I'm Shipping Up To Boston

Well, again playoff hockey has consumed my life. The Carolina Hurricanes have continued their epic run in the playoffs. It seems like each series has taken months, not weeks. Still, here's the series through the eyes of a fan...

The State of Massachusetts

The series began in Boston. There was so much made of how Eric Staal's line would fare against Zdeno Chara and Aaron Ward. There was so much made of how the Bruins had dominated the 'Canes in the regular season, winning all 4 games. Well, Game 1 gave some answers and they weren't good for the 'Canes. Eric Staal was held off the score sheet as Boston cruised to a 4-1 victory. So, of course, all of the prognosticators began to discuss whether Boston would win the series in 4 or 5 games.

Well Game 2 showed that the Hurricanes would not go away quietly. The Hurricanes defense was very stout and Cam Ward was on top of his game. Joe Corvo scored early in the second period and Matt Cullen followed soon after with a shorthanded goal. Eric Staal scored into an empty net to make it a 3-0 final. The series would head to Raleigh even at 1 game apiece.

The Auld Triangle

Game 3 was one of the all-timers and I was there! The lead went back and forth. Boston led 1-0. The 'Canes then scored 2 quick goals (Staal & Samsonov) in the second period to take a 2-1 lead. With the Hurricanes treating the third period like it would be a 20-minute penalty kill, Boston managed to tie it at 2. As the waning minutes of regulation went by, there was a foreboding, a gnawing fear that there would be overtime. It harkened me back to 1999....

{interlude}

It was the first playoff hockey game I had ever attended. The Hurricanes were deadlocked at 2 games apiece against the Boston Bruins in the first round of the 1999 NHL Playoffs. I was a recent college graduate living in G'Vegas. The Hurricanes were playing their home games in the cavernous Greensboro Coliseum while the building that would later be known as the RBC Center was being built. The Hurricanes had such luminaries as Ron Francis (injured), Paul Coffey. Jeff O'Neill, Arturs Irbe, and Steve Chiasson. The teams were tied at 3 at the end of regulation. One of those goals was a slapper by Chiasson. How fitting that my first ever live playoff game went into overtime. It went, through the first overtime and into the second overtime. Martin Gelinas missed a wide open net in the first OT and I still don't know how he did. The game went back and forth until Anson Carter knocked in a rebound for the game winner for Boston. Those of us who were there were devastated. The Hurricanes went on to lose Game 6 and the series. The far bigger loss came early in the morning after Game 6 when Steve Chiasson was killed in a one-car accident. Just goes to show us all how precious life is...

So, I digress. Overtime was a tight-checking back and forth affair. I had gone to the inside-out rally cap with 5 minutes to go in regulation. The teams traded chances and just when I thought a second time was inevitable and that someone on the Bruins would channel Anson Carter and wreck my night, Jussi Jokinen scored off a rebound! That's right, Boston couldn't weeze our Juss!!!! The 'Canes had taken a 2-1 series lead.

Game 4 was just plain fun. The Hurricanes broke open a 1-1 tie in the 3rd period. Who else, but Jussi Jokinen to score the go-ahead goal! Sergei Samsonov scored on a super sweet backhand goal and Eric Staal almost immediately followed up to make it a 4-1 score. The 'Canes led the series 3-1 and seemed to be in control.

Walk Away

Well, the Hurricanes don't know how to do anything the easy way. Boston came out and gave the Hurricanes what for in Game 5. Boston scored twice in the first period and never looked back, cruising to a 4-0 win. The game, however, was most noteworthy for what happened late in the third period. Ex-Hurricane Aaron Ward was doing his best to antagonize the 'Canes. A little shove after the whistle here, a late punch there, a slash with the stick when the ref wasn't looking. With about 3 minutes to go, Ward was giving Matt Cullen the business after the whistle. So, Scott Walker goes over and politely asked Aaron Ward to try that on someone a little closer to his own size. Ward, ever the gamesman, held his arms to his side to try to draw the maximum penalty for Walker. Well, Walker one-punced Ward. I mean, Mike Tyson would have been proud. He dotted Aaron Ward's eye but good.

Of course, the time in between Games 5 and 6 was filled with speculation and gnashing of teeth. Scott Walker's mandatory one-game suspension was rescinded and the Boston-centric media was outraged. Well, I just had a bad feeling about Game 6. Work had me incredibly stressed out and I was sick to boot. I was late leaving work and it completely messed up my pre-game routine. I'd list it all, but it would extend this blog to a War and Peace-type length. Anyways, the Hurricanes PA announcer invoked the "Nobody Sits Tonight" mantra that was part of the mystique of the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals Game 7 win over Edmonton. Literally, noone in the crowd sat during the game action. Well, 5 minutes into this game, there were people sitting because Boston was up 2-0 at that point. The Hurricanes fought back but wound up losing 4-1. The stage was set for a decisive Game 7 in Boston and Mr. Mo(mentum) was wearing Bruins colors.

The Warrior's Code

For Game 7, we went to Ruckus Pizza in Cary, one of our favorite places to hang out, enjoy good food and drinks, and play trivia. Boston struck first after the refs missed 2 calls that both went in the Bruins' favor on a missed too many men on the ice call and an icing call that should not have been made. Late in the first period, Dennis Seidenberg let loose a slap shot from the point that was tipped in by Rod Brind'Amour. The Captain had scored his first playoff goal. The 'Canes began to play the game a little more their style, a fast-paced skating type of game, rather than fall into the Bruins' style of chippy, grind-it out hockey.

Sergei Samsonov scored almost halfway though the second period to make it 2-1, good guys. The Hurricanes really controlled the pace, but Bruins goalie Tim Thomas (the likely Vezina Trophy winner as NHL's top goalie) kept it a 1-goal game. So, of course, the 'Canes come out in the third period in a defensive shell. Like in Game 3, Boston scored fairly early in the period, with Milan Lucic putting in a rebound to tie it at 2. At that point things got even more tense. I mean, each team's season was in the balance on each rush up the ice. There were no penalties in the third period. The winner would have to be scored at even strength. Time went on and it would turn out that sixty minutes would not be enough to determine a winner.

Game 7, overtime. There is not a more pressure-packed phrase in all of sports. An entire season for players, coaches, front-office personnel, families, and fans would be decided on the next goal. Who would be the hero? Would there be a bad pass or dumb penalty that would lead to the goal that would end the season? But first, before overtime, there was a more pressing matter, I had no rally cap. That's right, I was at the restaurant with no hat to speak of. I could not go inside out. I could not turn my hat backwards. I couldn't even go for "the Shark". So, I improvised. I got one of my beads (one of my many superstitions that I did not list and yes, I did earn the beads) and draped it over my ears so it looked like a headband. I'm sure I looked ridiculous. Now, back to the game...

Overtime had started. I was nervous. We were all nervous. Play started and chances were traded back and forth. Both teams used their timeouts to rest tired players after icing calls. About 5 minutes into overtime, I began to pace back and forth. Luckily, by that point, the restaurant wasn't full and everyone there was watching the game. The Hurricanes were at one point down to two centers. Rod Brind'Amour was injured by an errant puck and Jussi Jokinen had a skate problem. Both teams were tired, spent, pooped, you get the picture. With about 5 minutes left in the first overtime period, the Hurricanes began to get the better of the play. With about 2 minutes left, Ray Whitney (the Wizard!) took the puck up the right wing and went to the net. He let a hard wrist shot go that was stopped by Tim Thomas. The rebound was knocked out of the air and into the net by.... SCOTT WALKER! That's right, the man who knocked Aaron Ward down to protect his teammate had knocked the Bruins out of the series and got the Hurricanes a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals. It also turns out that Walker had found out during the series that his wife had a treatable type of cervical cancer. Talk about an emotional rollercoaster....

Well, after the game we went to the airport to greet the team like we did after Game 7 of the Jersey series. Good times were had by all. Luckily, I didn't have to work the next day. Next up is Crosby, Malkin, Fleury, and the Pittsburgh Penguins. It'll be another tough series and if it takes 7 games and OT for the 'Canes to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals, then I'll gladly accept that.

More hockey mega-blogs to come, hopefully.....

Believe It!