Sunday, April 18, 2004
GAME 6 -- CANUCKS 5, FLAMES 4 (3OT)
"...and I'm spent!" -- Austin Powers
I knew this series was going to be long, but man...I didn't think there'd be a game going three overtimes in there. This is most likely the most draining experience I have ever had as a sports fan, sitting there in the geology undergraduate room at Lind Hall listening to the game online (did I mention this was a more-than-viable alternative to putting up with that brutal ESPN2 crew at the game?) and chatting with Jeremy online while having the Mariners pulled up on the SportsLine GameCenter. I got there at about 6:55pm, the game started at 7, and it ended a shade after 11:30. Maaaaaaan. That took a while. I watched the late edition of Northwest Sports Tonight on NW Cable News (12:30am, probably taped), and they showed a couple of the Canucks' goals and a couple of the Calgary goals, and then said the score was 4-4 in the third overtime, which is hilarious, because they would have had to only wait a couple minutes for the game to end and deliver the happy highlights. Viewers were told to tune in Sunday night to see how the game ended.
The game itself started out quite well for the Canucks, as they finally were able to take their game to the Flames, and played more physically than they have in a while. They had quite a lot of shots in the first period, and put 15 of those on the net, outshooting Calgary's 5. Of course, the 15 shots doesn't count all the shots that missed the net or were blocked by traffic, skates, sticks, diving bodies, etc., as usual. The fact that Vancouver was able to get so many shots was partly due to how they dictated the flow of the game in the period, and the fact that they had three power plays. Miikka Kiprusoff seemed up to the task for this flurry of shots, as he had been since getting rocked in Game 1 of the series. Kip was perfect until Jarkko Ruutu (not getting a lot of ice time in the series up to that point) tipped the puck in with 1:59 left in the period. As always with goals toward the end of the period, they're doubly bad because the thinking is, "if we only could have held them off for another two minutes." Of course, when a team scores early in a period, the other team might think "dammit, we just got out here!!" The Canucks hadn't scored a goal in the first period in quite a while (this is me too lazy to check stats because it's almost 2am), so that was one good thing about the Ruutu goal. The other was that it woke up the Sedin twins, as they tallied the assists on the goal and had probably their best game of the series after being held silent for much of the series. The Canucks headed into the dressing room with a 1-0 lead and had controlled the game.
The second period came and the first half of it was like gangbusters for the Canucks. Daniel Sedin scored on the ensuing power play after Stephane Yelle plowed into Alex Auld and came out banged up from the experience. Henrik Sedin had an assist on the goal, as the Sedins proved to be very much alive in this game. Only 70 seconds later, Brad May tipped one in (making up for taking some stupid penalties earlier in the series), netting points for himself and for his linemates at the time, Artem Chubarov and Geoff Sanderson. With 9:45 left in the period, Geoff Sanderson used his lightning speed and scored on a breakaway to give the Canucks a commanding 4-0 lead.
Who could ask for more? All the Canucks had to do was hold a four-goal lead for the remaining 29:45, and they'd take this series back to Vancouver for Game 7 on Monday. I've only been following these guys day-to-day for this one year, but I did know what they were up to last year in the playoffs and I know some tidbits about the history of the Canucks. It's never easy for these guys. They were down 3-1 to Saint Louis in the first round last year and then reeled off the final three to get to the second round. In the second round, they had a 3-1 lead on Minnesota and then LOST three in a row. I remembered two games this past year that reminded me somewhat of this one. This game saw the Canucks build a 4-0 lead and have to hang on to beat Minnesota 4-3. This game saw the Canucks with a 3-1 lead in the third period against the Isles, who then scored three goals in a span of 2:17 to take the lead. Henrik Sedin was able to salvage a tie and a single point, but Adrian Aucoin sealed it in overtime for the Isles.
Then came the carnage...
The four-goal lead lasted for all of 16 seconds as Robyn Regehr put up a shot that went off the stick of Oleg Saprykin (former Seattle Thunderbird) and in. The goal was video-reviewed by the video judges in Toronto, who were looking into the case from the Canuck bench that Saprykin's stick was higher than the crossbar. Such a deflection would result in a goal being disallowed. But hey, this is Calgary, and the officials probably want to make it off the Saddledome premises alive, so the goal was allowed, 4-1 Vancouver. Only 1:53 passed before Ville Nieminen cut the deficit to 4-2 with a backhand past Auld. Calgary had momentum going their way. From a period-to-period perspective, the Canucks came into the second period with a one-goal lead and came out of it with a two-goal lead. However, the fickle beast known as momentum was heavy in the corner of the Flames, and it wasn't done working in their favor by any means.
The Flames fired back in the early/late-in-period goals department, getting a goal off a Chris Clark deflection in off of Martin Gelinas just 74 seconds into the third period to cut the Vancouver lead to 4-3. Everyone watching the game on TV, listening to the game on the radio (me), and in the arena watching the game knew that the momentum was on Calgary's side, and in a very sick way. The Canucks by this point were a completely different team compared to the one that was on the ice when they scored the four goals to jump out to the lead. Calgary was on a tear and had the crowd on their side and the meltdown was all but complete as Vancouver completely blew the lead they'd built up. The Canucks had only 7:04 left to hold their lead and blew it on a Robyn Regehr shot that went off Chris Clark. The Flames had gotten three of their four goals the way they've enjoyed doing it throughout the series: on deflections and tip-ins, a direct result of crashing the net and the immediate area around the net, or in a simple phrase, "hard work." Luckily the Canucks were able to finally regroup and hold the Flames scoreless for the rest of regulation and force the game into overtime.
As the clock ticked away to end regulation, I thought about what a travesty this was. The Canucks had blown a 4-0 lead. Did they even deserve to win this? I know the Flames are a good hard-working, fundamentally sound blue-collar team, but that was still a four-goal lead that just went up in smoke! At this point I was asking myself a bunch of questions like "why the hell am I a sports fan?" and "why do I put myself through such heartache?" and "why do none of my favorite teams ever seem to win on the same day?" I thought that last one after the Mariner game went final.
On came overtime. No team seemed to be giving an inch. Alex Auld turned away Chris Clark and Shean Donovan on Calgary's best chances of the first overtime. Likewise, Miikka Kiprusoff turned Trevor Linden away on the Canucks' best chance of the period.
On came another overtime. Chris Clark was once again stopped by Alex Auld, who appeared to have used the intermission after the third period to get himself mentally straightened out, as he was now solid in the net. Nonetheless, Ville Nieminen nearly ended the Canucks' season when he put one off the crossbar. But as they like to say, that and the posts are part of the goalie's equipment.
The longest overtime game in the history of the Vancouver Canucks ended at 102:28 as Brendan Morrison took a Markus Naslund pass and deked Miikka Kiprusoff in close before moving to the forehand and netting the gamer. At this point, my being ticked off over the Canucks blowing the 4-0 lead had gone. Vancouver had staved off the Calgary momentum that was rolling like a freight train -- the Flames had scored four goals in the last 30 minutes of regulation -- held them scoreless for two more overtime periods, and come out on top to stay alive and take this show back to Vancouver for the deciding game. I hadn't flailed uncontrollably like that as a result of a sports moment since Game 5 of the 1995 AL Division Series. Dead serious. I think I might have strained a bicep or something.
What a relief, and what a draining game.
Here's what the radio crew thought of it. Once again, Dan Russell, John Shorthouse, and Tom Larscheid...
Dan: The Brendan Morrison goal was a big goal in Vancouver playoff history
Tom: This was unbelievable...dramatic stuff. This one had the mountains and valleys of a hockey game all rolled into one. I was happy to see Vancouver score 1st, and then they were up 4-0. Then the comeback started. Calgary has really battled hard in the series, though they're a little beat up now (Gauthier was out from the third period onward). Morrison showed great poise on the winning goal
Dan: This was like 1989, when Vancouver had the best chances. Calgary had the best chances today, including the one by Nieminen. If Calgary doesn't win this series, they'll look back at that like Vancouver looked back at all the chances they had against Mike Vernon in that series
Tom: if Vancouver wins Game 7, faces San Jose and goes deep. This Morrison overtime winner ranks up there with Pavel Bure's OT winner except Bure's goal put them into the next round; this one kept them alive
Dan: if Calgary comes back and wins Game 7 on the road after this, then hats off to them
John: they have a lot of energy
Tom: it's heartbreaking for them, but don't sell Darryl Sutter short one bit. He's pressed all the right buttons in this series. There is no real big edge in the 7th game.
Dan: Calgary is back in their preferred underdog role, and were nervous tonight as the favorite, expected to win. They came alive when they were down 4-0 and played more loose
John: they respond better in that situation. If Saprykin's high-stick goal doesn't count, we could be home in bed right now.
Dan: Auld didn't have any work in the first period, and then it's 4-0 and Calgary gets to him, then he's shaky. After that, he shuts the door
Tom: after Auld got that intermission reset after the third period, he was great. He needed that time
John: it felt like an avalanche at that point in the third period after the tie. Calgary was getting their tip-ins and deflections on goals
Tom: Mark Howe (intermission guest) said "Calgary gets deflections because Vancouver defensemen are not getting pucks out of their zone"
Dan: Vancouver collapsed with the 4-0 lead, but they needed elevated play to get there in the first place
Tom: Geoff Sanderson, the Sedins, and Trevor Linden all had great games. Sanderson went from nowhere to coming up big by using his speed. Jarkko Ruutu was great and Brad May battled hard tonight. When push came to shove, though, the big line came through
Dan: Robyn Regehr had a lot of ice time (over 43 minutes, 57 shifts)
Tom: that was thanks to Gauthier being out
Dan: Last year's Minnesota series and Saint Louis series both went to 7
John: the Canucks have yet to end a playoff series anywhere but Vancouver in the last 4 years
Tom: How about the crowd here?
Dan: I have never been in a louder building in my life
Tom: This place went from one of the quietest building in the NHL to being the loudest. Vancouver fans have a chance to really step up on Monday
Dan: can I get you to say "get ready, Vancouver, the Canucks are coming home?"
Tom: GET READY, VANCOUVER, THE CANUCKS ARE COMING HOME!
Game 7 Monday, 7:30pm. It'll be on CBC, if you get that, and I have looked through the TV Guide listings, and there's a spot reserved for "Stanley Cup Playoffs" Monday at 7:30pm on ESPN2, and since that would have to be a west coast game to fit in that time slot and since this series is the only one in the west that's still going, I think it's a safe bet that Game 7 will be televised in the States.
If you only watch for one reason and one reason alone, watch the first five minutes of the telecast to see if they show Mark Donnelly sing "O Canada" and hand it off to the crowd for the middle two stanzas of the song. I'm telling you, it's chilling, and Donnelly kicks the crap out of the two singers that Calgary had singing "O Canada" up at the Saddledome.
GO CANUCKS!!
I knew this series was going to be long, but man...I didn't think there'd be a game going three overtimes in there. This is most likely the most draining experience I have ever had as a sports fan, sitting there in the geology undergraduate room at Lind Hall listening to the game online (did I mention this was a more-than-viable alternative to putting up with that brutal ESPN2 crew at the game?) and chatting with Jeremy online while having the Mariners pulled up on the SportsLine GameCenter. I got there at about 6:55pm, the game started at 7, and it ended a shade after 11:30. Maaaaaaan. That took a while. I watched the late edition of Northwest Sports Tonight on NW Cable News (12:30am, probably taped), and they showed a couple of the Canucks' goals and a couple of the Calgary goals, and then said the score was 4-4 in the third overtime, which is hilarious, because they would have had to only wait a couple minutes for the game to end and deliver the happy highlights. Viewers were told to tune in Sunday night to see how the game ended.
The game itself started out quite well for the Canucks, as they finally were able to take their game to the Flames, and played more physically than they have in a while. They had quite a lot of shots in the first period, and put 15 of those on the net, outshooting Calgary's 5. Of course, the 15 shots doesn't count all the shots that missed the net or were blocked by traffic, skates, sticks, diving bodies, etc., as usual. The fact that Vancouver was able to get so many shots was partly due to how they dictated the flow of the game in the period, and the fact that they had three power plays. Miikka Kiprusoff seemed up to the task for this flurry of shots, as he had been since getting rocked in Game 1 of the series. Kip was perfect until Jarkko Ruutu (not getting a lot of ice time in the series up to that point) tipped the puck in with 1:59 left in the period. As always with goals toward the end of the period, they're doubly bad because the thinking is, "if we only could have held them off for another two minutes." Of course, when a team scores early in a period, the other team might think "dammit, we just got out here!!" The Canucks hadn't scored a goal in the first period in quite a while (this is me too lazy to check stats because it's almost 2am), so that was one good thing about the Ruutu goal. The other was that it woke up the Sedin twins, as they tallied the assists on the goal and had probably their best game of the series after being held silent for much of the series. The Canucks headed into the dressing room with a 1-0 lead and had controlled the game.
The second period came and the first half of it was like gangbusters for the Canucks. Daniel Sedin scored on the ensuing power play after Stephane Yelle plowed into Alex Auld and came out banged up from the experience. Henrik Sedin had an assist on the goal, as the Sedins proved to be very much alive in this game. Only 70 seconds later, Brad May tipped one in (making up for taking some stupid penalties earlier in the series), netting points for himself and for his linemates at the time, Artem Chubarov and Geoff Sanderson. With 9:45 left in the period, Geoff Sanderson used his lightning speed and scored on a breakaway to give the Canucks a commanding 4-0 lead.
Who could ask for more? All the Canucks had to do was hold a four-goal lead for the remaining 29:45, and they'd take this series back to Vancouver for Game 7 on Monday. I've only been following these guys day-to-day for this one year, but I did know what they were up to last year in the playoffs and I know some tidbits about the history of the Canucks. It's never easy for these guys. They were down 3-1 to Saint Louis in the first round last year and then reeled off the final three to get to the second round. In the second round, they had a 3-1 lead on Minnesota and then LOST three in a row. I remembered two games this past year that reminded me somewhat of this one. This game saw the Canucks build a 4-0 lead and have to hang on to beat Minnesota 4-3. This game saw the Canucks with a 3-1 lead in the third period against the Isles, who then scored three goals in a span of 2:17 to take the lead. Henrik Sedin was able to salvage a tie and a single point, but Adrian Aucoin sealed it in overtime for the Isles.
Then came the carnage...
The four-goal lead lasted for all of 16 seconds as Robyn Regehr put up a shot that went off the stick of Oleg Saprykin (former Seattle Thunderbird) and in. The goal was video-reviewed by the video judges in Toronto, who were looking into the case from the Canuck bench that Saprykin's stick was higher than the crossbar. Such a deflection would result in a goal being disallowed. But hey, this is Calgary, and the officials probably want to make it off the Saddledome premises alive, so the goal was allowed, 4-1 Vancouver. Only 1:53 passed before Ville Nieminen cut the deficit to 4-2 with a backhand past Auld. Calgary had momentum going their way. From a period-to-period perspective, the Canucks came into the second period with a one-goal lead and came out of it with a two-goal lead. However, the fickle beast known as momentum was heavy in the corner of the Flames, and it wasn't done working in their favor by any means.
The Flames fired back in the early/late-in-period goals department, getting a goal off a Chris Clark deflection in off of Martin Gelinas just 74 seconds into the third period to cut the Vancouver lead to 4-3. Everyone watching the game on TV, listening to the game on the radio (me), and in the arena watching the game knew that the momentum was on Calgary's side, and in a very sick way. The Canucks by this point were a completely different team compared to the one that was on the ice when they scored the four goals to jump out to the lead. Calgary was on a tear and had the crowd on their side and the meltdown was all but complete as Vancouver completely blew the lead they'd built up. The Canucks had only 7:04 left to hold their lead and blew it on a Robyn Regehr shot that went off Chris Clark. The Flames had gotten three of their four goals the way they've enjoyed doing it throughout the series: on deflections and tip-ins, a direct result of crashing the net and the immediate area around the net, or in a simple phrase, "hard work." Luckily the Canucks were able to finally regroup and hold the Flames scoreless for the rest of regulation and force the game into overtime.
As the clock ticked away to end regulation, I thought about what a travesty this was. The Canucks had blown a 4-0 lead. Did they even deserve to win this? I know the Flames are a good hard-working, fundamentally sound blue-collar team, but that was still a four-goal lead that just went up in smoke! At this point I was asking myself a bunch of questions like "why the hell am I a sports fan?" and "why do I put myself through such heartache?" and "why do none of my favorite teams ever seem to win on the same day?" I thought that last one after the Mariner game went final.
On came overtime. No team seemed to be giving an inch. Alex Auld turned away Chris Clark and Shean Donovan on Calgary's best chances of the first overtime. Likewise, Miikka Kiprusoff turned Trevor Linden away on the Canucks' best chance of the period.
On came another overtime. Chris Clark was once again stopped by Alex Auld, who appeared to have used the intermission after the third period to get himself mentally straightened out, as he was now solid in the net. Nonetheless, Ville Nieminen nearly ended the Canucks' season when he put one off the crossbar. But as they like to say, that and the posts are part of the goalie's equipment.
The longest overtime game in the history of the Vancouver Canucks ended at 102:28 as Brendan Morrison took a Markus Naslund pass and deked Miikka Kiprusoff in close before moving to the forehand and netting the gamer. At this point, my being ticked off over the Canucks blowing the 4-0 lead had gone. Vancouver had staved off the Calgary momentum that was rolling like a freight train -- the Flames had scored four goals in the last 30 minutes of regulation -- held them scoreless for two more overtime periods, and come out on top to stay alive and take this show back to Vancouver for the deciding game. I hadn't flailed uncontrollably like that as a result of a sports moment since Game 5 of the 1995 AL Division Series. Dead serious. I think I might have strained a bicep or something.
What a relief, and what a draining game.
Here's what the radio crew thought of it. Once again, Dan Russell, John Shorthouse, and Tom Larscheid...
Dan: The Brendan Morrison goal was a big goal in Vancouver playoff history
Tom: This was unbelievable...dramatic stuff. This one had the mountains and valleys of a hockey game all rolled into one. I was happy to see Vancouver score 1st, and then they were up 4-0. Then the comeback started. Calgary has really battled hard in the series, though they're a little beat up now (Gauthier was out from the third period onward). Morrison showed great poise on the winning goal
Dan: This was like 1989, when Vancouver had the best chances. Calgary had the best chances today, including the one by Nieminen. If Calgary doesn't win this series, they'll look back at that like Vancouver looked back at all the chances they had against Mike Vernon in that series
Tom: if Vancouver wins Game 7, faces San Jose and goes deep. This Morrison overtime winner ranks up there with Pavel Bure's OT winner except Bure's goal put them into the next round; this one kept them alive
Dan: if Calgary comes back and wins Game 7 on the road after this, then hats off to them
John: they have a lot of energy
Tom: it's heartbreaking for them, but don't sell Darryl Sutter short one bit. He's pressed all the right buttons in this series. There is no real big edge in the 7th game.
Dan: Calgary is back in their preferred underdog role, and were nervous tonight as the favorite, expected to win. They came alive when they were down 4-0 and played more loose
John: they respond better in that situation. If Saprykin's high-stick goal doesn't count, we could be home in bed right now.
Dan: Auld didn't have any work in the first period, and then it's 4-0 and Calgary gets to him, then he's shaky. After that, he shuts the door
Tom: after Auld got that intermission reset after the third period, he was great. He needed that time
John: it felt like an avalanche at that point in the third period after the tie. Calgary was getting their tip-ins and deflections on goals
Tom: Mark Howe (intermission guest) said "Calgary gets deflections because Vancouver defensemen are not getting pucks out of their zone"
Dan: Vancouver collapsed with the 4-0 lead, but they needed elevated play to get there in the first place
Tom: Geoff Sanderson, the Sedins, and Trevor Linden all had great games. Sanderson went from nowhere to coming up big by using his speed. Jarkko Ruutu was great and Brad May battled hard tonight. When push came to shove, though, the big line came through
Dan: Robyn Regehr had a lot of ice time (over 43 minutes, 57 shifts)
Tom: that was thanks to Gauthier being out
Dan: Last year's Minnesota series and Saint Louis series both went to 7
John: the Canucks have yet to end a playoff series anywhere but Vancouver in the last 4 years
Tom: How about the crowd here?
Dan: I have never been in a louder building in my life
Tom: This place went from one of the quietest building in the NHL to being the loudest. Vancouver fans have a chance to really step up on Monday
Dan: can I get you to say "get ready, Vancouver, the Canucks are coming home?"
Tom: GET READY, VANCOUVER, THE CANUCKS ARE COMING HOME!
Game 7 Monday, 7:30pm. It'll be on CBC, if you get that, and I have looked through the TV Guide listings, and there's a spot reserved for "Stanley Cup Playoffs" Monday at 7:30pm on ESPN2, and since that would have to be a west coast game to fit in that time slot and since this series is the only one in the west that's still going, I think it's a safe bet that Game 7 will be televised in the States.
If you only watch for one reason and one reason alone, watch the first five minutes of the telecast to see if they show Mark Donnelly sing "O Canada" and hand it off to the crowd for the middle two stanzas of the song. I'm telling you, it's chilling, and Donnelly kicks the crap out of the two singers that Calgary had singing "O Canada" up at the Saddledome.
GO CANUCKS!!
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