Flashbacks: 2002 2nd Round vs. the Canadiens

[nccanes]

And now to the 2nd round. The Canes take Game 1 at home, 2-0. I remember thinking how spoiled we were, 4 straight home playoff victories...

I remember seeing one of my favorite playoff signs the night of Game 1: "We've waited 16 years and 1 Weekes for this night".


The News & Observer
May 4, 2002
Home comfort
Author: Luke DeCock; Staff Writer

Article Text:

Raleigh -- They shoved him and they punched him, but the smile never left Erik Cole's face.

His laughter summed up the message the Canes sent Friday night: They won't be pushed around, not at home, not with Kevin Weekes in net, not in the playoffs.

As Cole celebrated the goal that sealed the Carolina Hurricanes' 2-0 win over the Canadiens in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Friday, arms in air, he took a shove in the chest from Doug Gilmour before Gino Odjick started throwing rights first at Rod Brind'Amour and then at Cole.

Cole just laughed as Odjick was hauled off to the penalty box, white teeth visible against the dark-brown playoff beard that obscured his 23-year-old face.

"That's playoff hockey," Cole said, shrugging off the scuffle.

And it's something the Canes are starting to get pretty good at. Especially at home.

Weekes made 25 saves for his second straight playoff shutout and the Canes survived an early five-minute penalty to Jeff O'Neill as they polished off the Canadiens for their fourth straight home win in the playoffs.

The Canes struggled at home in the regular season, especially in games like Friday, which was scoreless going into the third period.

But things have been different in the postseason. And in front of the largest crowd to see a hockey game at the ESA -- 18,809 -- they held off the Canadiens before polishing them off in the third.

"There were a lot of nights in there we just could not beat the other guy," said Carolina coach Paul Maurice -- Montreal's Jose Theodore being one of those other guys.

"But there's a different kind of pressure when the question in January, February, March is, is this team going to win its division and make the playoffs? We were still in that fight. It's a different mind-set now, and you don't feel any of that."

Of course, having Weekes in net has changed a lot. He's generating enough rebounds to lead the ACC, but the Canes are clearing them and Weekes' form may not be pretty but it's been perfect.

Since giving up goals on the first two shots he faced in a Carolina uniform back in March, Weekes has stopped 172 of the next 177, including back-to-back playoff shutouts.

It almost begs the question: Doesn't this just boggle his mind?

"Not really. Why would it?" said Weekes, who did postgame interviews with both ESPN and CBC and is the subject of an upcoming "Sports Illustrated" profile.

"We're here to try and win as many games as possible. As a goalie, my job is to make as many saves as possible to give our team a chance to do that."

Weekes has certainly done that. No goalie in franchise history has ever posted two straight playoff shutouts, but this has been a season for franchise history.

The last time the franchise was in the second round, it was against these same Canadiens back in 1986. The Hartford Whalers won the first game of that series 4-1 in Montreal before losing the series in overtime of Game 7.

Ron Francis played in that series. He's still scoring goals.

Francis, 39, scored the game's first goal 4:49 into the third period by tipping a Niclas Wallin shot between Theodore's legs at the end of an extended flurry.

Things started badly for the Canes when O'Neill was thrown out of the game for a check from behind on Sheldon Souray less than five minutes into the game.

The Canes killed off that penalty, and two more before the second period was out.

"We hit the post once there, but we didn't really create some great scoring chances," Montreal forward Andreas Dackell said. "Of course, if we put the puck in there, it's probably going to be another outcome of the game."

Instead, things were scoreless going into the third. There were times in the regular season that the Canes found that a dangerous situation.

Not in the playoffs.

"I like the fact that we feel comfortable in a 0-0 game," Cole said.

It turns out, there's no such thing as a dangerous situation for the Canes at home.

Only victories.

###

Hurricanes 2, Canadiens 0


First: None. Penalties--O'Neill, Car, major-game misconduct (checking from behind), 4:34; Audette, Mon (slashing), 11:18; Ward, Car (interference), 14:13.

Second: None. Penalties--Hedican, Car (roughing), 9:00; Audette, Mon (roughing), 9:00; Hill, Car (boarding), 9:35; Juneau, Mon (holding), 15:42.

Third: 1, Carolina, Francis 2 (Wallin, Svoboda), 3:49. 2, Carolina, Cole 3 (Battaglia), 17:42. Penalties--Ward, Car (cross-checking), :30; Odjick, Mon, double minor (roughing), 17:42; Audette, Mon (elbowing), 19:29.

Shots on goal: Montreal 9-6-10--25. Carolina 8-19-11--38. Power-play opportunities: Montreal 0 of 4; Carolina 0 of 4. Goalies: Montreal, Theodore 4-3 (38 shots-36 saves). Carolina, Weekes 3-0 (25-25). Referees: Kevin Pollock, Stephen Walkom. Linesmen: Scott Driscoll, Dan Schachte.

A--18,809.

###

Copyright 2002 by The News & Observer Pub. Co.




The News & Observer
May 4, 2002
O'Neill hopes to avoid suspension after ejection
Author: Luke DeCock; Staff Writer

Article Text:

Raleigh -- Jeff O'Neill was already dressed when his Carolina Hurricanes teammates came in off the ice celebrating their 2-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Friday in Game 1 of their second-round series.

He'd left the ice less than five minutes into the game when he was ejected for a check from behind on Sheldon Souray.

O'Neill took a running start at Souray and caught him flush in the back, sending him shoulder-first into the boards.

By rule, O'Neill was given a major and a game misconduct, but the Canes not only killed off the five-minute penalty but had as many shots as the Canadiens --two.

"I've seen some hits in some other series that were a lot worse than that and weren't called five minutes," O'Neill said. "When a guy goes into the boards backwards I guess the referee has to make a decision."

He may now also face suspension, although Toronto's Gary Roberts escaped suspension (and a game misconduct, which the NHL later admitted was a mistake) for a similar hit on the Islanders' Kenny Jonsson in that first-round series.

O'Neill also said he wasn't seeking retribution for a Souray hit on Sami Kapanen moments earlier.

"It definitely wasn't a retaliatory situation," O'Neill said. "I don't possess a lot of qualities but one that I do is common sense. I know you don't retaliate five minutes into a playoff game. I didn't even see Sami get hit."

The Canes went on to kill off two more Montreal power plays, which kept the game scoreless until the Canes could score in the third period.

They say your goalie has to be your best penalty-killer, but Kevin Weekes had plenty of help on Friday.

"Our keys to success took place on the penalty kill," Weekes said. "A lot of guys who often go unnoticed -- Jeff Daniels, Kevyn Adams -- those type of players they were the main reason we won."

Weekes in particular singled out Tommy Westlund, who jumped up to the third line when Svoboda was promoted to the top line in O'Neill's place.

"Here's a guy who when I first came here he could hardly walk, his back was so sore," Weekes said. "He was out there sacrificing his body. Those are the guys who deserve the credit."

BRISEBOIS OUT: Montreal's Patrice Brisebois, an assistant captain and the Canadiens' best defenseman, was scratched with back spasms.

He was replaced by Stephane Robidas, who was a team-worst minus-25 in 56 regular-season games.

Brisebois was the Canadiens' top-scoring defenseman during the regular season with 33 points. He was also a team-best plus-9 and is the only player left from the Canadiens' last Stanley Cup team, in 1993.

They may need him Sunday. Souray returned for one shift after the O'Neill hit but is suspected to have suffered a separated left shoulder.

TAILWINDS: Svoboda extended his point streak to three games. ... Rod Brind'Amour played in his 100th career playoff game. ... This is the first time these two franchises have met in the playoffs since 1992. The Carolina franchise has only played New Jersey, Montreal, Boston and the Quebec Nordiques in the playoffs. ...Ron Francis needs five points to become the franchise's all-time leading playoff scorer. He has 10 goals and 17 assists in 46 playoff games with Hartford/Carolina.

Copyright 2002 by The News & Observer Pub. Co.


This one is fun....


The News & Observer
May 5, 2002
Odjick takes shot at Hill
Author: Luke DeCock; Staff Writer

Article Text:

Raleigh -- And this was supposed to be a nice, clean, quiet series.

Instead, after one game of the Carolina Hurricanes' second-round series against the Montreal Canadiens there's already been one suspension and now there's a full-fledged bounty on the head of Carolina defenseman Sean Hill.

Montreal enforcer Gino Odjick, a legendary wordsmith who once described a situation as "water over the bridge" said Hill may have to answer for what Odjick considered an attack on Canadiens forward Oleg Petrov during Carolina's 2-0 win Friday.

This after the Canes' Jeff O'Neill was suspended for one game for a hit from behind on the Canadiens' Sheldon Souray.

"I know that Hill took a run at Petrov's head," Odjick said. "Some people think they won't have to pay for what they do because it's the playoffs, but it's like David Copperfield --it's an illusion.


"Mr. Hill, if you want to keep taking shots at heads, you live by the sword, you might have to die by the sword -- if you're a man. I don't know if you are or not yet."

Odjick said this at the end of Montreal's late afternoon practice Saturday, so Hill didn't have an opportunity to respond in kind.

Instead, he and Odjick will state their respective cases on the ice in Game 2 tonight as that quiet little series becomes a very loud, very big one.

[CaniacKikiBB13]

These articles REALLY made me miss the good 'ol days :sad: ....thanks for the memories :) !! lol on the last article (go hilly :beatup: !!!)

[VandyCane]

As my family was discussing Mother's Day plans, I remarked how last year's Mother's Day was awesome---a playoff win at the ESA. We made a sign "Win one for Mom" which got my kids on the 6pm and 10pm news highlights. Very happy memories indeed. :)

[Shell]

Luckily my mom loves hockey too, so that's how we spent our mother's day as well. :)

[Canesluver]

I brought a sign with me to that game -- it made it on the Jumbotron:

"Sorry I didn't call, Mom..... I'm at the game!!"

;)

[Jeff O Rocks]

awwwww..the memories.. :cry: :sad: Last Mother's Day..I was in Williamsburg watching the game on tv and trying to keep my big mouth shut and not bother the other people at the hotel!! It was hard to do since we were killing Theodore!! :spin: Next season..next season! ;)

[nccanes]

And the Canes lose at home for the first time in the playoffs...



The News & Observer
May 6, 2002
A new twist to series
Author: Caulton Tudor; Staff Writer
Article Text:

RALEIGH -- If the Carolina Hurricanes are now to survive this NHL playoff series, they are going to have to do it the hard way.

They are going to have to win at least one game in Montreal's Molson Centre, a place that come Tuesday may make the plenty noisy Entertainment and Sports Arena sound like an Ivy League library.

Despite a flood of shots at Canadiens goaltender Jose Theodore on Sunday night in the ESA, the Hurricanes were forced to leave town with what they wanted least -- a home-ice loss, 4-1, in the Eastern Conference second-round set.

In some ways, it was almost like the Canes walked into an ambush in their own house after their impressive 2-0 win to start the series on Friday night. They confronted a Canadiens team that neither was psychologically flat nor terribly banged up.

Judging from the pregame rhetoric, Canadiens defenseman Sheldon Souray was injured beyond immediate repair after being bulldozed by Jeff O'Neill in Friday's opening minutes.

Not only did Souray play, he was excellent and as physical on the ice as anyone.

O'Neill, the Canes' leading goal producer and No. 3 assist man in the regular season, sat out with a game suspension and watched as Theodore snuffed out 45 of 46 shots while his team scored four times on 16 shots, one an empty-netter by Bill Lindsay.

The sobering turn of events gives the Canadiens the home advantage, beginning with the 7 p.m. Game 3 on Tuesday and another at Montreal on Thursday. Regardless of those outcomes, there will be a Game 5 on Sunday in the ESA, and the Hurricanes very much don't want to enter that one down 3-1.

"We were one of the better teams in the league on the road in the regular season," said Canes forward Sami Kapanen. "There's no reason why we can't win one of the next two in Montreal. Obviously, we would like to go up and get the first goal. They got the first one tonight, and it was a big advantage."

But the atmosphere the Canes are likely to confront on Tuesday will be much different than in the regular season. More than 21,000 of the world's most enthusiastic and knowledgeable fans will turn Molson into something that could quickly make it a Fort Surrender situation for the Canes.

"We just have to play it one game at a time and keep pressing the net. They rely on the goalie a lot, and we have to stay at it," Kapanen said. "[Theodore] is covering most of the net and covering it quick."

But it wasn't just Theodore on Sunday. The Canadiens weathered a stormy opening few minutes that could have resulted in an early Carolina lead. But once Saku Koivu gave Montreal the lead 7:25 into the first period, the game complexion changed and fast.

"They got quicker," Kapanen said. "I thought they were quicker tonight than in the first game."

In fact, the Canadiens were quick enough to score three goals on their first eight shots. For the game, they took only 16 at Kevin Weekes.

Up 3-0 by the opening minutes of the second, Montreal was able to settle into a comfortable defensive routine that featured much bending but no breaking.

"Theodore was great, but that's what we expected," said Canes coach Paul Maurice. "We were prepared for a seven-game series in the first round, and we are well prepared to play seven games [in this series]."

A seven-game series against the Canadiens would mean the Hurricanes get the final game at home. But to reach that point, the road will have to be tamed at least once. In this case, that's a tough road to travel.

Copyright 2003, The News & Observer Publishing Company.



The News & Observer
May 6, 2002
Canes' O'Neill missed
Author: J.P. Giglio; Staff Writer

Article Text:

RALEIGH -- After one of eight Carolina Hurricanes' power plays, Jeff O'Neill appeared on the CBC television broadcast. The Canes' leading scorer wore a navy suit, a playoff beard and a plastic smile as he answered questions about his suspension.

"It's not much fun to watch in the locker room," O'Neill said during the interview.

It wasn't much fun for his teammates either. Without O'Neill's heavy right-handed shot on the power play, the Canes converted only one of their eight chances, none when it was five-on-four. O'Neill could only watch and wonder what if, because the NHL suspended him for Sunday's Game 2 against the Montreal Canadiens for checking Sheldon Souray from behind less than five minutes into the series' first game.

Sure, the Canes won that first game without O'Neill, who led the team with 31 goals during the season, and sure the Canes generated plenty of chances on Montreal goalie Jose Theodore in Sunday's 4-1 loss. They had 46 shots that made it to the net, another 21 that missed the mark and 20 that were blocked.

There was something, or someone missing. "We missed him," linemate Sami Kapanen said. "He's usually the one who sets the tone early on with the physical play. They got a couple of early goals and just played defense after that."

O'Neill's absence has a domino effect that isn't necessarily measured in shots and goals. Coach Paul Maurice called it balance, referring to the three scoring lines, which worked well in the New Jersey series, that had to be shuffled. Without O'Neill, rookie Jaroslav Svoboda skated with Ron Francis and Kapanen on the first line. Winger Tommy Westlund took Svoboda's spot on the third line.

"It affects a lot of things," said Francis, who had an assist on the Canes' only goal. "It affects the right-hand shot on the power play, my line, faceoffs on the right side of the ice. I thought our guys played well. We certainly had enough opportunities to win."

One opportunity to make the game "a little tighter," as Maurice said, came at the start of the third period. Down 3-1, after Rod Brind'Amour scored with 6.8 seconds left in the second period when the Canes had a five-on-three advantage, the Canes came right back on the ice with a man advantage.

A loose pluck fluttered to Bates Battaglia, a left shot, in the spot O'Neill usually occupies. Battaglia had to reach back for the puck and missed the chance. It's not Battaglia's fault he's a lefty, but without O'Neill, Maurice didn't have another righty to use.

By Tuesday, O'Neill will lose the suit in favor of his red 92 road sweater. Svoboda will be back with his friend and normal center Josef Vasicek, and O'Neill will be next to Francis and Kapanen. It won't change the fact the series is tied 1-1, but for the first time in the series, the Canes will have a full lineup for Game 3. A fact not lost on O'Neill's teammates, who'd rather see him on the bench and in the game, not on TV.

"Things happen, he didn't play today," Vasicek said. "We had to work through it. On the other hand, he'll back for the next game. Hopefully, he'll be a huge boost for us."

Copyright 2002 by The News & Observer Pub. Co.

[nccanes]

Okay, let's skip over game 3 and get to the good stuff....

Do you all remember that headline? MIRACLE IN MOLSON!

This is such a sweet memory!! I remember putting my kids to bed at the end of the 2nd period (school night) and them begging to stay up saying "what if they come back?" and we said "we'll wake you up if they score 2 goals in the 3rd". Well, holy sh*t, they did. Our screams probably woke them first, but they both got back up and watched the incredible Cole goal and Wallin OT winner with us. How fun was that!?!?

It know it sounds corny, but when Bates scored that goal to make it 2-3, I just knew they could do it. :) :cry:




The News & Observer
May 10, 2002
Miracle in Molson
Author: Luke DeCock; Staff Writer

Article Text:

MONTREAL -- Debris rained down upon him. Water bottles. Cups half-filled with beer. Hot dogs.

The detritus of a disappointed province came crashing down on Ron Francis' head, but he could not be stopped.

He skated into the face of the anger, stooped into the east goal at the Molson Centre and retrieved the puck that won the game for the Carolina Hurricanes from the back of the net.

Niclas Wallin put it there 3:14 into overtime Thursday, bringing the Canes from the brink of elimination to new heights of celebration with a 4-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 4 of their second-round playoff series -- now tied at two games apiece.

Francis, the Canes' captain, knew Wallin would want the puck. He was willing to risk his personal safety to get it, even as a water bottle crashed down inches away from his feet.

"I figured it might be safer inside the net," Francis said. "It's a huge win for us. You don't want to go down 3-1. To win it is a huge relief, especially to see a guy like Nicky Wallin, who doesn't share in a lot of the glory but has played very well for us, get the goal."

Down by three goals going into the third period, the Canes incurred the wrath of the projectile-happy crowd with a four-goal comeback that was as improbable as it was furious. They scored as many goals in 23:14 as they'd scored in the entire series coming into that period.

It was 2-0 Montreal coming out of the first period, and Carolina coach Paul Maurice made yet another goalie swap after Kevin Weekes gave up two goals on the first six shots he faced, sending Arturs Irbe in for the first time since Game 4 of the first-round series against the New Jersey Devils.

It was a move that smacked of desperation, as did Maurice's decision to bump struggling Jeff O'Neill down to the third line and promote Jaroslav Svoboda in an attempt to generate offense against Montreal goalie Jose Theodore.

It worked.

"During the second intermission, Ronnie Francis told us we hadn't thrown the kitchen sink at them yet," O'Neill said.

Instead, they had the kitchen sink thrown at them from the stands.

The Canes broke through with a Sean Hill five-on-three goal with 16:03 to play after Stephane Quintal decked Martin Gelinas and Montreal coach Michel Therrien, who had been warned earlier in the game, let loose with a stream of invective that earned him a penalty of his own.

That's when the Canadiens' fans started throwing garbage on the ice -- which might describe Montreal's play in the third period.

To be fair, it wasn't so much the Canadiens collapsing as the Hurricanes erupting. Once they got Hill's goal past Theodore, they got better with every passing minute.

"It turned it around," Canadiens captain Saku Koivu said. "I'm not going to say anything for that call. I guess we all make mistakes. They got the five-on-three, they scored, and they were right back in the game. I think that was the turning point."

A Bates Battaglia slap shot deflected in off Karl Dykhuis' stick with 7:17 to play and with Irbe back on the bench -- for an extra attacker this time -- Erik Cole smacked in a rebound with 40.7 seconds left to force overtime.

"My eyes were as big as toonies," Cole said, the upstate New York native clearly comfortable with Canadian coinage --a toonie being the $2 coin that's about the size of a half-dollar.

Cole went careening off into the end boards, jumping face-first into the glass in a "take that" gesture, but the Carolina celebration was still to come.

Moments after Irbe stopped Oleg Petrov on a great chance in the high slot, Wallin took a pass from Josef Vasicek and hit Theodore squarely in the chest.

O'Neill won the ensuing faceoff against Bill Lindsay back to Wallin at the right point, then went to the net. With O'Neill screening Theodore, Wallin fired a wrister under Theodore's arm.

"I've never scored a goal like that," Wallin said.

The second-year Swedish defenseman, as popular a character as there is in the Carolina locker room, was engulfed by his teammates as debris rained down around them.

"It was just a total reversal of fortune, reversal of energy," said Weekes, who watched the third period by himself from the entrance to the Carolina locker room, across the ice from the bench.

"You had to be there to see it, otherwise you almost wouldn't believe it. It's just one of those things. We overcame ourselves. We overcame their team. We overcame the crowd. We overcame energy we could feel but couldn't see. This was truly special."

[tommy]

Wow!! What great memories!!! I LOVED it when Cole jumped into the boards in his celebration! That was so great!

And the Caulton Tudor article is slightly annoying, as usual.

[folgersnyourcup]

Those are great, great articles. Is there anywhere we can go to find video clips of each game like in the New Jersey series?

[nccanes]

Yes indeed. Thanks for the reminder...


http://www.caneshockey.com/custom/radA4D15.asp

and a coupla photos...

http://www.caneshockey.com/images/snapshots/05-09-02/050902brindy.jpg
Erik Cole celebrates his game-tying goal with 40.8 seconds left in regulation with Rod Brind'Amour.

http://www.caneshockey.com/images/snapshots/05-07-02/050802brindy.jpg
Boy do I miss seeing those Brindy gloves, with Brindy in 'em.

[Jeff O Rocks]

awwwwww..look at Erik's face...and Brindy!! :sad: :cry:

Happy days WILL be back again next year my friends!! :spin:

[folgersnyourcup]

Thanks for the link to the video clips! Those are great!

[Turbulence]

What a great day that was...and JOR is right. We'll have our day again.

[nccanes]

The unraveling of Theodore begins....

I remember the crowd chanting "Irbe, Irbe, Irbe" when it appeared he might get his first playoff shutout, but it almost seemed like the deafening chant doomed it.

I also remember sitting outside after the game with our tailgating crew and being the very last people to leave the Carter Finley lots. So long, that someone's battery died because the doors on the car were open so long.



The News & Observer
May 13, 2002
Canes in control
Author: Luke DeCock; Staff Writer

Article Text:

RALEIGH -- There must have been a string there somewhere, a loose thread hanging out of Jose Theodore's jersey.

Because as soon as the Carolina Hurricanes found it, they started pulling. And Theodore hasn't stopped unraveling yet.

The Canes followed up their shocking Game 4 comeback with an equally shocking Game 5 demolition of the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday, scoring more goals in a 5-1 win than they did in the first three games of the series combined.

The Canes, up 3-2, now have a chance to close out the Canadiens and this second-round series tonight in Montreal.

And they've got all the momentum, having scored nine goals on Theodore in the past 83:14.

That's four in the third period and overtime of Thursday's 4-3 comeback win and five more on Sunday.

Suddenly, he's beatable. And the Canes look unbeatable.

"It's nice to get a win like that where you don't have to fight for three periods," Carolina's Rod Brind'Amour said. "That's nice, but it's just one win. If you win or lose by one or 10, it doesn't make a difference in the next game."

But it looked like the last game definitely made a difference in this one.

Instead of Theodore getting in their heads, where he took up residence in the first three games and first two periods of Game 4, the Canes now appear to be squarely in his.

"Hopefully," said Martin Gelinas, who scored the Canes' first goal. "He's been playing great hockey for them but this was a tough night."

The Canes scored on their second shot of the first period, first shot of the second period and second shot of the third period.

Despite Theodore's protestations, that's the mark of a goalie off his game.

"I think that's a big boost against anybody, Theodore or whoever," Carolina forward Bates Battaglia said. "If you can strike first it's always a good momentum-booster. We're happy it happened, now we just need to keep coming hard."

Nobody was pushing harder than Battaglia, Brind'Amour, and Erik Cole, who dominated Sunday-- Carolina's alleged second line, which has clearly eclipsed Ron Francis' group as the Canes' top line in these playoffs.

After Martin Gelinas started the scoring 3:17 into the game, Brind'Amour made it 2-0 early in the second when he crossed up Theodore by shooting instead of passing to an open Battaglia.

Battaglia got his goal to finish things off, putting home a pass from Cole on a two-on-one with 3:47 to play.

By then, the rout was complete. And Carolina's "second" line ended the game having scored seven of the Canes' 13 goals in this series, 11 of 22 in the playoffs.

But Brind'Amour's goal wouldn't have happened were it not for a save at the other end by Arturs Irbe, making his first start since Game 4 of the first-round series against the New Jersey Devils.

Irbe made 30 saves, and while his stop on Oleg Petrov in the second period may not have been his most spectacular, it was certainly the most important.

With the Canes leading 1-0, Petrov came down the right wing on a two-on-one with Andreas Dackell. Carolina's Niclas Wallin took away the pass and Irbe got his left leg between Petrov and the post.

Moments later, Battaglia knocked a loose puck across the neutral zone, where Cole outfought Andrei Markov on the right wing. Cole's pass found Brind'Amour in the slot and he beat Theodore with a low wrister.

That simple turn of fortune won the game for the Canes. Irbe makes save, Brind'Amour scores goal. Game over.

The Canes let the Canadiens back in the game in the second, but Irbe was too good and his teammates put it away in the third.

Francis scored on a power play to tie the franchise playoff scoring record and Tommy Westlund scored his first career playoff goal to make it 4-0.

After Karl Dykhuis broke up Irbe's shutout bid, Battaglia and Cole -- who else? --finished things off.

And the Canes now have a chance to finish Montreal off tonight at the Molson Centre.

[nccanes]

And the nail in the coffin... Game 6, Canes win 8-2.


The News & Observer
May 14, 2002
Habs fall apart
Author: Luke DeCock; Staff Writer

Article Text:

MONTREAL -- The game and the series were over when Doug Gilmour walked into the penalty box Monday night.

The Carolina Hurricanes had a four-goal lead, and the Montreal Canadiens center wasn't happy about that, or about the fact that he'd been called for tripping.

When he slammed the door shut in anger, the glass in front of the penalty box shattered, spilling green shards all over the ice.

The 18-minute delay -- safe to say, the Canadiens weren't exactly hurrying it along -- only forestalled the inevitable: an 8-2 Carolina win and the Canadiens' elimination in six games.

It was a fitting metaphor for the series. The Canadiens didn't fold. They didn't crumble. They just plain shattered after blowing a 3-0 lead in Game 4 and losing in overtime.

"That was a huge game for them, a huge win," Montreal captain Saku Koivu said. "Whatever happened, there were still two more games to play, possibly three. For some reason, we came out flat. At that point, it was tough to regroup."

They went into the third period of that game up 3-0 with a chance to take a 3-1 lead in the series. They gave up four straight goals to lose 4-3 in overtime.

Unbeknownst to anyone but the Canadiens, they'd lost the series then. Including that four-goal implosion, the Canadiens were outscored 17-3 the rest of the way.

It ended with Monday's loss, which approached the worst in the Canadiens' illustrious playoff history -- a 7-0 loss to the Seattle Metropolitans in 1919.

"That game, that period really sank them," Carolina center Rod Brind'Amour said. "I can't imagine being on the other end of it, what it would have done to me."

Montreal coach Michel Therrien sparked the Game 4 collapse with his penalty-provoking histrionics on the bench and sent fourth-liner Bill Lindsay out for the overtime faceoff that ended up costing them the game.

He was thoroughly outcoached by Carolina's Paul Maurice after that, but Maurice -- a coach who knows a thing or two about being under fire -- defended him.

"Lindsay had beaten Brind'Amour twice early in the game, and that was the right call. ... He's getting roasted for it," Maurice said. "The people who are roasting him are wrong. He's done a phenomenal job, and I hope everybody in this town remembers that."

Jose Theodore, so unbeatable in Games 2 and 3, was sitting on the Montreal bench in a baseball cap by the time Gilmour slammed the door on the series.

He got the hook in Game 6 faster than you can translate "soft goals" into French. He didn't make it to the second period, giving away rebounds like cheer towels and turning over the puck as though he was afraid of it before Stephane Fiset took over in a mission of mercy.

The 25-year-old was a big part of Montreal's memorable season, a season that saw them make the playoffs despite Koivu's battle with cancer and eliminate the big, bad Boston Bruins -- the top regular-season team in the Eastern Conference -- in the first round.

Theodore had done more to get them as far as they had gone than anybody, but whatever magic had propelled the eighth-seeded Canadiens into the second round left them at the second intermission of Game 4 and took the rest of the series off.

They recovered from so much this season. The Canadiens never recovered from that.

###

Peppering Theodore

Held to four goals in the first three games of the series, the Canes suddenly found the solution to Montreal goalie Jose Theodore in the third period of Game 4. Over a span of five periods and 3:14 of overtime, the Canes sent 14 goals past Theodore in a dizzying display of offense.

-Game 4

goal no./player/assists/time/period

1/Hill/Francis, Kapanen/3:57 (pp)/3rd

2 Battaglia /Brind'Amour, Malik /12:43/3rd

3 Cole/Francis, Battaglia/19:19 /3rd

4 Wallin/O'Neill/3:14/ OT

-Game 5

5/Gelinas/unassisted/3:17/1st

6/Brind'Amour/Cole, Battaglia/2:13 /2nd

7 Francis/Brind'Amour, Hill/3:40 (pp)/3rd

8 Westlund /O'Neill, Gelinas/11:18 /3rd

9 Battaglia/ Cole/16:13/3rd

-Game 6

10 Cole/Brind'Amour, Battaglia/0:25/1st

11 Cole/Battaglia /3:33/1st

12 Hill/Kapanen, Brind'Amour/7:55 (pp)/1st

13 Vasicek/ Cole/14:58/1st

14 K. Adams/Daniels, Malik /18:15/1st

I'd forgotten that this Flash thing was on the N&O site, it's got nice photos and some audio (from post-game interviews on 850) from each of the series. Good stuff!

http://www.newsobserver.com/collections/hurricanes/flash5.html

[nccanes]

And a little article giving the fans props!


The News & Observer
May 15, 2002
Canes fans go 'above and beyond' to watch, learn hockey
Author: Richard Stradling; Staff Writer

Article Text:

Patti Mitchell of Apex knows what it feels like when a whole metropolitan area gets behind a sports team, the way everyone in her hometown of Columbus pulls for the Ohio State Buckeyes.


Mitchell hasn't seen that kind of unity in her 10 years in the Triangle, where even some families are divided over college basketball teams. But the Carolina Hurricanes are changing that, she said.

Look at the T-shirts and caps on people waiting Tuesday to buy playoff tickets at the Entertainment and Sports Arena or at the decals and stickers on the cars in the parking lot. Hockey, of all things, is bringing the region together.

"It's great," said Mitchell, holding a bag of souvenirs from the Canes gift shop. "Everybody's got their flags on their cars."

With each playoff win, the Hurricanes extend their season deeper into May and draw more fans to a sport with a short history in the Triangle. The day after eliminating the venerable Montreal Canadiens from the playoffs, the Canes sold more than 27,000 tickets for the first two Eastern Conference finals, on Thursday and Sunday.

Some fans stood in line for more than an hour Tuesday morning and paid as much as $250 per seat. When Emma Bennett, director of marketing at the ESA, worked the phones during the lunch hour, she sold tickets to people from Atlanta, Columbia, S.C., Virginia Beach and Tennessee.

Fans began lining up for tickets Monday night while the Montreal game was winding down. More than 500 people were waiting to greet the team when it arrived at Raleigh-Durham International Airport at 1:45 Tuesday morning.

"We were absolutely amazed," team captain Ron Francis said. "That was above and beyond the call of duty."

Hurricanes fever has taken hold at the Mitchell house. Bill and Patti Mitchell replaced the Ohio State University mouse pad on their computer with a Canes pad, and 5-year-old Billy took down his Britney Spears poster and put up a Canes photo.

"Next time we go, we're going to get a hat," said Billy, as he walked out of the gift shop with his mother Tuesday. "We love the Hurricanes."

Business was brisk at The Eye, the team's gift shop at Crabtree Valley Mall, where jerseys were the big sellers. Sales clerk Steve Bryant said the intensity of the playoffs has brought in a lot of new people.

"That's all it takes is one playoff game, and you're hooked," Bryant said. "New fans ask a lot of questions. And sometimes they don't pronounce the players' names right."

The Hurricanes have worked hard to sell and teach the game of hockey in North Carolina since moving from Hartford, Conn., in 1997. The team still feels obliged to explain the rules on the scoreboard when players ice the puck or make a two-line pass.

But hockey was not totally foreign to the Triangle. According to a U.S. Census survey, more than 40 percent of residents in the region were born outside North Carolina, many in towns with hockey teams such as Buffalo, Chicago or Toronto. For many caught up in the playoff excitement, only the team is new.

Rich Zakrzewski was born in Boston and raised in southern New Jersey, where he developed a deep affection for the Philadelphia Flyers. Zakrzewski, who moved to Holly Springs from Charlotte last year, plans to take his 9-year-old daughter, Amanda, to Thursday's opener, even though he can still name more Flyers than Canes and would root for Philadelphia over Carolina any day.

"I could see that changing, but it will take a few years," he said. "I'm still getting to know the Canes."

Phil Antoine of Durham walked out of the ESA on Tuesday with two team posters and two tickets for Thursday's opener. Antoine, 35, and his mother, 55-year-old Icilma London, haven't missed a playoff game yet.

"It's the only sport she's really been hooked on," said Antoine, a computer systems administrator at Duke Medical Center. "At my age, there aren't a lot of extra curriculars you can share with your mother."

Antoine paid $480 for the complete set of first-round tickets but balked at shelling out $650 for the same seats through the third round. He wonders whether the team will continue to fill the arena for the playoffs if the prices keep climbing.

But Dave Parnell isn't worried. Parnell paid $40 each for four "cheap seats" in the upper deck for Sunday's game and decided at the last minute to get two more for Thursday's game.

"Supply and demand. It's capitalism at its best," said Parnell, who lives in Raleigh. "If they get to the [Stanley Cup] finals, that will be amazing. We'll pay it."

[nccanes]

**Bump**

I was thinking the Miracle at Molson was tonight, but I see it's Wednesday. Anyway, thought I'd bump this one up too in honor of the replaying of it.

[SoCalcaniac]

OMG the memories- I relish the clinch vs Toronto that sent us to the Finals- but that Canadiens series- it was ALL that. All of the tailgating, all of the Montreal Fans who came down in Winnebagos - who asked me and hubby if we could get them some more tickets for friends who were going to fly in 'because it's pretty easy to get tickets here, you don't sell out' (WTFever....) seeing Aaron Ward dressed in suit & tie at Hibachi Express in Cary with his wife & mother-in-law and wishing him luck before the team chartered up for game 6 and wishing him and the guys luck; Standing in line behind Johnny Forslund at Lowe's Foods in Apex on Mother's Day with his daughter buying a cake and some flowers for the wife and answering his curious little girl's questions about the game and 'are you nervous daddy???' and him saying "yes honey, very nervous for the team..." , then seeing her surprise in her eyes when she spies me with my Canes visor and Jersey with shorts and flip flops- (tee hee) and points at me- and Johnny asks if I'm headed to the game- and I invite him to our tailgate- which he politely declines because he's gotta prep, but says he'll send Tripper out to our 'spot'- for a bite to eat because he never preps for games hee hee..... LOL....

Soooooo many memories, so many new friends made and probably the best of times in this franchise's history and I got to see every game -Live and in person..... If there never is a hockey game played again, I find comfort in that.....

The tid bits in all of those articles and all of the video clips are PRICELESS- especially the Gino Odjick one's- I completely remember the hecklers in our building- "Gino is a Chick", "Gino is a Chick".....

[Mona]

Reliving all this makes me even more mad at those boneheads for doing this to us. :mad:

[SoCalcaniac]

Anxiously awaiting tonight's game-it will be totally cool to see it again- talk about the memories!

Oh, and for any channel surfers who have the Foxsportnet package- FoxSports Pittsburgh will broadcast on Penguins Classic TV- Game 1/ECF's vs Buffalo- and for you Pens lovers- it was the game in which Kasparitus score 'the goal' in double OT and went slidin' down the ice on his belly (still the funniest moment ever) ..... And for those of you who want a nice ol' 'recent' flashback-on FoxSports Florida- they broadcasting The 2003 All Star game- the one when The Heater scored 4 goals and got the MVP and the truck- when life was good for him- the coming out party so to speak.....

So get your TiVo/DVR/VCR's out and enjoy as best you can... :sad:

[lvscolencanes]

I be ever so greatful, and make someone some good ole cookies if they will record that for me. I have dern school, daggone it, I MISS EVERYTHING!!!!

:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

[nccanes]

From ch.com - I love these quotes from the organization (would be nice to have them from the players, but if they were available I guess there would be no need for "classics").

Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager: “It was a feeling that I cannot describe. For some reason, despite the fact that we were down, I had a feeling we were coming back in that game. It was the type of team that we had where we played with so much determination and effort and we never quit. That was the sure sign of a team that did not quit."

Jason Karmanos, Vice President and Assistant General Manager: “That is the most unbelievable game in franchise history. I can’t believe we came back. You can really look at that as one of the more remarkable comebacks in playoff history.”

Jeff Daniels, former player and current assistant coach: “That game summed up our playoffs that year. We were so tight as a team that we never gave up. We kept chipping away. You think we’re out of the game, and then sure enough in the third period we come back. Then we get the big goal by Nicky Wallin to win the game and really take the wind out of their sails.”

Mike Sundheim, Director of Media Relations: “I think Nic Wallin’s overtime goal in Montreal was probably the biggest moment of euphoria in the entire playoff run. For a team that practically used "even keel" as a catch phrase for the playoffs, there was nothing even about our keel after that one. From bouncing around and jumping into each other in the tunnel coming off the ice to the entire team watching Nic do four consecutive TV interviews afterwards, that was just an amazing moment.”


I can't say that I was as optimistic as JR was when it was 0-3, but when Bates scored I just KNEW they would tie it and then win it! :D

Aaaaah, the memories.

[goalie33]

I have to go to class tonight (taught by Ross from 328, no less), so I'd also be indebted for a recording of this game.