Onus on adjustments for Game 2
Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2006 11:55 am
Onus on adjustments for Game 2
By Phil Coffey | NHL.com
June 7, 2006
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Adjustments, adjustments, adjustments.
Adjustments are on the tip of the tongue for both the Edmonton Oilers and Carolina Hurricanes tonight (8 p.m. ET, OLN, CBC, RDS, NHL Radio). After a 5-4 loss in Game 1 in which the Oilers lost both a three-goal lead and goaltender Dwayne Roloson for the remainder of the series with a knee injury, the adjustments are more acute.
Coach Craig MacTavish won't divulge this choice of a netminder to replace Roloson until game time, but his choices are Ty Conklin, who took over for Roloson in Game 1 and made the key mistake that led to Rod Brind'Amour's winning goal, and Jussi Markkanen, who struggled in his last appearances during the regular season.
"The facts are what they are," MacTavish said. "The thing that you look to is that both those guys at times have played very well. We had a lot of confidence in them coming into the season by the way that they had played a couple of years ago. Jussi got into a stretch where he played very well. He played a good, long stretch when Ty got hurt, and that always helps a goaltender, to know that he's going to get the next start.
Schedule / Links:
Gm. 1: CAR 5, EDM 4 | Photos
Gm. 2: June 7, 8:00 p.m. ET
at Carolina (OLN, CBC, RDS)
Gm. 3: June 10, 8:00 p.m. ET
at Edmonton (NBC, CBC, RDS)
Gm. 4: June 12, 8:00 p.m. ET
at Edmonton (NBC, CBC, RDS)
*Gm. 5: June 14, 8:00 p.m. ET
at Carolina (NBC, CBC, RDS)
*Gm. 6: June 17, 8:00 p.m. ET
at Edmonton (NBC, CBC, RDS)
*Gm. 7: June 19, 8:00 p.m. ET
at Carolina (NBC, CBC, RDS)
*if necessary
"Ty is coming off three wins in a row during the end of the regular season," MacTavish continued. " I think his record's good the last four or five games, so he's capable of it. They are NHL goaltenders. They have done it on a big stage before. Jussi was a good goalie and the best goalie in the Russian league last year in the lockout. Ty did a terrific job at the World Championships with the U.S. team. So they have done it before. They have that to fall back on, and that's important. I mean, the future will be what it is, and it's up to us to play well around them, which we're going to do and feel like we'll get the saves that we need."
The Oilers can take solace from scoring four goals in the game and outplaying the Hurricanes over the first two periods. The rust that plagued so many other teams after postseason layoffs this spring wasn't apparent in the Oilers and Edmonton did a good job at shutting down the Carolina offense for 40 minutes before the Oilers opted to trade chances with the Hurricanes.
"You never win a Stanley Cup without overcoming some adversity along the way, and so far to this point, we haven't had to overcome a lot," MacTavish said. "We haven't faced an elimination game so far, and normally that's not the case. When you get to the Final you've got to overcome some of that. This is our test right now. Carolina passed theirs when they lost the first two games in the first round against Montreal and they had to bounce back. Otherwise, they wouldn't be here. So no team wins the Stanley Cup without a certain amount of resiliency, and we have to show some right now."
For the Hurricanes, the change in goaltenders will not have much impact on their plans.
"It doesn't do much for us," Brind'Amour said. "It's not going to change our game plan. I don't know how it affects them or not. It might help them, might make them more focused or whatever. Who knows? I think you're going to know the answer when this is all said and done, but right now, I'm not really sure. I know it doesn't affect our game plan whatsoever."
And the Hurricanes have to tweak their own game and come out much stronger than in Game 1, when they didn't get their skating legs until it was almost too late.
"I mentioned this a lot," Brind'Amour said of what was said between the second and third periods Monday night. "All I said was we're not playing our game, but we still have a chance to win. Let's get to it and see what happens. If we're going to go down, let's go down swinging a little bit because we were really not doing too much. That's about it."
But it was enough and now Conklin and Markkanen must rise to the occasion.
Despite winning Game 1, the Hurricanes know they need to play better.
"Yeah, you only get a certain number of opportunities, and you want to take advantage of all of them," Conklin said. "And this is another one. You know, whoever plays, it's a great opportunity for the guy, and I think whoever plays is going to play well. I think everybody's confident with both of us and that both of us can win four games here.
"The fact that it is the Stanley Cup Final, is going to make it really easy to get up for games, obviously," Conklin said. "I'm sure things will be fast right away. But, you know, you get a little confidence, and confidence goes a long way. You make a couple good saves, you start feeling good about yourself, and, you know, you can play like you've been playing all year. You play like you've been on top of your game all year."
As for Markkanen, he too said he is ready to meet the challenge.
"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," Markkanen said. "I played a lot early in the season. Not many guys can have a chance to play in the Stanley Cup Final and hopefully I get the chance.
"This team has 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."
By Phil Coffey | NHL.com
June 7, 2006
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Adjustments, adjustments, adjustments.
Adjustments are on the tip of the tongue for both the Edmonton Oilers and Carolina Hurricanes tonight (8 p.m. ET, OLN, CBC, RDS, NHL Radio). After a 5-4 loss in Game 1 in which the Oilers lost both a three-goal lead and goaltender Dwayne Roloson for the remainder of the series with a knee injury, the adjustments are more acute.
Coach Craig MacTavish won't divulge this choice of a netminder to replace Roloson until game time, but his choices are Ty Conklin, who took over for Roloson in Game 1 and made the key mistake that led to Rod Brind'Amour's winning goal, and Jussi Markkanen, who struggled in his last appearances during the regular season.
"The facts are what they are," MacTavish said. "The thing that you look to is that both those guys at times have played very well. We had a lot of confidence in them coming into the season by the way that they had played a couple of years ago. Jussi got into a stretch where he played very well. He played a good, long stretch when Ty got hurt, and that always helps a goaltender, to know that he's going to get the next start.
Schedule / Links:
Gm. 1: CAR 5, EDM 4 | Photos
Gm. 2: June 7, 8:00 p.m. ET
at Carolina (OLN, CBC, RDS)
Gm. 3: June 10, 8:00 p.m. ET
at Edmonton (NBC, CBC, RDS)
Gm. 4: June 12, 8:00 p.m. ET
at Edmonton (NBC, CBC, RDS)
*Gm. 5: June 14, 8:00 p.m. ET
at Carolina (NBC, CBC, RDS)
*Gm. 6: June 17, 8:00 p.m. ET
at Edmonton (NBC, CBC, RDS)
*Gm. 7: June 19, 8:00 p.m. ET
at Carolina (NBC, CBC, RDS)
*if necessary
"Ty is coming off three wins in a row during the end of the regular season," MacTavish continued. " I think his record's good the last four or five games, so he's capable of it. They are NHL goaltenders. They have done it on a big stage before. Jussi was a good goalie and the best goalie in the Russian league last year in the lockout. Ty did a terrific job at the World Championships with the U.S. team. So they have done it before. They have that to fall back on, and that's important. I mean, the future will be what it is, and it's up to us to play well around them, which we're going to do and feel like we'll get the saves that we need."
The Oilers can take solace from scoring four goals in the game and outplaying the Hurricanes over the first two periods. The rust that plagued so many other teams after postseason layoffs this spring wasn't apparent in the Oilers and Edmonton did a good job at shutting down the Carolina offense for 40 minutes before the Oilers opted to trade chances with the Hurricanes.
"You never win a Stanley Cup without overcoming some adversity along the way, and so far to this point, we haven't had to overcome a lot," MacTavish said. "We haven't faced an elimination game so far, and normally that's not the case. When you get to the Final you've got to overcome some of that. This is our test right now. Carolina passed theirs when they lost the first two games in the first round against Montreal and they had to bounce back. Otherwise, they wouldn't be here. So no team wins the Stanley Cup without a certain amount of resiliency, and we have to show some right now."
For the Hurricanes, the change in goaltenders will not have much impact on their plans.
"It doesn't do much for us," Brind'Amour said. "It's not going to change our game plan. I don't know how it affects them or not. It might help them, might make them more focused or whatever. Who knows? I think you're going to know the answer when this is all said and done, but right now, I'm not really sure. I know it doesn't affect our game plan whatsoever."
And the Hurricanes have to tweak their own game and come out much stronger than in Game 1, when they didn't get their skating legs until it was almost too late.
"I mentioned this a lot," Brind'Amour said of what was said between the second and third periods Monday night. "All I said was we're not playing our game, but we still have a chance to win. Let's get to it and see what happens. If we're going to go down, let's go down swinging a little bit because we were really not doing too much. That's about it."
But it was enough and now Conklin and Markkanen must rise to the occasion.
Despite winning Game 1, the Hurricanes know they need to play better.
"Yeah, you only get a certain number of opportunities, and you want to take advantage of all of them," Conklin said. "And this is another one. You know, whoever plays, it's a great opportunity for the guy, and I think whoever plays is going to play well. I think everybody's confident with both of us and that both of us can win four games here.
"The fact that it is the Stanley Cup Final, is going to make it really easy to get up for games, obviously," Conklin said. "I'm sure things will be fast right away. But, you know, you get a little confidence, and confidence goes a long way. You make a couple good saves, you start feeling good about yourself, and, you know, you can play like you've been playing all year. You play like you've been on top of your game all year."
As for Markkanen, he too said he is ready to meet the challenge.
"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," Markkanen said. "I played a lot early in the season. Not many guys can have a chance to play in the Stanley Cup Final and hopefully I get the chance.
"This team has 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."