 |
Tonight, you should consider yourself fortunate and privileged to be in the building.
Stanley will be in the building. He should feel honoured.
Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final could be a game of games.
There have been Game 7s of Stanley Cup finals which don't set up like this one and the coach who won two of those Stanley Cup final Game 7s as a player was all over that one yesterday.
"I can't remember where there were so many questions to be answered going into a game like this,'' said Craig MacTavish.
"For me, I can't wait for the game because there are so many questions to be answered in the game. You always say that hockey moulds character and reveals character. And you're going to see it. It's going to be an open book on display.
"Quite clearly we have two evenly matched teams right now. It's going to come down to energy, discipline, sacrifice and all those things. It really makes the game fun to be a part of.
"The bottom line is that the team which exhibits the most of it in the next two games is going to win the Stanley Cup.''
No stuff from the Edmonton Oilers coach about not wanting to watch somebody else carry the Cup in your own rink. No challenges to the team. No drip-drip-drip for the officials. Just sheer anticipation of what we're about to watch.
One win away from being one win away, the Oilers were in a similar space as they came to Rexall Place yesterday.
There was more a sense of excitement and anticipation as they enjoyed their final practice of the season together no matter how this works out.
INCREDIBLE SITUATION
"I don't know if people perceive the way it really is with this team right now. We're just excited,'' said Shawn Horcoff.
"We're having a great time in this situation. Everybody is so pumped in our locker room.
"We're in an incredible situation here and we all want to make the most of it. We're all so proud of everyone else on the team. It's easy for us to be relaxed going into this game.''
One win to get one win away?
"One win away. That's exactly the quote. One win away from from being one win away. You have to get that win before you can get the other one,'' said Chris Pronger.
"It's exhilarating. It's a chance of a lifetime,'' said Ethan Moreau.
"We're going to be flying out there. We're going to bring it. For sure. We have to win one game at home. That's all we have to do.
"We're a team which plays best on emotion. Our energy level is going to be so high out there. One big effort gets us a chance to play one game for the Stanley Cup. That's a pretty good situation,'' added Moreau.
But there's more to this than that.
There's a sense with this hockey team that they are part of participating in a gift to the game.
BETTER PRODUCT
"We're very aware of it,'' said Moreau of the hockey that's been put on display this Stanley Cup season with the Oilers being the centrepiece, particularly in Canada.
"It's mission accomplished as far as the league is concerned. In the final, it's been two teams which skate hard and play physical. There have been some devastating hits out there.
"The bottom line is that it's showed the product is better now that it was before,'' he said of the new rules in the new NHL.
But it's not just the new rules. It's the players on the two teams and what they're pouring into this series.
MacTavish made the point that the grade of the game isn't all that good by June 15.
"Normally you don't see games played in the finals at the pace we saw in Game 5 just because of the wear and tear.
"As a coach you are always asking for more. Regardless of what you get, you are always asking for more and more.
"Our coaching staff really felt we got to that level and Carolina was right there with us.
"You have to take a certain amount of satisfaction when you're watching a game like that with the quality of the play, the intensity and everything which was on display.
"Win or lose it's good to be associated with this level of play.''
Tell him he's right, Stanley.