The 6 In 16

This is long…and the last lengthy sports diatribe for a while, as there are some other matters to attend to. But hopefully this will be a pretty darn good tribute to the ‘Canes. So if you’re interested, bear with me.

After 2 months of playoff competition, the Carolina Hurricanes are the team to hit the magic number of 16 wins that yields that big, shiny trophy.

And it is this number, 16 wins, that is the real definer of the great accomplishment that is winning the Stanley Cup. Yes, Game 7 was a great game and seeing the ‘Canes win the Cup was a truly amazing moment, but the real accomplishment is not victory in this one game but surviving the grinding, nail-biting race that is the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

At times, it did not look like the moment with the cup would come for the ‘Canes. Yet, throughout the playoffs, the ‘Canes responded to adversity with the guile of the champions that they rightly are.

Here are the 6 moments that defined the ‘Canes run and really, really helped bring the Cup to Carolina:

#6- HURRICANES 3, DEVILS 2 (OT) GAME 2, CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

I had the pleasure of attending this game. Heading into the game, I didn’t like our chances. We had beaten Jersey 6-0 in the opener and I knew the Devils were too good, especially in net, to accept this beating lying down.

Brodeur was as advertised in this game, making spectacular save after spectacular save. Then, Jersey took a numbing lead 20 seconds from the final on a deflected goal.

People cleared out of the row in front of me, anticipating that the game was lost and the series tied. Yet, the ‘Canes found a way to equalize three seconds from the gun, when Eric Staal slid one under Brodeur’s pads.

After Niclas Wallin added the winner (with his skate, but they count the same) in overtime, fans poured out of the RBC roaring. A certain loss had been turned into a spectacular win.

More importantly, the win showed the ‘Canes were both capable of playing outstanding hockey and pulling out the big goals and the crucial wins when needed. This game, more than any other, was enough to convince me the ‘Canes could win the championship.

#5- HURRICANES 3, OILERS 1 GAME 7, STANLEY CUP FINALS

Low down the list for the clincher, mainly because it lacked some of the pizzazz of other games.

However, three things stand out from the final game: the Hurricanes resilience after being absolutely blown out in Edmonton in Game 6; the ability of bit players (see Aaron Ward, Frank Kaberle and Matt Cullen) to come up huge; and CAM FREAKIN’ WARD.

The first factor is the most important. Many counted the Hurricanes for dead after Game 6. Instead, the ‘Canes came out hitting, scored in the first 90 seconds, and carried the play for the next 40 minutes, until that goalie dude finished it off.

#4- HURRICANES 4, SABRES 2 GAME 7, CONFERENCE FINALS

Justin Williams should be named “the Finisher.” Williams scored the game and series finisher in both this game and the Oiler finale, as well as taking out Koivu in the Montreal series (albeit accidentally).

The key to this one was a great 3^rd period, yet another characteristic of the ‘Canes championship team. Trailing 2-1, the ‘Canes picked up goals from Williams, Dougy Weight and the captain, Rod Brind’Amour, who put in the game-winner.

Stanley Cup Finals, here we came.

#3- HURRICANES 4, SABRES 3 (OT) GAME 5, CONFERENCE FINALS

After a spectacular Game 4, Martin Gerber and the ‘Canes defense were a step off in the first 25 minutes of this one. As a result, the Hurricanes trailed on the scoreboard 3-1 and Gerber was pulled from the game.

As in Game 2 of the Montreal series, Ward entered and the game instantly changed. In that game, the deficit proved to be too much to overcome as the ‘Canes fell 6-5 in double overtime (an honorable mention even in a losing effort). Here, the two goal margin was nullified by Recchi and Brind’Amour second period strikes. Ward then denied Afinogenov and Hecht on potential game-winners, setting the stage for Cory Stillman’s overtime power play winner.

This was an essential victory…a loss would have put the Hurricanes on the verge of elimination returning to Buffalo, an unenviable situation. It showed the Hurricanes ability to rally on home ice, where they finished 10-4 in the playoffs and a sparkling 10-2 in their last 12 games. It also showed the Hurricanes ability to get crucial goals and to prevent the opposition from getting them.

And on that note…

#2- HURRICANES 2, CANADIENS 1 (OT) GAME 3, 1^ST ROUND

You can’t win the Stanley Cup, a so-called journey, until the journey begins with the first win. And the Hurricanes run to the Cup was birthed on this eve, the night of the ‘Canes first win of the playoffs.

The biggest key to this night was, without question, the emergence of Cam Ward. In his first start in eons and his first career playoff start, Ward was every bit the Conn Smythe winner that he would prove to be. If not for him, the Hurricanes would have trailed by at least 3-0 in the game and by the same mark in the series…a death knoll for any team. As impressive as Ward’s saves were on Horcoff in Game 1 and Pisani in Game 7 of the Cup Finals, his best may have been glove robberies of Komisarek and Riberio in this one.

On the other end of the ice, the ‘Canes disappointed through 40 minutes before playing an excellent third period and overtime that resulted in the Brind’Amour equalizer, some well-drawn penalties and a Staal lazer in overtime from the point that won the game.

It was only the first of 16 wins, but without it the others could not have occurred. Had Cam Ward not been as spectacular as the ‘Canes need him to be in this one, the cup would almost certainly not have been hoisted in Raleigh, but instead in Edmonton, Buffalo or maybe even Montreal.

But thankfully, he was, and that did not have to happen.

#1- HURRICANES 5, OILERS 4 GAME 1, STANLEY CUP FINALS

Oiler boss Craig MacTavish said his team did not lose the Cup Finals in Game 7. And he was right. The ‘Canes seized control of the series in this game and never lost it, despite the looks of things in Games 5 & 6.

This game had all of the above elements rolled into one. A STERLING GOALTENDING PERFORMANCE. Ward may have given up four goals, but it would have been five or six or seven if not for robberies of Horcoff and denials on many of Edmonton’s 38 shots. RALLYING ON HOME ICE. The Hurricanes caught bad breaks and played poorly in falling down 3-0, but overcame this to pull off their biggest come-from-behind victory of the playoffs. GETTING THE BIG GOALS. The Hurricanes did not panic in falling behind 3-0, but instead waited for their opportunities and capitalized with patience and precision.

<>To win a series when you are not overmatching a team, you usually need to steal a game you shouldn’t win. This was the theft for the Hurricanes. The Oilers tried to rally, and they almost pulled it off, but this victory was more than big. In the end, it won the Hurricanes the Stanley Cup.

The Hurricanes were dominant at stretches of this season, including an early season run that saw the ‘Canes lose ZERO games in regulation in 5 weeks and a January revival when they lost just one game in 14 attempts, and.

The team tailed off towards the end with the division clinched, Erik Cole injured and with Gerber ailing. This carried into the playoffs, including the brutal 6-1 opening loss to Montreal that I had the pleasure of attending.

Cam Ward came in in Game 2, providing a necessary dominant backstopping presence, veteran additions Recchi and Weight combined to replace Cole and jelled with the team, Staal and Brind’Amour and many, many others combined to provide the crucial goal every time the Hurricanes needed it, and the ‘Canes took home Lord Stanley.

Expectations weren’t exactly high when the Hurricanes opened up against the defending champions in Tampa way back in October. Then again, they never really had been for a franchise that had never really had much success hopping from Hartford to Greensboro to Raleigh. Even when success came, as in the 2002 Stanley Cup run, it was followed by an awful season in 2002-2003 in which the Hurricanes plummeted to dead last. But with shrewd moves over the course of the next three years, a great team was eventually assembled. When this team combined spectacular playoff performances with wizardry in net, the Carolina Hurricanes, yes, the Carolina Hurricanes, were the Stanley Cup Champions, and a new hockey power had emerged.

And nothing could be finer.