by Mike Brophy
The Hockey News
June 20, 2006
RALEIGH, N.C. - Nothing like a little home ice advantage for Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final.
"That's why you play an 82-game regular season," said Carolina defenseman Aaron Ward, now a three-time Cup winner, the first two coming with the Detroit Red Wings. "You want home ice in a game like this."
Carolina defeated Edmonton 3-1 Monday night to win its first Stanley Cup. The former Hartford Whalers made the final in 2003, but were beaten in five games by Detroit.
The RBC Center seemed to bring the Hurricanes back from the dead. After losing at home in overtime in Game 5, the demoralized Hurricanes were pathetic in Game 6, dropping a 4-0 decision to the Oilers in Edmonton.
Though the Oilers had momentum in their favor entering the one-game showdown, the Hurricanes had history on their side. There were 118 rounds that went seven games since the NHL introduced the best-of-seven format in 1939 and the home team won 74 (63 per cent) of those series. In the final, 13 series advanced to the seventh game with the home side winning 11.
Make that 14 and 12 now.
"This is still a little surreal to me," said 18-year veteran Glen Wesley, who won his first Cup in his third trip to the final. "In my first few years with Boston, I was surrounded by some great players; some great leaders who taught me about the game. Guys like Cam Neely, Rick Middleton - even Terry O'Reilly taught me a lot about the game - how to play with hunger and intensity every night."
The final had its share of magical moments, from the Hurricanes overcoming a 3-0 deficit to win Game 1, to Edmonton defenseman Chris Pronger becoming the first player to score on a penalty shot in the final series, to the Oilers Fernando Pisani deciding Game 5 with a shorthanded goal in overtime in Raleigh.
Game 7 of this year's final was everything the NHL hoped it would be when it decided, once and for all, to eliminate obstruction. It was end-to-end action from the drop of the first puck until the final buzzer. Those who don't like the way NHL hockey is played today should be strapped to a chair and forced to watch Game 7 over and over until they admit the game is better.
Although the Oilers held a territorial edge in play in the first period, and produced a few good scoring chances, Carolina got the only goal of the period with Aaron Ward scoring at 1:26 on a blast from the right point.
The Hurricanes appeared to take a 2-0 lead with 4.1 seconds remaining in the opening period, but after a long review, the goal was waved off. Craig Adams directed the puck toward the Edmonton net, beating Markkanen. However, Oilers defenseman Steve Staios got in behind his keeper and stopped the puck from going in. It looked as though Staios covered the puck with his hand and referee Brad Watson, who was close to the net, pointed to center, which is usually the indication a penalty shot has been called. While replays on CBC showed Staios shovelled the puck under Markkanen, a different angle on the NBC telecast clearly showed the puck crossed the goal line before Staios came to his team's defense. NBC's replay was not discovered until the period ended.
The Oilers made a game of it when Pisani added to his playoff-leading goal total with his 14th, connecting on a rebound at 1:03 of the third. But despite Edmonton pressing, the Hurricanes iced the game with an empty net goal by Justin Williams at 18:59.
• Cam Ward opened the playoff on the bench as the backup to Martin Gerber, but ended it as the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as post-season MVP. The 22-year-old is the first rookie to win the Conn Smythe since Montreal goalie Patrick Roy in 1986.
• The 2005-06 final marked the third consecutive season the Stanley Cup series has gone the distance. New Jersey defeated Anaheim 3-0 in Game 7 in 2003, perhaps the most boring seven-game final of all-time, and Tampa Bay used home ice advantage to defeat the Calgary Flames in 2004, the year before the lockout.
• There were those who felt Chris Pronger would have difficulty adapting to the way games are called in the NHL now. Pronger has a long history of not only being one of the league orneriest players, but one who would break his grandmother's wrist with a slash to get a free puck. But, after a slow start to the year, he has played remarkably and with plenty of discipline. Although he is not a finalist for the Norris Trophy this season, his playoff performance left no doubt he is the league's most effective two-way defenseman, and arguably the most complete skater in the game.
• One of the most engaging stories of the final belongs to Edmonton goalie Jussi Markkanen. Earlier this season the Oilers elected to play Ty Conklin and Mike Morrison, summoned from the ECHL, ahead of Markkanen. But when Dwayne Roloson was injured in Game 1 of the final, Markkanen came in played very solid. In fact, goaltending was never an issue for the Oilers.
The Hockey News 3 Stars of Game 7 are:
1. Cam Ward, Carolina. Capped his Conn Smythe-winning performance by allowing only a single goal on 22 shots. In 23 post-season appearances, Ward allowed two goals or less 12 times.
2. Fernando Pisani, Edmonton. Scored the Oilers’ lone goal – his playoff-leading 14th – and could have had a couple more had bounces gone his way.
3. Aaron Ward, Carolina. Opened the scoring early and was a physical presence in his own end throughout Game 7.
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