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NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: OILERS v HURRICANES

June 6, 2006

Jussi Markkanen

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA: Practice Day

Q. Has anybody told you who is going to start?
JUSSI MARKKANEN: Not yet. I think it's going to be tomorrow's decision.
Q. (Inaudible).
JUSSI MARKKANEN: Well, obviously it's a big challenge for either one of us, and of course, you look at it kind of like a second chance, too. I played a lot early in the season. Not many guys can have a chance to play in the Stanley Cup Finals and hopefully I get the chance.
Q. How much has Dwayne talked to you?
JUSSI MARKKANEN: Well, I haven't talked to him yet but obviously -- obviously we're going to have that conversation for sure.
Q. (Inaudible).
JUSSI MARKKANEN: There's no time for that. Obviously you never know, but in my mind, I have done pretty much everything I can to prepare myself for this, and we will have to wait and see.
Q. Do you feel for Ty at all, what happened in the final minute?
JUSSI MARKKANEN: Obviously it was a bad break and a tough situation to get in, four minutes to go and haven't played for a long time.
It's in the past and we're really looking forward to tomorrow.
Q. How is Dwayne taking this and how do you approach him?
JUSSI MARKKANEN: Well, of course, he's frustrated and especially with the way he had played lately, like carrying the team.
So you know, he had been around a long time, so he knows this might happen and he's going to be a big help for me and Ty the rest in the series.
Q. Because he carried the team, do you feel you have to carry the team when you get in there?
JUSSI MARKKANEN: You know what, I think it's going to be more like this team have gone through a lot and I think that it's going to put our team -- even more tighter and we're going to play a little bit better and the goalie just has to do his job and the guys just have to do the rest for sure.
Q. Do you feel like you have enough time with these guys that they don't need to change too much because it's you going in and Ty going in, that you have a rhythm with the guys that are playing in front of you?
JUSSI MARKKANEN: Oh, absolutely, I feel like I know the guys and they know me and Ty. We have been here a long time and played a few games here.
You know, you see the guys, I know how they play and pretty much we do it in practice anyway. Of course it's not the same. The situation is what it is and we just have look for an opportunity.
Q. What is it about Carolina that's different from any other team?
JUSSI MARKKANEN: Obviously we haven't faced them before yesterday, and we learned a lot from them. Obviously it's a great hockey team to have come so far, and they really can score goals, so we have to do a really good job to shut them down.
Q. (Inaudible).
JUSSI MARKKANEN: Well, I have to say, like I haven't played for a long time, like you said, but I played a lot of hockey early and feel like it's a great chance to be in the Stanley Cup Finals and maybe get in the game and help the team win.
Q. (Inaudible).
JUSSI MARKKANEN: Well, they can say obviously whatever they want and the numbers speak about themselves. But the main thing is we are here and we are -- we're here and it's no time to look past. You've got to just focus on the next game whatever happens and you win or lose, you just go for the next game after.
Q. (Inaudible).
JUSSI MARKKANEN: No, not really. Like I said, I know when I played good or when I have played bad. Obviously it would be nice if things had gone the other way, but like I said, it's in the past.
Q. You said you don't want to look into the future, but can you maybe take some confidence going, there have been stretches of games --
JUSSI MARKKANEN: Of course, definitely I know I can play in this league and I'm very honored to be on this team and where we are now. If it's going to be me, I'm just going to enjoy and try to relax and have fun.
Q. (Inaudible).
JUSSI MARKKANEN: This might be the longest that -- I've tried to look at it as I was here before and Tomas was the No. 1 guy and I played occasionally and I end up finding my game pretty much after a few weeks, so I'll try to do the same if it's going to be me.
Q. (Inaudible).
JUSSI MARKKANEN: Well, we had a little talk yesterday with Ty after the game and I just said to him, it's pretty interesting that we're going to have a chance to finish what we started in September and October.
Q. (Inaudible).
JUSSI MARKKANEN: You know, I don't have an answer for that. I would say tomorrow morning. You've got to ask Mac-T, I guess.
Q. (Inaudible).
JUSSI MARKKANEN: You know, you've got to believe it this time of year. We are in this situation and it doesn't change. Of course, the perfect situation is that Roli didn't hurt himself, but it happened, so I think we are capable of winning games with me and Ty.
Q. (Inaudible).
JUSSI MARKKANEN: Like I said before, I think it's not the time to think about that. You just try to get yourself ready for the one game. Got to look at it as a one-game -- I have been in a backup situation before and I have done it before. And I don't think it's going to be any different, if it's going to be three weeks or a month and a half or two months. It's going to be, you know, you don't -- if you don't have the game in a couple of days, it's going to be the same situation, anyway.
Q. Can you just talk about the pressure that comes with stepping into a situation like this? I mean, it's a Stanley Cup Final, it's not like it's just the regular season and how you deal with it.
JUSSI MARKKANEN: Obviously there's pressure, but I think it's just the way you look at it. You've got to look at it as an opportunity and a great challenge. At the same time, we have a really good team. We have come this far, and obviously Roli had played really good for us and we'll try to continue from there.
Q. Do you think what happened to Ty there at the end of the game, that play in the last minute, will have any impact on the decision of which one of you guys starts?
JUSSI MARKKANEN: You know what, I don't think so. It of course it was a bad break at a bad time, but things happen and I think the coaches know pretty well me and Ty from a long time so, they know what they are going to get.
So it's going to be a longer-term decision I would say.

End of FastScripts...

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