|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: OILERS v HURRICANESJune 13, 2006Mark RecchiEric StaalCory StillmanCam WardRALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA: Practice Day Q. (Inaudible). CORY STILLMAN: We know that for sure. Obviously we have got to be better especially early. Three games in a row, we're looking forward to staying out of penalty box. Q. They haven't had much luck on the power play? CORY STILLMAN: They haven't had much. That can change, everyone knows that. Game 3 out there, we didn't score and then we did score in Game 4, so we have got to stay out and not give them the opportunity to get hot on their power play. Q. (Inaudible). CORY STILLMAN: They are not going to die. They are here for a reason. They have been down 2-0 before. They have been, you know, they are a hard-working team, and that's why they are here. They have played great teams, and until we win Game 4 and it is closed out, we will not take them for granted. Q. (Inaudible) does the building change, does it change when the Cup comes into the building? CORY STILLMAN: I don't think it does, to be honest with you. We're going out to win, and that's it. Maybe if they show it and we are up by three or four goals in the last two minutes then it might change. The fans will get excited but up until then we're there to win the hockey game. Q. (Inaudible). CORY STILLMAN: You can hear the crowd roaring, I had no -- I did not participate in it at all. It was odd. Great thing, I go out and I get booed afterwards too, but (laughs). No, it's a reminder of what it takes to get there. Maybe it was a good starting game for us to go in there, see a banner be raised and it's a long road down a long season that we have a chance to do that here. Q. (Inaudible). CORY STILLMAN: We have a lot of older guys. We're a veteran team. We have guys who have been in the Stanley Cup Finals two or three times, have never won, played in Game 7s and lost, so I think there will be enough discussion amongst all of us that, yeah, maybe they might ask me my opinion because I have won. But I think the biggest thing is we'll be ready to play. Q. When you headed back to Calgary down 3-2 in '04, did you sense on the other side that they may have taken their eye off the prize for a second? CORY STILLMAN: You know what, maybe they did. I think on one side when we went there, we had that confident feeling that we were going to win. That was just the buildup of that team. It is a buildup of this team we had it. We expect to go to the rink every night and win hockey games. We have done it every year. That's our mindset right now. Q. You guys have got the stranglehold on them. People are saying it's over? ERIC STAAL: It's not over until you win four. We know they are not going to roll over easily. They are very desperate. Obviously they can't lose, you know. We're excited for the challenge. We know it's not going to be easy. We're confident going into tomorrow night's game. Q. I heard you saying last night that they gave you advice last days just to have fun again with the game. ERIC STAAL: Yeah. Q. Who told you that? ERIC STAAL: A few guys. It was more just the guys on the team. My dad actually said something too after the game just not to be too worried. A couple of the older guys, Stiller, Coach, just guys, throwing a little words here and there because I think there was a lot of heat on me a little bit after that last game, so guys were just looking out for me, which was nice and I was excited to get back at it last night. Q. Were you too tense to -- ERIC STAAL: I don't know, I was. Q. (Inaudible). ERIC STAAL: It was just, you know, it didn't really matter -- it was a lot of people saying things, whatever, but I had to remain, you know, at it. I think there's a lot of other people in the league that would want to be in our position as a team and I look at that and just enjoy the experience. In Edmonton it's been crazy up there, and it's been a lot of fun. Q. (Inaudible) Last night whether or not you regained confidence, if so, how that happened, that process? ERIC STAAL: Well, I don't feel I lost any confidence. I think, you know, I was playing the game that I wanted to be playing and last night, I think I got more involved and was skating well, and ended up chipping in with a few assists to help our team win. That's the main thing, getting wins right now, and tomorrow night is one to get it done. Q. Will the building feel any different because the Stanley Cup is in it? ERIC STAAL: I think it will be very energized. I think everybody will have a lot of energy, be excited. We know they are not going to roll over, we know they are going to come out desperate. We want to have this chance to get it done in front of our home fans, and come out with that same desperation, because you know, we know it's a big game. Q. They came out really physical, I thought, the start of each of the two games in Edmonton, especially the last one. Talk about how you guys maybe used your speed to counteract that a little bit? ERIC STAAL: Yeah, we have been a skating team all year, that's what we need to do to try and you know, take it to them. We may not be the most powerful team as far as hitting-wise but when we're skating, we are on top of them, finishing our checks and being tough to play against as well. I thought last game we did a good job of that. Q. What will it be like to prepare for a game with the Stanley Cup in the building and with the season on the line -- ERIC STAAL: Obviously you got to take it as another game. I mean, you can't be looking ahead at the prize when the work isn't done yet. We need to have 60 minutes of hard work and get a win to enjoy that, and I think we have got the leadership and the older guys in our room, to make sure everyone is ready and focused and myself included, we're looking forward to tomorrow night. It's a big game. Obviously when you have that chance to get it done, you want to get it done as soon as possible, not give them any life or anything like that. We have had success in our building this year and tomorrow night is going to be tough. We know they are not going to roll over, but we'll be ready. Q. When you are this close to the ultimate prize is it -- got to be a little difficult not looking ahead, how are you dealing with it? ERIC STAAL: I just said, it's something you have to remain focused on, we have to win another game. It takes four to win and you have to put the work in before you look at the prize. We have got the guys in our room that can make sure everyone is focused and remembering that and being prepared for the game. Q. What are your thoughts going through your head right now approaching tomorrow night? CAM WARD: Obviously it's extremely exciting. We have set ourselves up for good things here and have an opportunity to clinch it at home in Raleigh and, you know, we're going to do the best that we can to try to finish the job here. But with that being said, we realize this series is long from over, it's going to take another solid effort like we played in Game 4. Q. What do you think you need to do for success tomorrow night? CAM WARD: Once again I think it's going to take us to get off to a good start. It always helps by scoring that first goal instead of coming from behind all the time. We know that they are going to be playing desperate and be fired up so it's important that we come ready. Q. (Inaudible). CAM WARD: I had the opportunity to go home, but I decided to stick around at the hotel and stick with the same routine of treating it like any other road game. Q. When is your wedding date? CAM WARD: July 22nd. Q. (Inaudible). MARK RECCHI: Our crowd has been unbelievable from day one, it can only help us and absolutely, I mean, I think the guys have been good at focusing, not getting too revved up and too emotionally charged and just embracing it and going out and doing their jobs. Q. (Inaudible). MARK RECCHI: Obviously it helps us when we know we got a 3-1 lead and, you know, but we also know it's an extremely hard game to get the last one and Edmonton ain't going to go away, they are going to fight right until the end and it's up to us to play our best game in the series and try and win this thing. Keep focusing on the things that we do well. Q. (Inaudible). MARK RECCHI: That's what they talk about. They didn't talk about making the playoffs or they about first overall, they talked about getting to the Stanley Cup. That was their focus, and obviously we all know how hard it is, but I mean they didn't set their sights low. They set them high and you know, that's the reason why they had success. They didn't settle for anything less. Obviously led by Rod Brind'Amour and Coach Laviolette has been preaching it all year for them. To be in here and join them it's been a treat. Obviously Dougie and I wanted to come in here and fit in and be a part of this, and we have been fortunate to get to this point. Q. (Inaudible) were you shortening the focus, keep it on the next game -- MARK RECCHI: That's the way Coach has preached all long. We worry about practice. Let's have a good practice today, let us worry about pre-game skate, worry about the things that actually make us good for that game and you focus on those things and you focus on what we do as a hockey club and things work out usually so -- Q. I know you guys don't want to get ahead of yourselves, can you relish it at all -- MARK RECCHI: I wasn't expecting this at all, but I am enjoying it. I have been enjoying it from day one of the playoffs. I think that's the biggest thing, you don't know how many shots you are going to get at them. And it was coming to a place that you know, on the eastern side, had a chance to get there, and I have enjoyed every day of this playoff run and it's been a lot of fun. Obviously I am not satisfied yet and none of us are in the dressing room and we're happy to be up 3-1, but we also know what we're facing here and we're going to go out and play our best. It's been a fun ride. I have definitely enjoyed it a lot more now at this stage of my career than -- I embrace it more and I take everything in more than I did when I was younger.
End of FastScripts... |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|