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NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: OILERS v HURRICANESJune 17, 2006Craig MacTavishEDMONTON, ALBERTA: Game Six Q. Your last game here, talk about playing in front of the fans one last time what they have meant to this hockey club? COACH MacTAVISH: Well they have given us -- they are a knowledgeable group of fans, as we all know, and so they give us timely adrenaline boosts through the course of the game and just they got to be beat up to (Laughter) after a run. They are obviously going pretty hard, and that takes a lot of energy out of the fans too. So I am sure they are viewing -- this will be a loud one tonight I would anticipate that this will be as loud as it's been throughout these Playoffs. It's been a couple of month run, so to keep that type of energy and emotion and enthusiasm is pretty impressive. But we're going to need that out of them tonight. Q. I guess kind of on a bit of a personal note, for you, on a day like this, I know you have been through countless big games in your career as a player. Now as a coach, is there room for there to be nerves and butterflies, or is it all focus and game focus? COACH MacTAVISH: I am not nervous at all right now. You wake up and you realize that this is the biggest day in your coaching life so far and you look forward to it. All systems are go for us. We're reasonably healthy as I said. I think the guys are in a good space mentally. The attitude is good, so I am not nervous at all going into this game. Really more anxious than anything to get it going. And really looking forward to seeing the game and should be a great game. Q. Michael Peca has played an important role in this series. Talk about the impact that he had on the team this year and how he helped improved Torres and Pisani? COACH MacTAVISH: It's been a great line for us. As I said yesterday, I haven't seen a guy control both ends of the ice and be as impactful at both ends of the ice since Esa Tikkanen was here. I think it's a good comparable for Michael. Michael adds the ability to the faceoff circle too. He's shown us great leadership, great intelligence, good commentary in the dressing room, frames everything the right way. He has got a lot of experience in that respect and it's a product of a guy playing with a lot of confidence at the top of his game. Q. Some players don't have the chance to play in these Playoffs. Guy like Igor Ulanov practices hard, seems very enthusiastic. Talk about him. COACH MacTAVISH: Those guys, as we all know, and anybody that has been on a lengthy playoff run knows, those guys are a very integral part of your team. Certainly the attitude that you have in your locker room. They have conducted themselves in a very professional manner. Sometimes some players in those situations can have a way of sucking energy where you are happy, you are upbeat and you come in and the individual's personal disappointment is written all over his face. But our guys haven't done that. The guy you have to -- you give that leadership role to a guy that has been around the longest which is Igor, and he's persevered through the most. He didn't play a lot at the end of the year either, but he's been an integral part of our support system and continues to work hard. You an all those guys are very important members. The young guys, it's good to get them the experience, the hunger to be part of it, the following year, so it's -- but you have to have the leadership and you have to have the experience and frame it the right way. Q. Have you thought about what this run means to this franchise where it was five years ago, where it is now? COACH MacTAVISH: Not really. I haven't -- I mean, outside of just knowing the obvious that we needed it, and it was time and you know, it couldn't have came at a better time from our perspective. But I haven't thought about the business side of it at all and leave that to the owners and the managers. We just have to take care of the next couple of games then we can reflect on all that when it's all over. But just really looking forward to the game itself. Q. How beneficial is it for the Oilers if Doug Weight can't play for Carolina tonight, particularly on special teams? COACH MacTAVISH: Yeah, it's of benefit for us, for sure. He had a hand in two of the three power play goals, and it was that unit, really that you know, Brind'Amour was out there for the third one and Stillman. But the first two were Recchi, Whitney, and Weight who have done -- I mean, that's one of the strength of their power play is that they can throw those two units at you and Dougie as we all know thrives on the power play. You give him a little bit of time and space and he's going to make plays, so it's a big loss for them and hopefully one we can exploit.
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