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Closer Look Myriad of miscues haunt Holik
Posted: Friday June 09, 2000 07:57 PM
By Jamie MacDonald, CNNSI.com EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Boy, do these Devils ever know how to make up for lost (over)time. Had the Devils finished Game 5 the way they finished 21 prior playoff games this season -- in regulation -- they would have tied an NHL record for the most playoff games in one season without playing a minute of overtime. Instead, they combined with the Dallas Stars to break the NHL record for the longest 1-0 Stanley Cup finals overtime game. And that is precisely why, in the wake of Mike Modano's post-1 a.m. ET game-winner, perspective is more than difficult. But take a moment to think back to the two glorious scoring opportunities Bobby Holik missed in this game. Remember? Certainly they will be hard for Devils fans to forget. Well before the Continental Airlines Arena faithful could think about phoning home to say, "Honey, I'm going to be about three hours late," the big centerman saw two second-period scoring opportunities slip through his sometimes magic hands.
"I'd rather not discuss all those opportunities I had myself," Holik said honestly and without a hint of how-dare-you-ask-me in his voice, "because it could have been the difference in the game." With 10 minutes remaining in the second period, Colin White -- who was driving into the Dallas zone -- curled back to feed Holik who was all alone in the slot. Holik, a righthanded shot, zigged left and zagged right in an effort to force Stars goaltender Ed Belfour to commit. But the Eagle stared down Holik as he ran out of room. Holik still had a good four square feet of open net by the time he released his shot, but he misfired and bounced the would-be goal about halfway up the post to Belfour's left. Holik went to the New Jersey bench, not sure whether to wince or lean his forehead into the crash position against the dasher. He did both. "I think it's a funny game," said Stars defenseman Richard Matvichuk. "It's just to see it hit a post and not go in for our sake." Eight minutes later, Holik would again have reason to cringe. With Dallas forward Jere Lehtinen in the box for high-sticking Patrik Elias, Holik again missed a golden chance to put the Devils up 1-0. Only this time, it was Belfour, and not the goaltender's best friend, who kept Holik off the board. New Jersey defenseman Brian Rafalski, playing the point on the power play, hit Elias on his way toward the right-hand faceoff circle. Elias spotted the wide-open (again) Holik streaking down the left side of the slot and zipped across a pass. Belfour followed the puck from his left to his right and poked his right leg out to stone Holik on the doorstep. "This is a game of inches and I just needed an inch here and an inch there but I didn't get it," Holik said. "It's just an unfortunate thing. You have all these opportunities, myself, and nothing to show for it -- post, you know, and a couple great saves by Belfour. That could have been the game, but it's not and there's nothing I can do about it now. It's definitely not fun, but it's done, over with. We still have a chance to win it on Saturday."
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