MacTavish on Oilers-Kings Game 2: 'It's going to be a completely different game'
MATT WOODMAN: He really needs no introduction, he's a former Oilers player, a former Oilers coach and a former Oilers general manager. Craig McTavish. has played so many important roles with this team over the years, and he joins us tonight to talk about a bit of playoff hockey.
CRAIG MACTAVISH: A lot of 'former.' Jack of all, master of none.
WOODMAN: Better to be former than none at all, Craig.
MACTAVISH: Thank you.
WOODMAN: You won three Stanley Cups with the Oilers between '86 and '90? I know you won another one. We won't go there, though. What does it take to win a championship? And do you think this current Oilers team has what it takes?
MACTAVISH: Well, obviously the single most important ingredient is depth and talent, and outside of that you have to have a lot of character. The Oilers have done a very good job in my estimation over the last few years adding some unbelievable character people like Mattias Ekholm and, and Zach Hyman. Those types of guys that are very rarely available. They look like a team that's poised to take a run.
WOODMAN: Speaking of runs, when I talked to Oilers fans in the street, they still talk about, they describe it as that magical run in 2006 that unfortunately came to a stop in Game 7 against Carolina Hurricanes. You were behind the bench for that team that year. What do you remember about that series and all of those playoff rounds?
MACTAVISH: Well, it was a magical time is right. We put a whole nother generation of Oilers fans on the bus in that generation. It really galvanized the support of the Oilers. We had just an unbelievable experience for two months until we didn't end Game 7, which was difficult. I was with Jartett Stoll yesterday -- he works for the L.A. Kings -- and we were talking a little bit about it. We're both more disappointed about that now than we were in the moment that we lost the game. But it was an amazing experience. I'm really happy for our current players, that they're able to see the passion that our fans have for them.
WOODMAN: Do you see any similarities between this current edition of the Oilers and any teams you've either coached or played on?
MACTAVISH: Ah, that's a good question. I think from a talent perspective, back in the '80s, with Paul Coffey and Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier, we had the elite players in the league, and I think now you can say that the Oilers have the elite players. The Oilers, going into every series, are going to have the best player in that series. And that's indicative more of the 80s than it really was on our run in 2006 or even in 1990.
WOODMAN: We were talking about this right before we jumped on camera, but the Oilers had a pretty dominant performance in Game 1 against the Kings. How do you keep that momentum going two days later into Game 2?
MACTAVISH: You make a mistake -- and we did it in 2006 -- you make a mistake thinking that the first period tonight will be like the fourth period of the first game. It's going to be a completely different game tonight. It's going to be very difficult for our team to be as good as we were, it's got to be almost impossible for McDavid to be any better. And L.A., they played poorly and they're not a poor team, and they're going to play better tonight. It's going to be a completely different game tonight.
WOODMAN: Craig, we really appreciate your time today and enjoy the game tonight.
MACTAVISH: Thanks, Matt. My pleasure.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Repetitive partisan conduct': Conservatives to force vote on ousting Speaker Greg Fergus
The federal Conservatives have advanced a motion that will force MPs to vote on whether to oust Greg Fergus as House of Commons Speaker, after MPs' deputy adjudicator ruled Monday that the Liberal member's allegedly errant partisan event invite required urgent attention.
Teen was doing homework at family's Mississauga, Ont. restaurant when gunman opened fire: testimony
The 13-year-old sister of a young man killed in the attack on her family’s Mississauga restaurant in 2021 took the stand in a Brampton courthouse on Monday to describe the terrifying moments of coming under fire.
B.C. senior prepares to move due to devastating effects of fraud
A Courtenay, B.C., senior is downsizing and packing to move as she comes to accept she can no longer afford to stay in her home, after falling victim to a scam that robbed her of her life savings worth more than $100,000.
'Decades-long fight': MPs unanimously pass 'anti-scab' legislation
A bill that would ban federal employers from using replacement workers or 'scabs' during lockouts or strikes passed the House of Commons unanimously on Monday.
WATCH Alta. man rescues wild foal trapped on steep cliffside
A man's daring rescue of a newborn wild foal that was trapped after falling down a steep embankment was caught on video over the weekend.
What a CBSA strike could look like, according to an expert
Slowed or interrupted travel, the passing of goods and significantly restricted borders should be expected if Canadian border workers take upcoming strike action.
Israel close to approving Gaza reunification program before Rafah invasion: Miller
Immigration Minister Marc Miller says Israel seemed to be on the verge of approving a program to get Palestinian relatives of Canadians out of the Gaza Strip before the country's invasion of the town of Rafah.
Netanyahu acknowledges 'tragic mistake' after Rafah strike kills dozens of Palestinians
Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged Monday that a 'tragic mistake' had been made after an Israeli strike in the southern Gaza city of Rafah set fire to a tent camp housing displaced Palestinians and killed at least 45 people.
Severe thunderstorms, tornado watch in some areas of Canada. Here's where
Depending on where you live, you can expect to get a mixed bag of weather this week, as local forecasts predict heavy rain, strong wind, severe thunderstorms and even snowfall across some areas of Canada.