Oilers head to New York to get ready
The Oilers have found a place to hide as they wait for the Stanley Cup finals to start.
The NHL's Western Conference champs are escaping to New York.
Edmonton has become too small for the Oilers, who have been idle since winning the West last Saturday with a Game 5 win over Anaheim. The finals don't start until Monday, and the Oilers will be playing either at Buffalo or Carolina.
Needing a break from the fishbowl that the Alberta capital has become, the Oilers are going to New York on Thursday morning. They will hold two days of practice at a suburban rink in Greenburgh - where the Rangers train during the season.
"There are a lot of distractions here with the players and their families," Edmonton coach Craig MacTavish said Wednesday after a vigorous hour-long skate, the Oilers' first hard workout since they punched their ticket for the finals.
"We don't want to get stale in any one place."
The Oilers will finally find out on Thursday night who their opponent will be in the best-of-seven championship series. The Hurricanes will host Buffalo in Game 7, with the winner moving on.
"It's a great idea for us to get away," said Oilers goaltender Dwayne Roloson, who leads the league with 12 playoff wins. "It's nice for us to be here and enjoy the surroundings with the fans but realistically we have a job to do."
The Oilers, who haven't been in the finals since 1990 when they won their seventh championship in seven years, have picked up lots of friends this week. Requests for interviews, autographs, appearances and tickets have been pouring in as people have rallied behind the team.
The rink is the only place they can go to get away. And one that's far, far away is truly ideal.
"Get away from the mania that is here," said defenseman Chris Pronger, tied for the team lead with 17 playoff points. "It will help us concentrate on the task at hand."
MacTavish said getting caught up in the hype and not capturing the Cup would be the ultimate disappointment for the eighth-seeded club.
Edmonton is the lowest-seeded team to reach the finals under the current playoff format. The Oilers stunned Detroit, the NHL's top team in the regular season, in the first round before eliminating San Jose and Anaheim.
"We are in this situation because these players are outplaying the players that they are playing against," MacTavish said. "We don't want to forget how difficult it is to have success."
The Oilers will have had eight days off - their longest break since the Olympics in February - before meeting the Hurricanes or Sabres on Monday.
"Now it's time to get back to work," Edmonton captain Jason Smith said. "We are going to use these next few days to make sure we are mentally ready."
By leaving early, the team will adapt to a two-hour time change and can also get used to the humid air and skate-stifling slush that passes as late-spring ice.
"We know the buildings are going to be warm," Smith said. "This will give us time to adjust."
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