PAUL CHIASSON / Associated Press
Carolina's Justin Williams celebrates Frantisek Kaberle's goal. |
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RALEIGH, N.C. – The Carolina Hurricanes thrived on adversity all season long.
So it was only fitting that they went to the limit to put away the pesky Edmonton Oilers, which the Hurricanes finally did on their third chance by squeaking out a 3-1 victory in Game 7 here last night to win the Stanley Cup Finals, 4 games to 3.
Carolina, which looked like it would cruise to the first Cup in franchise history after it won three of the first four games of the Finals, was never fully in control of the best-of-seven series until Justin Williams scored into an empty net with one minute and one second remaining.
The Hurricanes also received goals from defensemen Aaron Ward and Frantisek Kaberle, and Cam Ward, the Hurricanes' 22-year-old rookie goaltender, finished with 22 saves to become the first rookie goaltender to lead his team to the Stanley Cup since Montreal's Patrick Roy in 1986. Ward received the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs' most valuable player.
As the final seconds ticked off the clock, Rod Brind'Amour, Carolina's 35-year-old captain who won his first Cup in his 17th season, was so exhausted, he skated halfway bent over to the pile of his celebrating teammates who were mobbing Ward in his crease.
“It's just surreal,” said Brind'Amour, his eyes still red after he left the ice. “The guys on this team have been through years and years of heartache. After Game 6, I knew there's no way we were letting this go. Too many guys on this team deserve it.”
The jubilant scrum also included the 37-year-old defenseman Glen Wesley, who finally won his first Cup after 18 NHL seasons, four trips to the Finals and 169th career playoff game. Wesley no longer holds claim to being the active player who had played the most playoff games without winning a Cup.
“I still can't believe it,” said Wesley, who might retire now that he has his title. “It honestly feels like a dream to me.”
Ward wasn't even Carolina's No. 1 goalie at the beginning of the postseason, but the 22-year-old rookie got the call when Martin Gerber struggled in an opening round against Montreal.
The young star wound up winning more games in the playoffs (15) than he did backing up Gerber during the regular season (14).
The Hurricanes prevented the upstart Oilers, who were the first eighth-seeded team to reach the championship round, from becoming just the second team to rally from a 3-1 series deficit in the Finals to win the Cup. The Toronto Maple Leafs rallied from 3-0 down against the Detroit Red Wings in 1942.
The Hurricanes capped a remarkable seven-game series that featured a pair of deafening arenas, where the capacity crowds sang the opposing country's national anthem instead of booing it; a series where the fans in Raleigh tailgated and barbecued on sweltering June afternoons; where even the buses in downtown Edmonton flashed the words “Go Oilers Go!”
With the Carolina fans standing and cheering the entire game, the game featured an early goal on a 35-foot slap shot just 1:26 into the contest from Aaron Ward, who had scored just 2 goals in 77 previous playoff games.
The Hurricanes' Frantisek Kaberle scored their next goal, on a power play at 4:18 of the second period. His 30-foot shot deflected off the backside of Edmonton defenseman Jason Smith, who had dropped to the ice in an attempt to block the shot.
Edmonton forward Fernando Pisani scored his league-leading 14th goal of the playoffs – and fifth of the Finals – just 1:03 into the third period to bring the Oilers to 2-1.
