RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Stanley Cup Final was turned on its ear late in the third period of Game 1 when Edmonton Oilers defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron tried to turn Carolina Hurricanes forward Andrew Ladd away from the Oilers'
net as the big Hurricane bore down on goalie Dwayne Roloson.
Instead of driving Ladd away from the goal and denying a scoring chance, Bergeron blasted the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Ladd into his goalie, sending Roloson into the post and then sending both goalie and net clattering toward the boards.
Immediately, it was clear that Roloson was seriously hurt, and he had to leave the game with the score tied 4-4 with 5:54 left in the game. Replacement goalie Ty Conklin, making his first appearance in the playoffs, made a brutal puck-handling gaffe with 32 seconds remaining that led directly to Rod Brind'Amour's winning goal in an exciting, memorable, 5-4 victory by Carolina.
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Schedule / Links:
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| Gm. 1: CAR 5, EDM 4 | Photos |
Gm. 2: June 7, 8:00 p.m. ET
at Carolina (OLN, CBC, RDS) |
Gm. 3: June 10, 8:00 p.m. ET
at Edmonton (NBC, CBC, RDS) |
Gm. 4: June 12, 8:00 p.m. ET
at Edmonton (NBC, CBC, RDS) |
*Gm. 5: June 14, 8:00 p.m. ET
at Carolina (NBC, CBC, RDS) |
*Gm. 6: June 17, 8:00 p.m. ET
at Edmonton (NBC, CBC, RDS) |
*Gm. 7: June 19, 8:00 p.m. ET
at Carolina (NBC, CBC, RDS) |
| *if necessary |
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Just minutes after the game, Edmonton coach Craig MacTavish ruled Roloson out for the series, saying the goalie suffered a serious knee injury.
"An unfortunate set of circumstances to have happen in the game tonight obviously, with Rollie playing as well as he has been," MacTavish said.
Roloson, obtained near the trade deadline to be the Oilers' No. 1 goalie, entered the game with a 12-5 record, 2.22 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage.
MacTavish was not ready to lay all the blame on Bergeron for the calamity that has struck his team so early in this best-of-seven series that continues here Wednesday night.
"Maybe a little inexperience and a little over-aggressiveness, but you can't fault the guy because he's out there trying to win us a hockey game in the situation," MacTavish said. "I just saw the play briefly, and, you know, it looked like Ladd stumbled coming to the net, he was a little off-balance and Bergie is
thinking it's going to be a desperation play at the net and tries to take his man. Obviously, in hindsight, it's something he would not do."
Ladd, for his part, was shocked by the turn of events.
"We were going wide and I had a little step on, I guess it was Bergeron from what I hear, and I was driving to the net and he kind of hit me just as I was coming across the crease and Roloson was right there and he didn't have any place else to go. It's too bad. Hopefully, he can come back."
-- Shawn Roarke
Taking two for the team -- Defenseman Glen Wesley set the tone for Carolina's defensive commitment early in the game.
Late in the first period, Carolina, already trailing 1-0, found itself in deep penalty trouble when defensemen Bret Hedican and Niclas Wallin took penalties just nine seconds apart to give Edmonton a 4-on-3 advantage for 77 seconds. Wesley joined Rod Brind'Amour and Aaron Ward for the all-important penalty
kill.
Wesley delivered with two fearless blocked shots on absolute bombs from Jaroslav Spacek as the Edmonton defenseman crept in from the blue line. The first shot slammed into Wesley's left kneecap and drove Wesley to the ice in obvious pain. With Edmonton still in possession of the puck, Wesley willed
himself back to his feet, but was clearly debilitated. Of course, the puck came back to Spacek and Wesley once again maneuvered himself into the shooting lane, only to take another puck in the same knee.
This time, the Hurricanes cleared the zone and Wesley was able to slowly limp off, heading straight to the dressing room, clearly favoring his injured leg. But, Wesley missed less than two minutes before he was back on the ice.
After the scare, Wesley returned to his dominant ways. He played 17:51, over 24 shifts and finished with a plus-2 rating. He also killed 5:28 of shorthanded time. Most amazingly, he blocked a team-high five shots, showing no fear from those first two painful stops.
Wesley was still on the trainer's table well after the game and unable to comment on his heroics, but his sacrifices did not go unnoticed by teammates.
"That was a big part of the game, that 4-on-3, that 5-on-3, because we weren't playing our best hockey and you come in here and you are only down a goal and you feel like you survived," said Kevyn Adams, an alternate captain. "Part of that was because of Glen. Here's a guy that has been in the NHL for 18, 20 years or whatever and he's done it forever. I mean he just keeps doing it. That's what it is all about, sacrificing, doing whatever you have to do to win games."
-- Shawn Roarke
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Chris Pronger's second period penalty-
shot goal past Cam Ward was the first of its kind in
Stanley Cup Final history.
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Making history -- Defenseman Chris Pronger was the unlikeliest of players to make history by scoring the first penalty-shot goal in the 114-year history of the Stanley Cup Final.
But, that is exactly what Pronger did at the 10:36 mark of the second period, converting a penalty shot awarded by referee Mick McGeough to give Edmonton a 2-0 lead.
The ref awarded the penalty shot when he ruled that defenseman Niclas Wallin covered the puck in the Carolina crease during a prolonged goal-mouth scramble around Carolina Goalie Cam Ward.
Edmonton coach Craig MacTavish shocked more than a few people when he shooed Pronger, and not one of his skilled forwards, out to take the shot. But, Pronger delivered with a low laser beam that just eluded the flexed leg pad of Ward and buried just inside the near post.
"The penalty shot, you know, (is a) big goal for us, obviously put us up 2-0," said MacTavish. "We've been reasonably good at protecting leads through these playoffs. Pronger makes a great play, he's got all kinds of confidence and composure and goes in and gets it short-side just over the pad."
Pronger, though, said he was fortunate to get the goal.
"I had a couple of things I wanted to do and (it) kind of opened up. (It was) fortunate enough to go in," said Pronger, who did not even attempt a shot during the regular-season's shootout tie-
breaking procedure.
Pronger's was the ninth penalty-shot attempt overall in the Stanley Cup Final. Alex Shibicky, Art Wiebe, Virgil Johnson, Frank Mahovlich, Ron Sutter, Dave Poulin, Petr Klima and Pavel Bure were unsuccessful on the previous eight attempts.
-- Shawn Roarke
For what's it's worth -- The winner of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final has gone on to take the Cup 77.2 percent of the time, winning 51 of 66 seasons.
-- Phil Coffey
Home away from home --Carolina Hurricanes fans won't be left out in the cold when their team heads to Edmonton for Games 3 and 4 of the Final. The RBC Center will be hosting viewing parties for the 'Caniacs, both inside and outside the building.
The front lawn of the RBC will host fans as well as inside the arena on the JumboTron scoreboard screens. There also will be raffles of Hurricanes merchandise and autographed items with proceeds benefiting the club's Hurricanes' Kids N' Community Foundation.
-- Phil Coffey
Joining the team --Over 20 restaurants and businesses in the Glenwood South district have caught 'Caniac fever and will display Hurricanes images in their windows during the Stanley Cup Final.
-- Phil Coffey
This and that -- Game 1 marked the first meeting between the Hurricanes and Oilers since No. 11, 2001. That game ended in a 1-1 tie ... Officials Mick McGeough, Greg Devorski and Pierre Racicot are making their Stanley Cup Final debuts. Bill McCreary is making his 11th appearance. ... The 2006 Final marks Mark Recchi's first Final appearance since he won with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991 ... Both teams are nearly identical in the height, weight and age departments. The 'Canes are 6-foot-1, 203 pounds and 29.3 years old. The Oilers are 6-1, 204 pounds and 29-years-old.
-- Phil Coffey
