a great team atmosphere. We've got wives that are super and we've got children that hang around and everybody gets to know, and dads that are in the locker room today as we speak. It's a truly unique environment. Q. You talked briefly about the matchup, their penalty killing against your power play, what have you done well that's allowed you to click at the rate you're clicking at and can you continue to do that against what you see on their penalty kill? COACH PETER LAVIOLETTE: I hope so. But again I have to play the games and find out and try to make adjustments along the way. I think our strength has been our depth of skill. You can send out two units and one unit is Stillman, Brind'Amour and Williams, who are top point guys in the NHL all year long and now in the playoffs, as well. You can send out another unit of Whitney, Weight and Recchi. Those are two pretty good units. We use a forward on defensive side of it on the point, and Eric Staal and Cullen, who are two pretty gifted people and we have two great defensemen out there as well. I just think we are deep with skill and the power play is so important, we talked about it and how it can win you hockey games. The challenge here is the same as Buffalo, trying to get the shots through. It seems like Pronger is always in front of the net and always in front of the goalie, doesn't go too far from that. We have a challenge to try to get pucks through the net. Q. I hope you haven't answered this already, I just got here, can you talk about what Mark Recchi has brought to this club in terms of experience and leadership, especially to some of your younger players. COACH PETER LAVIOLETTE: Well, I think he's come in and he's played a lot of playoff games. He's had a terrific career in the National Hockey League, and he's come in here and he's blended into a locker room that we have already talked about as being a great locker room. I think one of the things that Jim Rutherford did an excellent job of is making sure we had good character people we traded for at the deadline, like Recchi and Weight, that would come in and not go their own way. Let's be honest here, Doug Weight and Mark Recchi have won us hockey games. And it's not all about them because it's not about one person in the room, but they have had key contributions and key goals through the course of the first three rounds that have led to the success that we're here. They have come in and done exactly what we have asked them to do, which is to add to the depth of this team, add to Eric Staal, to Justin Williams, Cory Stillman, Ray Whitney, Kevyn Adams and they have done that, they have done that really well. Q. What about all of the adrenaline, the emotion, the build-up of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, all of the players' experience, how do you control it and how do you use it in Game 1 tonight? COACH PETER LAVIOLETTE: Well, it's in our building , it should be a great environment. If you haven't been here in this building, it's a terrific place to watch a game. There's a great environment outside before the game coming into it. I think all day long for players, coaches, staff, fans, media, there's this build-up to the game itself. I think sometimes that that's the hardest part of it, honestly, the anxious moments that go, well, normally from 7:00 in the morning, but today from 3:30 in the morning to the drop of the puck. You know, what I found a lot is that once the puck drops, it's all about hockey, it's all about those players on the ice. I have often said, it's my belief, anyway, the team that executes the best and plays the hardest wins the game. You know, once the puck drops, it's just about hockey again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satans Hockey Posted June 5, 2006 Author Share Posted June 5, 2006 This pre-game show couldn't be more boring. Can we please start the game already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek21 Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 Looking at the Stanley Cup Game 1 Pregame notes, it is interesting to note that Game 1 winners have gone on to win 51 of 66 championships (77.2 pct) since the league switched to a best-of-seven format in 1939. The 15 teams to comeback and win the Cup: 1942 Toronto 1947 Toronto 1966 Montreal 1967 Toronto 1971 Montreal 1974 Philadelphia 1979 Montreal 1985 Edmonton 1986 Montreal 1991 Pittsburgh 1994 Rangers 1999 Dallas 2002 Detroit 2004 Tampa Bay Interesting that Toronto did it 3 times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satans Hockey Posted June 6, 2006 Author Share Posted June 6, 2006 If I have to see that fvcking decibel measurer one more time, im going to hurt someone. That arena is not any louder than any other arena. The music is what makes the place sound so loud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njdevils783 Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 Doesnt look like the break has hurt the oilers there flying so far Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devs25 Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 Let's Go Oilers!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metallidevils Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 Lets Go Oilers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satans Hockey Posted June 6, 2006 Author Share Posted June 6, 2006 1-0 Oilers Pisani scored Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njdevils783 Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 I'm little late but YEAAAAAAA! 1-0 oilers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satans Hockey Posted June 6, 2006 Author Share Posted June 6, 2006 The ice looks horrendous, the puck is bouncing all over the place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek21 Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 (edited) Pisani scores his 10th of the postseason before. Wow. When you have a third liner scoring big goals, you're doing pretty well. Canes on a PP. Maybe 30-40 secs left. Another penalty to Edmonton. Good call? Well, Oilers radio color guy sounds a little iffy. Btw...this PP vs PK match-up will decide this series. Canes rank first in PP while Oilers are first in PK. Well, Oilers winning the battle thus far. First Moreau drew a penalty on Wesley to even it up. Now Oilers have a PP and it will become a 5-on-3. This is huge. I feel a Pronger one-timer here for a goal. And now Brind'Amour hooks down Hemsky. So now another two-man advantage. Boy or boy. The Oilers better make'em pay here. MacTavish used his timeout i think. The Oilers must score here. Man oh man. Canes blocking a ton of shots. They survive two 5-on-3's. This could be a huge turning point. Amazingly shots are 8-8 with 34 seconds to go. Edited June 6, 2006 by Derek21 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek21 Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 End of first period. Pronger blocks a Weight attempt at buzzer. Oilers 1 Canes 0 1 1 8:18 EDM F. PISANI (10) R. TORRES (5) J. SPACEK (7) 34 6 37 35 24 14 4 30 18 16 12 5 EV Edm: 0-4 PP Car: 0-2 PP SOG: Edm-8 Car-8 Key stats: Hits- Edm-10 Car-8 Faceoffs are 11-9 Canes Each team blocked 8 shots Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aga Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 Carolina penalty killers did an amazing job at the end of this period... that being said, GO OILERS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek21 Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 My thoughts are that Edmonton's speed is giving the Canes problems. That's an area that they should have an advantage in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aga Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 it was nice to see canes a little unnerved, taking the penalties looks like this is going to be a really great series... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge18 Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 The oilers seem to be able to forcheck against the canes, unlike any other team so far this year. I think its not only their speed, but the willingness to punish the defensemen once they get there that is giving the canes trouble. Im starting to see some of the canes already rushing or making bad plays so they dont have to take a big hit from an onrushing foward. On the other side of the ice the oilers are blocking shots left and right, and the defensemen are consistantly playing the body, not allowing the canes to use their speed. Very well played so far except for that power play by the oil so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neutral Zone Trap Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 I hope they "even up" the calls in the second, both calls that lead to two Oilers 5 on 3 's were BS. Go Canes, make the Oil run out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek21 Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 The one thing about the Oilers is not only do they have speed but like Sarge said, they forecheck well. And that has been a Canes' strength throughout this postseason. Edmonton likes to throw the body around similar to Carolina. So that might neutralize some of the Canes' strengths. And the skating I give an edge to the Oilers. They are more skilled. It's why I think Edmonton wins this series in six. 2nd period about to start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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