OILERS STORM BACK AGAINST THE HURRICANES TO FORCE A GAME 6 IN STANLEY CUP FINAL, SATURDAY ON NBC

OILERS STORM BACK AGAINST THE HURRICANES TO FORCE A GAME 6 IN STANLEY CUP FINAL, SATURDAY ON NBC

NBC's McGuire: "I think we're coming back to Raleigh"

NBC's Davidson: "It's going to be a frenzied crowd up there, for sure"

NEW YORK � June 15, 2006 � NBC Sports presents Game Six of the Stanley Cup Final Saturday as the Edmonton Oilers return home looking to stay alive, while the Carolina Hurricanes hope to rebound from a devastating overtime loss. Coverage begins Saturday, live at Rexall Place, beginning at 8 p.m. ET. NBC's Stanley Cup Final coverage, presented by Sprint, will be broadcast in high definition.

The Oilers forced a Game Six last night, defeating the Hurricanes 4-3 with Fernando Pisani scoring the first-ever shorthanded overtime goal in Final history.

Mike Emrick (play-by-play), John Davidson (analyst) and Pierre McGuire (inside-the-glass reporter) will call the action. Stanley Cup winners Bill Clement and Ed Olczyk, along with former NHL All-Star Ray Ferraro, lead NBC's studio team on site in Edmonton.

Davidson on the sudden turn in momentum in the series: "Edmonton is feeling the best they've felt in the series so far. They had a bruising loss in Game One, and last night they finally got rid of that bruise. Now they're going home, and it's going to be a frenzied crowd up there for sure. Edmonton may have found some offensive confidence, and they're going to continue to play a very physical game, which is doing some damage.

"Carolina took an emotional beating in Game Five. They lost a deciding game, at home, in overtime. What's going to help them is the extra day off between games. That could help them recoup physically and mentally. This thing could go either way real quick."

McGuire: "Edmonton has been resilient throughout the Playoffs and Rexall Place is the toughest building in all of sports. I think we're coming back to Raleigh."

Game Seven, if necessary, will be Monday, June 19, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

NBC's Stanley Cup Final Broadcast Schedule (all times 8 p.m. ET)

Game 6 Saturday, June 17 Carolina at Edmonton

Game 7 * Monday, June 19 Edmonton at Carolina

*if necessary

The Hockey News: "The biggest innovation to hit televised hockey in recent years is NBC's 'Inside The Glass.'": NBC will utilize McGuire "inside-the-glass," reporting from between the teams' benches as opposed to the traditional corner runway position. The "Inside-the-Glass" reporter, similar to NASCAR pit reporters, can provide news, strategy and analysis during the heat of the action.

HISTORY OF NHL ON NBC

On May 19, 2004, NBC and the NHL announced a two-year agreement on a partnership for NBC to televise NHL games. The partnership, which began this season, may be renewed for an additional two years at NBC's option.

NBC was the first U.S. network to air a national broadcast of Stanley Cup Playoff hockey, providing coverage of four Sunday afternoon games during the 1966 postseason. The contract began with the April 10 game from Chicago Stadium between the Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings, with Win Elliot calling play-by-play and Bill Mazer serving as analyst (final score: Detroit 7, Chicago 0).

NBC would reappear to televise games for three seasons beginning with the 1972-73 season. In the final year of the contract, 1974-75, 14 regular season games and seven Stanley Cup Playoff games were broadcast. The 1973-74 broadcasts featured, for the first time, all players' names on the back of their uniforms and a new between periods feature titled "Showdown," with 20 (16 shooters and four goaltenders) of the League's greatest players going head-to-head in a penalty shot competition. The NBC NHL broadcast team from 1972-75 featured Tim Ryan doing play-by-play, Ted Lindsay as analyst and Brian MacFarlane as host.