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Stanley Cup Finals Notebook Devils can thank home-ice advantage for their third CupPosted: Monday June 09, 2003 7:14 PMUpdated: Tuesday June 10, 2003 3:01 AM EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- Home was where the wins were from start to finish in the Stanley Cup finals. When the Devils completed their seven-game victory Monday night, it capped off a series in which home ice was a total advantage. It was the first time since 1965 and the third since the finals went to a seven-game format that the home team won them all. New Jersey's 3-0 victory was its record 12th at Continental Airlines Arena, breaking the mark of 11 home wins in one playoff year set by Edmonton in 1988. Playing scaredThe Anaheim Mighty Ducks played an even first period Monday night, but coach Mike Babcock thinks they did so while dealing with fear. "Even though the shots were fairly close, I thought we had a little stage fright," Babcock said after New Jersey's 3-0 victory. It all turned badly for Anaheim in the second period when they fell behind 2-0. Another goal in the third ended the Ducks' season in disappointing fashion. "It was an interesting emotion," Babcock said. "When you get behind, you're not executing as well as you normally would." Jiggy timeAnaheim general manager Bryan Murray didn't know what he had in goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere until this year's stunning playoff run. Giguere became the fifth player from a losing team to capture the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. It all started way back in the opening round when the Mighty Ducks upset the second-seeded Detroit Red Wings. "In that first couple of games against Detroit he was certainly the reason why we got to go home with a 2-0 lead," said Murray, in his first year as Ducks GM. "From that point on he was outstanding." Giguere's performance in the first three rounds and then in the finals against New Jersey made him an obvious choice for MVP to Murray, even though the Ducks fell one game short. New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur was passed over for the award despite three shutouts in the finals. "I don't think there was any question that he was the single person that did the most for his team," Murray said of Giguere. "I think Martin played well, but they had more depth. They had more players that played at a high level." Open invite from Weir to OatesAs Masters champion Mike Weir made his way to the U.S. Open, he found time Monday to call close friend Adam Oates of the Mighty Ducks. "He wished me luck and to call him after," Oates said before Game 7. Oates was relaxed a few hours before what he hoped would be the first Stanley Cup title in his 17 years in the NHL. No matter what the outcome of the final game against the Devils, Oates had plans for the weekend. He will be at Olympia Fields Country Club near Chicago to watch Weir in the U.S. Open. Self-proclaimed arena of championsWith the Devils and the NBA's Nets in finals at the same time, Continental Airlines Arena has dubbed itself the "Arena of Champions." The Devils' 3-0 victory Monday night was the third major championship crowned at the 23-year-old building. The Devils won their first Stanley Cup there in 1995 when they completed a four-game sweep of the Detroit Red Wings. They had a chance to win two more titles there, but couldn't pull it off. New Jersey led 3-1 over Dallas in 2000 but lost Game 5 at home. The Devils won the title the following game. A year later, they were up 3-2 against Colorado. But another home loss denied them their third championship. That one didn't come in Game 7 either as they lost in Denver. The only other team to win it all at the arena was the Kentucky Wildcats, who beat Syracuse to take the 1996 NCAA basketball championship. Several early rounds have been held there, but that was its only Final Four. City of championsThe Los Angeles metropolitan area had a chance to have five major champions in its midst at one time. But the Ducks failed to join the current list of winners that includes the Los Angeles Lakers (NBA), Anaheim Angels (baseball), Los Angeles Sparks (WNBA) and the Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS). The Lakers won't be on the list for long as they lost in the second round of the NBA playoffs to San Antonio, ending their run of three straight titles. Ice chipsDevils goalie Martin Brodeur set a record with his
seventh shutout in one playoff year. His three blankings of Anaheim
in the finals tied the mark of Clint Benedict (1926) and Frank
McCool (1945). ... The home team has won Game 7 of the finals 10
times in 12 tries.
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