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Twists of fate Hurricanes didn't get lucky bounces in finalsPosted: Friday June 14, 2002 5:00 PMUpdated: Friday June 14, 2002 6:05 PM
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- The Carolina Hurricanes will play the "what if" game for weeks after a closer-than-anticipated Stanley Cup series against powerhouse Detroit. What if Martin Gelinas wasn't called for a slashing penalty with six minutes left in Game 2 and the scored tied 1-1, leading to two Detroit goals in 13 seconds? What if Brett Hull's deflection with 1:14 remaining in regulation of Game 3 had gone wide instead of through the legs of Arturs Irbe in a game that ended in a triple overtime victory for the Red Wings? And what if Hull's first goal in Game 4 had gone off the post instead of in the net, and Ron Francis' shot had gone in instead of off the post? Maybe the Red Wings wouldn't have won that one 3-0. "It's the little breaks," Francis said following a 3-1 loss that gave the Red Wings their third title in six years with a 4-1 series win. "That's what you hope you are getting this time of the year. They got them and that's why they are the champions." Sami Kapanen agreed with the Carolina captain. "There were a lot of close games, but the bottom line is you have to find a way to win those games," said Kapanen, whose worst slump of his career ended Thursday night with just one goal in 23 playoff games. "That's why Detroit was a better team night-after-night. They were turning those games into four wins." The underdog Hurricanes didn't win on the scoreboard, but they did gain respect from the hockey community. Carolina captured the overall faceoff battle, outhit the Red Wings a combined 206-144 and blocked 33 more shots against a collection of all-stars most figured would win in a four-game rout. Two hurdles were key to the Hurricanes' losses: their inability to generate much offense against Detroit's defense and Red Wings goaltender Dominik Hasek. The Hurricanes managed just seven goals in the five games. "You get caught up in all the names on the jerseys here," coach Paul Maurice said. "But they play well as a team. Our goal this year was to play the best team game in the National Hockey League. I think we came pretty close. We came one team short." Carolina wasn't even given a shot to make the playoffs in the preseason by some publications. But the team's magical season was helped along by the 39-year-old Francis, who topped the club with 77 regular-season points, 16 in the postseason and invaluable leadership. "We were all here in part due to his greatness," Maurice said. Francis said after the deciding Game 5 that he's interested in returning for a 22nd NHL season. That's good news for Carolina fans. "This team has done a lot to establish hockey roots in our community," said Francis, who won the Stanley Cup in Pittsburgh in 1991 and '92. "Now the goal changes. Now you want the big prize. That's what we wanted all along. It's extremely frustrating to get so close and not win. Hopefully, that makes us stronger and more determined to accomplish that next year." It will be hard for the Hurricanes to duplicate this past season, when they won the first Eastern Conference title in the 23-year history of the franchise. Nine different teams have gone to the Cup finals from the East in the last 11 years. "That's the challenge for us now, isn't it, to come back," said Maurice, whose team beat New Jersey, Montreal and Toronto to reach the Cup finals. "If you don't have the same kind of season that you had somebody will say we're lucky, that we got a few breaks that we shouldn't have. But I really believe in the direction that this team has taken for quite some time, not just this year." For now, Carolina can only look back on a wonderful season and playoff run that helped captivate a city and draw new hockey fans to the game. "We accomplished a lot and we realized that getting this far took a lot," said Aaron Ward, who won two Cups with the Red Wings before being traded to Carolina this past offseason. "It's mentally exhausting and I don't know how long it will take to get over this. We'll basically feel sorry for ourselves and move on." Unless you're rookie Erik Cole. He became national news as part of the BBC line when he, Rod Brind'Amour and Bates Battaglia combined for 10 of Carolina's 21 goals in the Montreal series. But Cole then went into a deep slump, going without a point against Toronto and the Red Wings -- a span of 11 games. When asked how long it would take to get over this Cup loss, Cole, who had been crying in the locker room late Thursday night, just shook his head. "I have no idea. Maybe you should call me in August and I'll tell you, or maybe it won't go away. Maybe it will stay with me all the way through next year," he said. |
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