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NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: OILERS v MIGHTY DUCKS

May 18, 2006

Randy Carlyle

ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA: Practice Day

COACH CARLYLE: Good afternoon.
Q. (Question regarding the time off.)
COACH CARLYLE: I think we obviously feel a lot better about our bumps and bruises and our toll that we took in the 11 games that we had to play in the 22 days or 23 days, whatever the exact number was, 21. You know, it's a lot of hockey. It's taxing on the body. I think both physically and mentally it gives you a chance, an opportunity to refresh, feel a little bit better about preparing yourself for the next one.
Now the next one's here.
Q. You might be a little rusty.
COACH CARLYLE: "Rusty" is not a word in our vocabulary. We have to be in the top of our game when that puck drops tomorrow.
Q. They're maybe a little fatigued, beat up. Does either team have an advantage?
COACH CARLYLE: I don't look at those as advantages or disadvantages. We've talked about it on numerous occasions up to today. It's a situation where we've been dealt the hand that we're dealt. We've had a break. They've eliminated the Sharks in six games. We're playing tomorrow night in our building, the first game of a very, very important playoff series.
Whatever scenario that has been created we had no control over. The situation is, we have to prepare ourselves to play our best game of the season tomorrow night.
Q. What were they able to do in the regular season?
COACH CARLYLE: I think their game plan, and they've been able to maintain the work ethic of their group, they've shown a tremendous amount of resiliency throughout the season and into the playoffs. It's did typical Edmonton Oiler hockey. Their expectations are their work ethic has to be at the highest possible level. They sacrifice for the best interest of the team. That's what they've displayed.
Q. While Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger are different physically, how do you analyze those two, why they're such effective players?
COACH CARLYLE: The first thing you look at is the position they play. They're playing a position that represents the second last line of defense as far as defending. They're in a situation to control the puck or recover the puck or do something with the puck more often from the defense position than any other position on the ice because they have the ability to control the first pass, the puck recovery, the rebound. All those things factor into it.
Their decision with the puck is more taxing on them because they have to do it more often. Being an old defenseman, I know those things - I think (laughter).
Q. When you were talking about the Edmonton work ethic, almost sounded like you were talking about your own team.
COACH CARLYLE: I see the same similarities in the way that both teams have gotten to this point. They've had to deal with adversity throughout the course of the season. They were challenged to make the playoffs, as we were, right up until the last weekend. They went into the first round and eliminated a higher seed. They played the next series. They won in a dominating fashion as far as winning four in a row to close out. So there's lots of similarities.
In reality, it's about the work ethic and the commitment that the two teams have made to moving on.
Q. A lot of people are talking about young players. At this age, do you still consider them young?
COACH CARLYLE: Well, they're older by about six or eight months than when we first started together. I think in the terms of hockey experience, the things that they've experienced in the last six or eight months bode well for their futures. Are they at where we expect them to be? We're happy that they may have been able to make a contribution.
Their growth is still going to be expected to continue because we feel that they're very talented players and they haven't reached their full potential as of yet, but they're experiencing a lot of the things that are going to help them get there along the way.
Q. Do you have to remind them of that at this stage of the playoffs because they've had success, that the job is not yet done sort of thing?
COACH CARLYLE: I think it's a common thing that coaches do, is to remind everybody that this is only halfway. We're starting onto the next quarter of the playoffs. Obviously, this one will be more difficult than the first two were. Take the experiences that you were able to participate in and try and make some adjustments that you can be better 'cause there's always another level to get to.
We know that we have to play a better series or a better hockey game specifically tomorrow night than we did in our last game against Colorado.
Q. Are they one of the better faceoff teams you're going to be matched up against so far this year?
COACH CARLYLE: I think they were 60% in the playoff series against San Jose. I don't know where they were on the course of the season, but I know they've got an efficient group in that area. They pride themselves in it. They've got three strong faceoff guys in Stoll, Horcoff and Peca.
It will be a challenge, but there are little challenges throughout the match-ups. We'll do what we have to do to win our share. That's basically what it's all about, is you've got to win the games within the games to go on and have success.

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