Edmonton Oilers Hockey Team

Cam Ward has a lot on his mind. For one, the Carolina Hurricanes goaltender is getting married on July 22. After that, he and his bride will move into a new home in Sherwood Park, the Edmonton suburb in which he grew up. Then there's that big silver trophy his name will be etched upon if the Hurricanes win two more games from the Oilers, the team he rooted for as a youngster sitting with his dad in Section 114 of the arena now known as Rexall Place.

The Edmonton Oilers' first line had not been first-rate in the Stanley Cup finals, and left wing Ryan Smyth feared their season would soon end unless he and center Shawn Horcoff and right wing Ales Hemsky could make an impact Saturday. "We talked the last couple of days that we had to get better," Smyth said. "We had to dominate offensively.... We'd had some chances, but we just couldn't put it in the net."

Oilers left wing Ryan Smyth doesn't shoot hard. "He has a horrible shot and a terrible stick," teammate Ethan Moreau said. "You watch him in practice, and sometimes he winds up and takes a slap shot and my 5-year-old can shoot better." His shot is so slow, it would lose a race against a tortoise. "At times, you can see [Commissioner] Gary Bettman's name on the puck when he shoots it," Oilers Coach Craig MacTavish said, laughing.

When Mark Recchi waived his no-trade clause and agreed to be dealt from Pittsburgh to Carolina on March 9, he knew he was going from worst to first in the standings. The 38-year-old also had a feeling the Hurricanes would go far in the playoffs. "We played them four times before I got traded there, and you could tell they played like a team," he said. "They were deep even before I got there. They came at you in waves and they skated well.

The Stanley Cup was in the RBC Center on Wednesday night, tucked in a blue packing case but polished and ready to be cradled by the Carolina Hurricanes. The venerable trophy remained under wraps, bound today for Edmonton after the Oilers postponed the Hurricanes' party.

When goaltender Dwayne Roloson sprained his knee in the first game of the Stanley Cup finals and Jussi Markkanen gave up five goals to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 2, all seemed lost for the Edmonton Oilers. But Markkanen has regained his rhythm and the Oilers have taken a cue from him.

Oilers right wing Fernando Pisani has played this game before, not on international television or before a roaring crowd, but on the roads of Edmonton's Little Italy district. "As a kid, every street hockey game that you play is always Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals," he said. And each time, he scored the winner.

After the Carolina Hurricanes wasted their first chance to win the Stanley Cup, and then their second, Rod Brind'Amour feared that the dream he'd nurtured since childhood was receding beyond his reach. "Since Game 5, there was a great big lump in my chest," said Brind'Amour, a veteran of 17 NHL seasons. "So much was at stake and you want it so bad, not just for the guys sitting beside you, but your dad and your kids, guys that have been with you, your friends.

Not content with an appearance in the Western Conference finals, the Ducks on Monday made clear their intention to win the Stanley Cup by acquiring a superstar who stood in their way last season. Chris Pronger wanted a trade from the Edmonton Oilers and was granted his wish as the Ducks snagged the five-time All-Star defenseman and former NHL most valuable player for right wing Joffrey Lupul, a top prospect and three draft picks.

Chris Pronger owed his employer, the Edmonton Oilers, his undivided attention every minute he was on the ice. He gave it to them for an average of 27 minutes 59 seconds during the regular season and a staggering 30:57 during an unexpected playoff run that ended with a loss in the seventh game of the Stanley Cup finals, a grueling two-month stretch during which he was consistently their best player.