Hurricanes relish second chance

Carolina has a commanding 2-0 series lead over the Oilers.
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) -- After the Carolina Hurricanes squandered their first chance to reach the Stanley Cup finals, the old-timers decided to pass along a bit of advice to the younger guys.
Don't take anything for granted.
Don't assume this will happen every year.
Don't waste the opportunity.
"It doesn't matter whether you're 21 or 31," said Hurricanes captain Rob Brind'Amour, who's 35. "You may never get another chance. We all know how hard it is to get here."
Carolina lost an overtime thriller to Buffalo in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals, but the Hurricanes rallied to win the decisive game 4-2, advancing to their second Stanley Cup championship in four seasons.
But it's not as easy as it sounds.
Plenty of experience
Just ask Brind'Amour, who's been in the league for 17 years, played a total of 1,323 regular-season and playoff games, and has been to the finals two previous times. Quite a record, but not quite good enough to sip champagne from the cup.
Just ask Bret Hedican, a 35-year-old Hurricanes defenseman who went to the finals as a rookie with Vancouver in 1994, returned again eight years later after moving to Carolina, but still hasn't gotten his name engraved on that treasured trophy.
Just ask their 34-year-old teammate, Ray Whitney, who made it to his first finals after 14 years in the league. Now, he's two wins away from hoisting a championship with Carolina holding a 2-0 lead over the Edmonton Oilers heading into Game 3 Saturday night.
"When you've been around a while, you realize how tough it is to get here and how tough it is to get back," Whitney said. "Back in the '80s, everyone expected the Oilers to be in it every year.
New economics
"But with the new economics, anybody can compete, anybody can move up to challenge for a championship. You've got to enjoy the opportunity, seize the opportunity and understand how valuable it is."
No one understands that more than Carolina defenseman Glen Wesley, this year's version of Ray Bourque.
The 37-year-old Wesley has been around for 18 years and played in 1,311 regular-season games -- the eighth-most in NHL history for a player who hasn't won a championship.
Coming up with Boston, he reached the finals in two of his first three seasons, but the Bruins lost both times to the powerful Oilers. Wesley got another chance in 2002 with the Hurricanes, but they were wiped out in five games by dominant Detroit.
Elusive championship
Here we go again, and this appears to be Wesley's best chance yet to claim that elusive championship. He doesn't want to let it slip it away, a sentiment shared by the rest of those title-deprived 30-somethings.
"After Game 6 against Buffalo, we got a bit of a talk from the older guys," said Eric Staal, only 21 and playing his second season in the NHL. "They've all been around a long time and never won the Stanley Cup. They wanted the younger guys to realize that it's not going to happen every year. You've got to take advantage when you get the chance."
Added Staal, "We're all playing hard for them -- and ourselves."
The Oilers need to play better after an embarrassing 5-0 loss in Game 2. It certainly helps to be back at home after losing two games and their starting goalie in Raleigh. Dwayne Roloson went down with a series-ending knee injury in the opener.
There's plenty of tradition and history to use for inspiration. Edmonton's arena is located along Wayne Gretzky Drive, where one nearby building is adorned with a large mural showing five rings -- one for each of the team's Stanley Cup titles in the 1980s and 1990.
"Now it's time for the other hand," the sign says.
During the Gretzky-Messier-Coffey-Fuhr era, championships were expected in these parts. By contrast, this run to the finals has been a total surprise, produced by an eighth-seeded team that barely made the playoffs.
"We're excited to be back in Edmonton," said Ryan Smyth, shortly after the nearly five-hour flight from Tobacco Road to Oil Country. "We've just got to make sure we take advantage of it."
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