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Open house Wings fail to defend home ice with soft effort in Game 1Posted: Wednesday June 05, 2002 1:40 AMUpdated: Wednesday June 05, 2002 3:20 PM
It might seem contradictory, but the Carolina Hurricanes did it again -- shortened the game by getting it to overtime. The 'Canes extended the game by turning the entire evening into a next-goal-wins proposition. That has been a constant for them the entire NHL season, playing more extra-session affairs than any other team. Their postseason saga has followed suit, going 7-1 in games going beyond regulation. Fluky? Not on this night. They did what they had to do against the Red Wings. First, the 'Canes survived the first 10 minutes of the game after a one-week layoff. Detroit pressured on the forecheck, but Carolina escaped damage on the scoreboard by blocking several shots.
Second, they capitalized on another 5-on-3 power play -- their fourth goal in that situation in the playoffs -- equaling an earlier power-play tally by the Red Wings. Then at even strength, they struck quickly again to tie the score at 2-2 in the final minute of the second period. Aaron Ward sprung Jeff O’Neill through the neutral zone on a breakaway, catching Red Wings defenseman Steve Duchesne on the ice fatigued and needing to get to the bench. Finally, the Hurricanes were able to establish their game after the first period, getting pucks deep and pressuring the Red Wings defense with numerous low-rotation, puck possession shifts. In other words, they did what they have been doing throughout the playoffs. They held up their end of the bargain, playing true to form. That was definitely not the case for the Red Wings. Brendan Shanahan had a forgettable game, while Duchesne and Mathieu Dandenault could not contend with the forechecking pressure supplied by the Martin Gelinas-Josef Vasicek-Jaroslav Svoboda line. As a group, Detroit undermined their best efforts with too many penalties. That was particularly a problem in the third period, when two minors staggered in the middle 10 minutes of the frame took them out of the offensive rhythm they were developing on the forecheck. Although the 'Canes didn’t accomplish much with the manpower advantage in the third, the sequences put the Red Wings out of sync. The combination of Carolina playing up to par coupled with their opponent’s propensity to self-destruct on certain levels has fueled their postseason run. In Game 1, the Red Wings were the surprisingly obliging hosts.
Three Stars1. O’Neill: Maybe a defining game for him, as he played the best of all the big-name players on either side. 2. Glen Wesley: Unheralded and underrated as a defender late in his career, he was extremely effective in containing the outside speed of the Wings forwards. 3. Darren McCarty: He delivered his effective game -- hitting and setting up Kirk Maltby’s goal -- leading as best he could by example, even though his ice time was limited by all of the special teams play. Darren Eliot, a former NHL goaltender, will provide Stanley Cup Playoffs commentary throughout the postseason for CNNSI.com. Eliot will be joining Sam Rosen and Gary Green on NHL Radio's broadcasts of the Stanley Cup finals. |
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