Sunday, June 18, 2006
Game 7
In all of sport there may be nothing more exciting "Game 7", no matter what sport it is. But it's made that much better when the series could go down as an all-time classic. Edmonton and Carolina have provided just that. There was the thrilling 3-0 comeback by the Hurricanes in game one, capped off by an unlikely goal in the final minute. The Oilers lost their starting goaltender in that game, and I've been unable to discover an instace in which a team's MVP goalie has gone down permanently in the final. Chris Pronger of all people, scored the first penalty shot goal in finals history in that game as well. Things looked grim for the replacement Markkanen after a 5-0 shellacking in game 2, but he has rebounded nicely. Game 3 saw Ryan Smyth give the Oilers hope with the winner in a 2-1 nailbiter, but that hope was all but lost after his side fell by that same score next time out. But Edmonton wouldn't give in. After Raffi Torres put both Aaron Ward and Doug Weight out of the game with big body checks, the Hurricanes had a chance to win the Cup in OT after they were given a questionable power play, but the hockey gods wouldn't let the Cup be decided in that manner. Fernando Pisani scored the first short-handed OT goal in finals history to breathe new life into his team. Game 6 proved to be a dominant Edmonton win, with Pisani again netting the winner in a 4-0 victory. Now it all comes down to one thrilling game. Can unheralded Pisani do a "Paul Henderson" and score the winner in three consecutive elimination games to lift his team to glory?
This is the third consecutive season the finals have come down to the seventh game. Last year saw Tampa Bay edge Calgary 2-1. That game was nerve-wracking to say the least, though in actuality was a very dull afair. But Nik Khabibulin's extraordinary save with around five minutes to go will forever be etched into my memory. For a brief second I thought Calgary was about to tie the game and send it to OT, but the Lightning goaltender just managed to get his pad or blocker (maybe both) in front of the puck at the last second. A Flames penalty in the final minute (though it was quickly followed up with a make-up call on the Lightning) made the final minute a little anti-climactic. In 2003 the Divils dispatched the Ducks 3-0, but this game saw few scoring chances for either team. Back in 2001 Colorado triumphed over those same Devils, but took the lead early and New Jersey never really was in the game. So we're due for a more thrilling game 7 this time around, and with two upbeat teams there's a good chance for that to happen.
The pressure surely has shifted to Carolina now. They were up 3-1 in the series, but now find themselves facing elimination. No team has ever blown an outright 3-1 lead in the final. In 1942 Detroit was up 3-0 on Toronto and lost, so technically they also had a 3-1 lead. But they lost game four, so unlike Carolina, thier opponent actually had the momentum going into the fifth game. The last team to force game 7 after being down 3-1 was the 1994 Canucks who eventually lost to the Rangers. The home team in 11-2 all time in Game 7, the 1971 Canadiens winning in Chicago and the 1945 Maple Leafs taking the Cup in Detroit being the lone exceptions. If your suspersticious you might read something into this: After 1945, five game 7's occured in the final and the home team won them all, until 1971. Since 1971, there have been five game 7's, again the home team has won them all, so this year...
Interesting Facts:
-Cranbrook is a small town in southern BC, of less than 20,000 people. But amazingly, for every year starting in 1994-95, somebody who was either born in, or grew up in Cranbrook has won the Stanley Cup. But that streak will end this year, as neither Edmonton nor Carolina has a player who fits the description. Jarret Stoll played junior in Cranbrook, and Shawn Horcoff, Mark Recchi, and Andrew Ladd hail from Trail, Kamloops, and Maple Ridge, BC respectively, but that's as close as it gets.
- No Finnish goaltender has ever won the Cup. Jussi Markkanen will try to accomplish what Mikka Kiprusoff couldn't do last season.
- No team with a European captain has ever won the Cup. Smith and Brind'Amour will keep that streak intact. Maybe somebody should have told that to Cup- favorite Ottawa (Swede Daniel Alfredsson captains the Senators).
- If the Oilers win, every single member of the team will be a first time winner. (Jason Smith was with the Devils in 1995, but played only 2 regular season games and none in the playoffs, so he is not considered to have won the Cup) The last occurence of such a thing was in 1979-80 when every member of the Islanders was a first timer.
- Game 7 has almost always been a tight, low scoring affair. Detroit 4, New York 3 in 1950 was the highest ever score. Aside from that, there has never even been more than five goals in the deciding game, and no team has ever surpassed four goals. There have been three shut-outs recorded, Toronto and Montreal both winning 4-0 in 1964 and '65, and New Jersey 3-0 in 2003.
- Every player dreams of scoring the winning goal in OT of game 7, but only two have ever done it, they being Red Wings Pete Babando (1950) and Tony Leswick (1954).
- The last time the Cup was won in OT was in 2000, when ex-Oiler Jason Arnott beat Ed Belfour to give New Jersey the Cup in game 6. That was also the last time Stanley was won on the road.
- Every team that goes to the finals has one guy who has caught fire and unexpectedly scored big goals. But Fernando Pisani's run is becoming remarkable. He leads the playoffs in both goals (13) and game-winners (5). The only Oilers to score more in one playoff are legends Gretzky, Messier, Kurri, and Anderson, plus Craig Simpson. Rod Brind'Amour (12) is the only player with a realistic chance to catch Pisani. If he retains the lead, he might be the most unlikely playoff goal-scoring leader ever, perhaps rivalled by Boston's Bobby Schmautz who led with 11 in 1977.
- Carolina can become the 16th different NHL team to win the Cup.
- Edmonton would move alone into fourth place in the Stanley Cup standings with six Cups if they win. (No team has won more than four in the time span since the Oilers joined the league)
- The last team to trail 2-0 in games in two best-of-seven series and still rally to win the Cup? Never happened, the Oilers would be the first. (down 2-0 against both San Jose and Carolina)
Final Prediction:
As I stated in my finals preview, this has been a strange year in the NHL, so I will stick with my original prediction of Oilers in 7, meaning the road team wins game 7 and overcomes the 3-1 series deficit. They have the momentum and Carolina looks out of gas.
This is the third consecutive season the finals have come down to the seventh game. Last year saw Tampa Bay edge Calgary 2-1. That game was nerve-wracking to say the least, though in actuality was a very dull afair. But Nik Khabibulin's extraordinary save with around five minutes to go will forever be etched into my memory. For a brief second I thought Calgary was about to tie the game and send it to OT, but the Lightning goaltender just managed to get his pad or blocker (maybe both) in front of the puck at the last second. A Flames penalty in the final minute (though it was quickly followed up with a make-up call on the Lightning) made the final minute a little anti-climactic. In 2003 the Divils dispatched the Ducks 3-0, but this game saw few scoring chances for either team. Back in 2001 Colorado triumphed over those same Devils, but took the lead early and New Jersey never really was in the game. So we're due for a more thrilling game 7 this time around, and with two upbeat teams there's a good chance for that to happen.
The pressure surely has shifted to Carolina now. They were up 3-1 in the series, but now find themselves facing elimination. No team has ever blown an outright 3-1 lead in the final. In 1942 Detroit was up 3-0 on Toronto and lost, so technically they also had a 3-1 lead. But they lost game four, so unlike Carolina, thier opponent actually had the momentum going into the fifth game. The last team to force game 7 after being down 3-1 was the 1994 Canucks who eventually lost to the Rangers. The home team in 11-2 all time in Game 7, the 1971 Canadiens winning in Chicago and the 1945 Maple Leafs taking the Cup in Detroit being the lone exceptions. If your suspersticious you might read something into this: After 1945, five game 7's occured in the final and the home team won them all, until 1971. Since 1971, there have been five game 7's, again the home team has won them all, so this year...
Interesting Facts:
-Cranbrook is a small town in southern BC, of less than 20,000 people. But amazingly, for every year starting in 1994-95, somebody who was either born in, or grew up in Cranbrook has won the Stanley Cup. But that streak will end this year, as neither Edmonton nor Carolina has a player who fits the description. Jarret Stoll played junior in Cranbrook, and Shawn Horcoff, Mark Recchi, and Andrew Ladd hail from Trail, Kamloops, and Maple Ridge, BC respectively, but that's as close as it gets.
- No Finnish goaltender has ever won the Cup. Jussi Markkanen will try to accomplish what Mikka Kiprusoff couldn't do last season.
- No team with a European captain has ever won the Cup. Smith and Brind'Amour will keep that streak intact. Maybe somebody should have told that to Cup- favorite Ottawa (Swede Daniel Alfredsson captains the Senators).
- If the Oilers win, every single member of the team will be a first time winner. (Jason Smith was with the Devils in 1995, but played only 2 regular season games and none in the playoffs, so he is not considered to have won the Cup) The last occurence of such a thing was in 1979-80 when every member of the Islanders was a first timer.
- Game 7 has almost always been a tight, low scoring affair. Detroit 4, New York 3 in 1950 was the highest ever score. Aside from that, there has never even been more than five goals in the deciding game, and no team has ever surpassed four goals. There have been three shut-outs recorded, Toronto and Montreal both winning 4-0 in 1964 and '65, and New Jersey 3-0 in 2003.
- Every player dreams of scoring the winning goal in OT of game 7, but only two have ever done it, they being Red Wings Pete Babando (1950) and Tony Leswick (1954).
- The last time the Cup was won in OT was in 2000, when ex-Oiler Jason Arnott beat Ed Belfour to give New Jersey the Cup in game 6. That was also the last time Stanley was won on the road.
- Every team that goes to the finals has one guy who has caught fire and unexpectedly scored big goals. But Fernando Pisani's run is becoming remarkable. He leads the playoffs in both goals (13) and game-winners (5). The only Oilers to score more in one playoff are legends Gretzky, Messier, Kurri, and Anderson, plus Craig Simpson. Rod Brind'Amour (12) is the only player with a realistic chance to catch Pisani. If he retains the lead, he might be the most unlikely playoff goal-scoring leader ever, perhaps rivalled by Boston's Bobby Schmautz who led with 11 in 1977.
- Carolina can become the 16th different NHL team to win the Cup.
- Edmonton would move alone into fourth place in the Stanley Cup standings with six Cups if they win. (No team has won more than four in the time span since the Oilers joined the league)
- The last team to trail 2-0 in games in two best-of-seven series and still rally to win the Cup? Never happened, the Oilers would be the first. (down 2-0 against both San Jose and Carolina)
Final Prediction:
As I stated in my finals preview, this has been a strange year in the NHL, so I will stick with my original prediction of Oilers in 7, meaning the road team wins game 7 and overcomes the 3-1 series deficit. They have the momentum and Carolina looks out of gas.
Comments:
<< Home
sac vanessa bruno, hollister uk, hollister pas cher, mulberry uk, michael kors outlet online, nike roshe run uk, nike air max uk, coach purses, nike air force, ralph lauren uk, ray ban pas cher, north face, michael kors outlet online, polo lacoste, lululemon canada, guess pas cher, uggs outlet, michael kors, nike air max uk, burberry handbags, true religion jeans, nike air max, true religion outlet, vans pas cher, nike blazer pas cher, converse pas cher, sac hermes, replica handbags, michael kors outlet, oakley pas cher, new balance, ray ban uk, true religion outlet, nike free uk, abercrombie and fitch uk, north face uk, coach outlet, uggs outlet, michael kors outlet online, nike tn, michael kors outlet, michael kors outlet, burberry outlet, michael kors, timberland pas cher, kate spade, michael kors outlet online, coach outlet store online
Post a Comment
<< Home
