Oilers Force Game Seven In Stanley Cup Finals

It’s true what they say – it ain’t over ’til it’s over.

The Edmonton Oilers have proved that again and again in the Stanley Cup finals, and continued to do so Saturday night with a 4-0 Game 6 win over the Carolina Hurricanes.

With the victory, the Oil even the best-of-seven series at three games a piece, meaning Game 7, which goes Monday night in Raleigh, North Carolina, is for all the marbles.

Carolina once looked poised to cruise to an easy series victory, leading three games to one heading into Game 5 on home ice. But Edmonton won that game in overtime, and when they returned home for the next contest, wouldn’t even let things get close.

Thanks to goals from Fernando Pisani, Raffi Torres, Ryan Smyth and Shawn Horcoff, the Oilers are officially one win away from one of the most improbable comebacks in Stanley Cup history.

Should they win, the Oilers could become the first team since the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs to rally back from 3-1 down. The ’42 Leafs trailed Detroit 3-0 before accomplishing the feat.

A lot of credit is due the Oilers, but the Canes helped them out on this night, starting the game tentatively and never really hitting their stride. By the game’s end they looked like they just wanted it to be over.

But it’s not quite over yet.

Much credit’s also due Edmonton goalie Jussi Markkanen, who continues to fill in for the injured Dwayne Roloson and made 16 saves on Saturday for his first career playoff shutout.

He record his first back-to-back wins since mid-December and all to the tune of a sellout crowd of 16,839 at Rexall Place chanting his name with each stop.

One of those on hand was Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who attended the game while Alberta Premier Ralph Klein urged the Oilers on with an address from the video screen.

Exactly what Carolina will need to do to win when the deciding game goes Monday isn’t clear, but obviously they’re willing to try just about anything. One of the biggest surprises of Game 6 was the sudden return of forward Erik Cole, who’d been out since March 4 after fracturing his neck. He replaced Dough Weight, who injured his shoulder in Wednesday’s loss.

The switch did little to spark the Canes, but if they aren’t up for the what’s guaranteed to be the last hockey game of the 2005-06 NHL season, it’s fair to say they just don’t have what it takes.