Hurricanes Survive in Game 7, Down Oilers For First Stanley Cup

Last night in Raleigh, N.C., the war of attrition that is the NHL playoffs reached its spectacular conclusion, when the Carolina Hurricanes celebrated joyfully with the Stanley Cup following a 3-1 victory in Game 7. Meanwhile, the Edmonton Oilers, who got further in the playoffs than any eighth seed before them, were left to ponder what could have been.The NHL went to a best-of-seven format to decide the Cup Finals back in 1939; last night was the 14th time (and the fourth in the last five seasons) that a seventh game was required. In winning the Cup, the Hurricanes mirrored the path of the 1994 New York Rangers, who squandered a 3-1 series lead before winning the Cup in dramatic fashion at Madison Square Garden.With the stakes at their highest, it was expected that both teams would leave every ounce of energy they had remaining after the playoff marathon on the RBC Center ice. After looking dead in the water in Game 6, the Hurricanes took it upon themselves to set the tone last night. With the Raleigh crowd rocking and rolling, the ‘Canes were quickly rewarded for their early efforts. An aggressive cycling effort in the Oilers’ zone was consummated when defenseman Aaron Ward fired a slap shot past Jussi Markkanen to give Carolina a 1-0 lead just 1:26 into the game.Just as the Oilers established themselves in Game 6 with numerous hard hits, the Hurricanes did the same after Ward’s tally. A series of crushing blows in the Edmonton zone made it abundantly clear that the ‘Canes still had plenty of gas left in the tank despite being forced to come back to Carolina to win the Cup. In all, the Hurricanes out-hit the Oilers by a decisive 48-23 margin last night, perhaps the most telling statistic from the game.Just over 11 minutes into the first period, the Hurricanes’ ever-dangerous power play went to work after Jaroslav Spacek was sent to the sin bin for holding Mark Recchi. But the Oilers, perhaps emboldened by their shorthanded game-winning goal in Game 5, were uncommonly aggressive. They put constant pressure on the Carolina point men, and were able to escape the power play unscathed.Late in the first period, a high sticking penalty was called on Oilers forward Ethan Moreau. The Hurricanes rushed the puck up the ice as goaltender – and eventual Conn Smythe winner – Cam Ward skated to the bench on the delayed penalty, and they drove the puck to the Edmonton net. Carolina forward Craig Adams flipped the puck over Markkanen, and defenseman Steve Staios dove into the crease in an attempt to keep the puck from crossing the goal line.Just over four minutes into the second period, Spacek was called for another minor penalty. When Oilers defenseman Jason Smith failed to clear the puck out of the zone on the ensuing power play, the Hurricanes went to work. A series of quick passes culminated when Frantisek Kaberle fired the puck from the high slot. It deflected off a diving Smith’s hip and past Markkanen to give Carolina a 2-0 lead.With four minutes remaining in the second stanza, the Hurricanes’ Niclas Wallin was called for hooking; 30 seconds later, Aaron Ward received a delay of game penalty. But the Oilers failed to score with the two-man advantage, squandering what was perhaps their most important opportunity of the game.Just 1:03 into the third period, the Oilers cut the lead in half. Fernando Pisani, without question the biggest clutch performer of these playoffs, scored his 14th playoff goal when he lifted a rebound of a Rem Murray shot past Ward. And suddenly, after outplaying the Oilers for 40 minutes, the Hurricanes found themselves on their heels and in serious trouble.The teams continued to slug away at one another throughout a third period that was played at an absolutely furious pace. And with just over seven minutes remaining in the game, a roughing penalty to Bret Hedican gave the Oilers a golden opportunity to tie the score with the man advantage. But as has been the case throughout these Cup Finals, the Edmonton power play – quite competent through the first three rounds – faltered badly, and failed to score.With 3:40 to go, Pisani got the puck on the doorstep, but a stellar save by Ward preserved the Hurricanes’ lead. It turned out to be the Oilers’ last chance; even after Markkanen was pulled for an extra attacker with ninety seconds remaining, Edmonton was unable to break through for the tying tally. Instead, it was the Hurricanes’ Justin Williams who sealed the victory with an empty net goal.It came as little surprise when Ward was named as the Conn Smythe Trophy winner. After he took over between the pipes in the ‘Canes’ first-round series against the Montreal Canadiens, Ward provided Carolina with the safety net they needed to successfully employ their aggressive style. The rookie goalie, a former first-round pick and just 22 years old, got his NHL career off to a spectacular start.Without question, this game delivered on every expectation. In the game’s final seconds, Oilers coach Craig MacTavish watched grizzled veteran Rod Brind’Amour take the final draw, just as MacTavish did for the Rangers in 1994. He didn’t win the face-off as MacTavish did but Brind’Amour’s ‘Canes held on for the victory. The Hurricanes and their fans celebrated the franchise-first Cup win, taking a critical step towards establishing hockey’s place on Carolina’s crowded sports landscape.Mr. Greenstein is the editor in chief of InsideHockey.com.

Hurricanes Survive in Game 7, Down Oilers For First Stanley Cup

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