.

[Aquaman]

Iginla, Lecavalier put on punching display

Canadian Press
5/30/2004

CALGARY (CP) - When discussing the greatest hockey player in the world, it is not uncommon to hear Jarome Iginla's name uttered in the same breath as the likes of Peter Forsberg, Joe Sakic, and Markus Naslund.

However, what separates the Calgary Flames 26-year-old captain from the crowd is his physical and robust style, which Iginla put on display for all the world to see Saturday night in the first period getting in a spirited first period fight with Tampa Bay Lightning's Vincent Lecavalier.

Iginla held the upper hand in the tussle 6:17 into the game and Calgary went on to a 3-0 game three victory to take a 2-1 series lead in the Stanley Cup final.

``It gets him right into the game,'' said longtime linemate Craig Conroy. ``It really sets the tone for him for the rest of the game, he's fired up, he's physical, and that's when Jarome's at his best.''

At his best Saturday night included an assist on the winning goal and a goal in the third period to wrap up the scoring and earn him yet another Gordie Howe hat trick - a expression coined long ago describing a game in which a player scores a goal, gets an assist, and gets in a fight.

``Iggy's a competitor, he'll never back off, he's been our leader all playoffs long and he showed it again tonight,'' said Flames forward Martin Gelinas.

Iginla shrugged off the fight as just a product of an increasingly physical series.

``The fight is just a part of the intensity out there, everybody knows what's on the line,'' said Iginla. ``They raised their game physically last game and I thought tonight we really upped it as a group physically and the fight just kind of happened.''

Lecavalier got a close up look at what he's seen from Iginla since the post-season began.

`He's a very tough guy and he's been battling since the playoffs started,'' Lecavalier said. ``I've seen him a lot on TV. There's a lot of emotions out there and sometimes that stuff happens.''

Although coach Darryl Sutter, once a rugged player in his own right, has never had a problem with his team's best player dropping the gloves, others get more concerned.

``We'd rather not see him fight,'' said longtime linemate Craig Conroy. However, there can be no disputing the positive results that have followed such an encounter this post-season, a trend that should prove alarming to Tampa Bay.

Iginla fought Vancouver defenceman Mattias Ohlund in game three of the opening series. Calgary went on to win three of the next four games to eliminate the Canucks.

In game two of the next series, Iginla squared off with big Detroit defenceman Derian Hatcher. Again, the Flames went on to take three of the next four games and knock off the Red Wings.

``That's why he's our leader,'' said Calgary forward Chris Clark. ``If he's going to go out and fight, be rough, and he's the best player in the league, you know people are going to follow him.''

Chris Simon, one of the NHL's primary enforcers, was moved onto the top Flames top line Saturday with Conroy and Iginla, but he knows that Iginla likes to fight his own battles.

``That fight was huge, it really set the tone physically for us and we talked before the game that we had to bring a physical presence,'' Simon said.

Gelinas also tipped his hat to Lecavalier.

``It's playoffs and you have to get your team going. Those two guys have been playing hard and it was nice to see the two leaders going at her,'' said Gelinas.

Lecavalier's efforts impressed his team-mates but did not surprise them.

``Vinnie won't back down against anybody, he's a good force physically,'' said Tampa forward Martin St. Louis.

Lightning captain Dave Andreychuk concurred.

``That's the way he's been playing, he wants to take charge of the game,'' Andreychuk said.

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[Aquaman]

Celebration leaves fan in critical condition

Canadian Press
5/30/2004

CALGARY (CP) - One Flames' fan was in stable but critical condition following a fight that started after Calgary's 3-0 victory in Game Three of the Stanley Cup finals Saturday night.

About 15 other fans were arrested during downtown celebrations that involved upwards of 40,000 people crowding into the streets until early Sunday morning after the game that put Calgary ahead 2-1 in the best of seven series against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

A 29-year-old male sustained life-threatening injuries after a fight that began in the Pengrowth Saddledome following the game.

Calgary police said an argument that began in the stands turned into a full-fledged fight in a bar inside the arena.

"A physical fist fight broke out, injuring one of the combatants," Inspector Keith Pollock said Sunday, adding that there were no weapons involved.

Pollock said the injured man somehow struck his head, but he didn't know if the man had fallen.

EMS Calgary Superintendent Doug Odney said the man was a was unconscious when the ambulance arrived. He remained in stable but critical condition Sunday.

Police charged Calgarian Omar Fayez Haymour, 22, with aggravated assault in the incident.

Meanwhile, Pollock said 14-15 other fans were arrested for "mostly liquor-related offences," as thousands of jubilant fans once again streamed onto 17 Avenue following the victory.

The avenue, recently dubbed "the Red Mile," is a popular area lined with bars and restaurants west of the hockey arena that has become a focal point for celebrations as the Calgary Flames unexpected playoff run continues into the finals.

The entire city of Calgary has been mesmerized by the hockey playoffs as the Flames now need only two more wins to hoist the Stanley Cup for the first time in 15 years.

Given that the success follows an eight-year absence from the playoffs, the amount of support for the team is unprecedented. The Flames' flaming C logo is everywhere from jerseys to car flags to the office towers of the city's oil and gas companies.

And while many Calgarians used Sunday to shake the cobwebs from the previous night's celebrations, the town was also preparing to do it all over again Monday.

A street Lilac Festival entwined with Flames fever Sunday filled the air with music and kept the pub patios busy.

"It's been ridiculous," said Andrew Bruce, an employee with the Wicked Wedge pizza restaurant on 17 Ave.

"We've just been staying open as late as we can until we run out of pizzas," said Bruce, who said that business has been even better than the annual Calgary Stampede in early July.

But other stores, not involved in selling food or beverages to the crowds on the avenue, are less enthused.

"To be honest, in a way it's bad for business," said Trevor Chapman, manager of Mission snowboards and skateboards.

Chapman says with a ban on parking and police asking businesses to close early on game nights combine to limit the number of shoppers in his store.

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[Aquaman]

Flames defence tight on St. Louis

Canadian Press
5/30/2004

CALGARY (CP) - Martin St. Louis has been bottled up and shut down by the Calgary Flames.

The usually elusive speedster has not had the room to make things happen offensively so far in the Stanley Cup finals for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

``I expect to win and do my best to win all my battles,'' St. Louis said Sunday. ``That's the way you have to play. You have to be confident in your abilities.''

The five-foot-nine forward has struggled to score in the playoffs. He has a post-season-high 21 points, but only seven have come by putting the puck in the net.

Lightning coach John Tortorella said his team needs more from its scorers, including St. Louis, Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards, Fredrik Modin and Cory Stillman.

Tampa Bay, beaten 3-0 in Game 3 on Saturday night, has alternated wins and losses in its past 10 games. The Lightning have shown an ability to bounce back from defeats, but also displayed a failure to build on momentum.

The Lightning only have five goals in this series, and four came in their Game 2 victory.

``If we were up 2-1, our game wouldn't be talked as much. But we're down 2-1,'' said St. Louis, the regular-season scoring champion. ``We're the guys who are on the ice for a lot of minutes so we have to be accounted for.

``We can't just go through 60 minutes waiting for someone else to do it.''

Tortorella emphasized on the off day before Monday night's Game 4 that he wasn't being critical of his stars. He was merely pointing out that their games have to take another step up at this critical juncture.

``I don't think we have lost our identity,'' he said. ``We know how we want to play.''

And that would be the run-and-gun style that was able to generate 245 goals in the regular season - the third-most in the NHL. Cycling the puck down low and allowing the Lightning to get their speed game working would be the ideal.

It's just that the Flames are making that very difficult.

``I think the thing with St. Louis, he's just a very crafty, skilled forward,'' Calgary's Craig Conroy said. ``If you give him time and space he's going to create and make plays. We're trying to stay as close as possible, not giving him a lot of room. But great players create room.''

The series, although devoid of the trap that clogged up post-season matchups in recent years, has tightened up and become more physical. In three games, there have been 13 goals and three fights.

Lecavalier, the No. 1 pick in the 1998 draft, has brought up his physical play and took on Flames captain Jarome Iginla in a fight on Saturday night. The bout between stars seemed to catch most observers by surprise, that is if you eliminate his teammates.

``He's done it before, he's done well, he's a tough kid,'' St. Louis. ``That's why he kind of is the total package.''

Tortorella loved the energy of Lecavalier, a player that was benched earlier this season after a public disagreement with the coach. Tortorella applauded his forward during the fight and said it would be ``terrific'' if it happened again.

He would, however, rather see pucks in the net as opposed to punches in the face.

``I don't think our offensive players played as well as they should have, Vinny being one of them,'' Tortorella said. ``As far as the fight was concerned, I thought that was good stuff by Vinny. As far as that affecting his play, no.''

It's been the Flames who have been doing that to Lecavalier and the rest of the high-flying Lightning.

``We need to play our game,'' Tortorella said, ``it's a matter of doing it better.''

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[bootymac]

WTF were they arguing about?

 

[Aquaman]

Fedotenko probable for Game 4 on Monday

Canadian Press
5/30/2004

CALGARY (CP) - Tampa Bay forward Ruslan Fedotenko, who had a bandage under his right eye Sunday, is a probable starter for Game 4 of the NHL's championship series Monday night.

"I had breakfast with him," said teammate Dave Andreychuk. "He seems fine to me."

Fedotenko was crushed into the side boards by Robyn Regehr late in Calgary's 3-0 Game 3 victory Saturday. Video shows Regehr grabbing Fedotenko by a shoulder in directing him into the boards but no penalty was assessed. Fedotenko cut his head on the top of the boards. He went to hospital for X-rays to make sure there was no structural damage.

Fedotenko skates on Tampa Bay's top attacking unit and has 10 playoff goals.

Coach John Tortorella declined to question the no-call on the hit.

"That stuff is playoff hockey, players trying to make plays, players trying to finish checks," Tortorella said after his team's optional skate Sunday. "We're not looking to pay back.

"We're looking to play better and looking to win a hockey game."

Flames coach Darryl Sutter defended Regehr.

"It was a clean hit by Robyn and, you know, he cut his head in the worst part he can - right on the dasher. So, you know, three inches one way or the other and he probably doesn't even feel the hit at all."

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[Aquaman]

Flames' Simon thankful for new chance

Canadian Press
5/30/2004

CALGARY (CP) - Chris Simon is the classic example of an athlete one hates to play against but loves to have on one's team.

``I played against him a lot,'' recalls Calgary Flames defenceman Andrew Ference, who clashed with Simon when he was with Pittsburgh and Simon was with Washington. ``As soon as he got here I asked him how many times he's punched me in the face because he's given me a couple of good shots.

``He's a scary man.''

Flames defenceman Rhett Warrener, when he played for Buffalo, had run-ins with Simon all the time.

``I didn't like him,'' Warrener says bluntly.

He'll leave it at that. Of course, now Warrener just loves to see Simon in the Calgary dressing room.

Flames forward Martin Gelinas was diplomatic when asked on the eve of Game 4 Monday (CBC, 8 p.m. EDT) to describe past impressions of the Wawa Warrior.

``Did I dislike him? Well, I can't say I liked to go into corners with the guy,'' said Gelinas.

Simon, 32, the six-foot-three, 232-pound musclebound forward from Wawa, Ont., was second in penalty minutes in the NHL with 250 this season. Calgary GM-coach Darryl Sutter acquired him - rescued him - from the New York Rangers on March 6 along with a seventh-round 2004 draft pick for Blair Betts, Jamie McLennan and Greg Moore.

``He hits hard, he punches hard, he's a fierce competitor,'' said Ference. ``He's got a lot of traits that you can see it's obvious why Darryl would want him here.

``He hates to lose, like a lot of the rest of us on this team.''

Simon was a bit player with the Colorado Avalanche when they won the Stanley Cup in 1996. This time, Simon is playing a major role.

On Saturday night, he scored the winning goal in a 3-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning that gave the Flames a 2-1 edge in the championship series.

Simon has scored five playoff goals and four including the big one in Game 3 have been on power plays.

``He's been great for our power play ever since he's come here,'' said captain Jarome Iginla.

The chance to be on the power play with Iginla inspires Simon.

``Through my career, I have played with a lot of great players - Adam Oates, Mark Messier, guys like that - and now I have a chance to play with Jarome Iginla,'' he said. ``I think that we kind of complement each other.

``Iggy has great speed and a great shot and I just try to be a presence in front of the net and get him the puck when I can, try to tie guys up in front, you know.''

Simon, 32, an Ojibwa, is sporting a subtle Mohawk haircut. That's the only subtle thing about him. Off the ice, he talks a lot about how grateful he is to Sutter for getting him from a club that was going nowhere.

``It's a huge change,'' he said. ``Unfortunately, things weren't going well in New York and the guys tried hard to win hockey games.

``I was so glad to get an opportunity to come to a team that had a chance to get into the playoffs and, you know, this team worked so hard and they battled hard all year. I am a huge hockey fan and I have all the games on TV and I like to watch the games on off nights. I watch a lot of games when I get home from the rink.

``Playing against Calgary, you just respect how hard this team works. This team did a lot of great things before I got here and I was just fortunate to come here and help in any way I can.''

Simon had a 29-goal season with Washington four years ago so it's not as if scoring goals is a new facet of his game.

``He is a bit of a brute, that's for sure,'' says Flames defenceman Mike Commodore. ``He plays with an edge.

``He can score, he can fight, he makes good plays, he hits - he does a lot of things well.''

Sutter moved Simon to the first line with Iginla during the second period of the game Saturday so the Lightning wouldn't take any liberties with the Flames captain. It was another example of Sutter's willingless to trust Simon with added responsibilities.

``Getting a chance to play is awesome,'' says Simon. ``In Colorado, I didn't play in the finals but I learned a lot.

``I played with great players like Patrick Roy and Joe Sakic and Claude Lemieux. I listened a lot to what those guys said in the room before and during games. Then in Washington I played on a checking line with Craig Berbue and Dale Hunter. I learned a lot from Dale in playing smart and being poised out there.

``To come here, it's awesome, you know, to be depended on night in and night out. Winning is what it is all about. I will do whatever it takes and whatever I have to do to win.''

Stephane Yelle, who was a teammate in Colorado and now with the Flames, has watched Simon's stature as an athlete grow.

``He got a reputation of being a tough guy and an enforcer over the years,'' said Yelle. ``That was pretty much his role in Colorado but over the years . . . he's shown he has a lot of skills for a big guy and his hands are really good. He's been getting the job done.''

Simon was an oft-uncontrollable rebel in his teens, when he developed a drinking problem. Ottawa traded him to Sault Ste. Marie in an OHL trade and Greyhounds coach Ted Nolan, a fellow-Ojibwa, had a lot to do with setting him straight. That's all water under an ancient bridge now.

Put in the right role with the right team, Simon is again showing he's a valuable NHL player.

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[Aquaman]

McKenzie: Lightning offence starts with St. Louis

TSN.ca Staff
5/30/2004

After Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, Tampa Bay Lightning head coach John Tortorella mentioned that his offensive players had to be better than Calgary's defensive players.

Now he didn't mention Hart Trophy candidate Martin St. Louis by name, but there are a lot of others who are.

The league's Art Ross Trophy winner has scored some goals lately in the playoffs, but they were all with the man advantage. The last even-strength goal St. Louis scored was the series-clinching goal against the New York Islanders in the opening round.

So it's pretty obvious that if the Tampa Bay Lightning are going to win the Stanley Cup, they're going to have to get production from their offensive guys and fight through that tough Calgary defence.

You can talk about tactics all you want, but the bottom line is that Tortorella wants his offensive players to play a lot harder than they did in Game 3.

Coach Sutter will once again be in the spotlight on Monday, but it won't be Darryl of the Calgary Flames just yet.

Brother Brent, head coach and general manager of the Western Hockey League's Red Deer Rebels, is expected to be named head coach of Canada's national junior team.

After last year's gold medal game disaster for Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship, there was a sense that perhaps the country's best junior coaches were not making themselves available. That being said, guys like Sutter and Peter DeBoer of the Kitchener Rangers have gone through the process and were finalists for the job.

The expectation is that Sutter will get the post as he has done a great job with the Rebels and has the experience of winning Stanley Cups, a Memorial Cup, and Canada Cups along the way.

Hockey Canada also liked the contribution of assistants Dean Chynoweth and Jim Hulton, and they may also be involved for the 2005 tournament.

When all is said and done, I guess you can't have too many Sutters grabbing headlines in Calgary nowadays.

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[Aquaman]

Flames keeping things in perspective

Canadian Press
5/30/2004

CALGARY (CP) - The Calgary Flames are just two victories away from bringing the NHL championship home to Canada for the first time in over a decade.

But the shine of the Stanley Cup isn't dazzling the young Flames' eyes as they prepare for what the Tampa Bay Lightning will throw at them in Game 4.

"They are remarkable like that," Darryl Sutter, the Flames stoic coach and general manager, said Sunday.

"They are the toughest mental group I have ever been associated with. They just overcome what they have to overcome all the time."

The Flames used a 3-0 win over Tampa Bay Saturday night to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven final. The series resumes Monday in Calgary.

Defenceman Andrew Ference, who was mobbed by autograph seekers when he rode his Harley-Davidson motorcycle to practice, said keeping focused on the next game has been easier than he thought.

"That's probably the biggest thing where our leaders have come in and taken charge," said Ference, one of the more cerebral players on either roster.

"We're not satisfied until the end. We've had tiny celebrations after ever series win where we've enjoyed it for a couple hours then the next day at practice it was kind of back to business. I think preparing ourselves in the other series by not getting too excited after a first, second or third win is a big part of how we're handling the pressure now."

The Lightning may be without leading goal scorer Ruslan Fedotenko when they attempt to even up the series.

Fedotenko, who has 10 goals in the playoffs, was taken to hospital following Saturday night after being rammed face first into the boards by Flame defenceman Robyn Regehr.

Tampa Bay coach John Tortorella said Fedotenko was "day to day."

The 25-year-old from Kiev didn't practise Sunday but showed up at the arena with a bandage on his face.

No penalty was called on the play and Tortorella refused comment about the hit.

The Flames played a physical game Saturday, using their size and some heavy hitting to grind down the more skilled Lightning. Sutter said that's the path the Flames will have to keep following if they hope to return the Stanley Cup to Canada for the first time since the 1993 Montreal Canadiens.

"Obviously they have more skill than we do," said Sutter, who punctuates his words with shrugs, long pauses and rolling his eyes.

"We didn't play as aggressive as a game as we wanted in Tampa. We have to play a very disciplined game and I thought we did that last night."

Veteran Tampa captain Dave Andreychuk said the Lightning can't wilt under the physical heat the Flames are putting on them.

"I hope we've got more to give," said Andreychuk, playing in his first Stanley Cup final in his 18-year career.

"These are two teams that are going to battle very hard to try to win games. For us on our side of the fence, we're going to continue to keep battling. That's the way we're going to win this series."

Tampa Bay's top line of Fedotenko, Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis managed just four shots on net in Saturday's loss. Tortorella challenged all his offensive players to be better.

"In a finals, in the fourth round of the playoffs, you're damn right they better raise their level," said Tortorella.

"It's not one particular guy. Each one of our offensive people have to do a better job in raising their level."

Calgary's Stephane Yelle said the Flames don't doubt the Lightning will be dishing out some hits of their own come Monday.

"We expect them to be physical and to be better," said Yelle, who won two Stanley Cups with the Colorado Avalanche.

"As for our team, I think when we're skating and when we're physical and everyone is involved, that's when we play our best hockey."

The Flames power play, which had managed just two goals in 11 chances during the first two games of the series, showed some signs of life in Game 3. Calgary scored twice on four power plays.

"It was a good feeling," said Craig Conroy.

While Sutter is thrilled his team is leading the series, he still thinks the Flames can play better.

"I want the perfect game," said Sutter, who never shrinks away from challenging his stars to shine brighter.

"I think we have some wingers that have to play better. I know we have to play better in some areas tomorrow than we did last night."

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[Aquaman]

Originally posted by: bootymac
WTF were they arguing about?

What you talking about?

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[jonnyGURU]

Originally posted by: BCYL
This Flames win was different than Game 1... This time the Flames really dominated the entire game, the Lighting couldn't get anything going after the Flames took the lead...

Let's hope they keep this going!

Calgary did not dominate the entire game. If they had, they would've scored earler. Did you see the shots on goal in the first period? Only 2 for Calgary versus Tampa's 8.

That said, I'm REALLY disappointed in Tampa for not playing their game.

 

[Rudee]

I live about 15 minutes away from the Saddledome here in Calgary, and if the Flames win tonight, I'm going to launch some nice fireworks from the Cemetary Hill Overpass. I purchased $60 worth of cool fireworks this past weekend. I'll fire about a third of them off.

 

[Aquaman]

Resiliant Bolts look to even the series

TSN.ca Staff with Ticker
5/31/2004

CALGARY, Alberta (TSN.CA/Ticker) -- The Tampa Bay Lightning have yet to experience a losing streak in the postseason and will be hoping that trend can continue Monday night against the Calgary Flames in Game Four of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Tampa Bay has not lost consecutive games since March, but has alternated wins and losses the past 10 games. Playing away from home has suddenly become a problem for the Bolts. They have dropped three consecutive road games after starting the playoffs 5-0 outside Florida.

Still, the resiliant Lightning are 5-0 in the playoffs following losses. Goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin is 5-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average in those situations, stopping 120 of 125 shots.

"If you're going to be playing the Stanley Cup finals, your goaltender better be your best player or you won't have a chance," Lightning coach John Tortorella said. "Nik has played very well for us and that's why we're here."

Tampa Bay remains confident about its chances and will be looking for another stellar effort from Khabibulin after a 3-0 loss in Game Three.

"We think he has been playing very well for us whether we won or lost," said winger Fredrik Modin. "He has been there for us. He has been making some big saves for us. He's a top player when it comes to bouncing back after losses."

The Lightning might have to stage their comeback attempt without their top playoff goalscorer. Winger Ruslan Fedotenko is day-to-day after suffering a head injury when he was slammed face-first into the dasher boards by Calgary defenceman Robyn Regehr in Game 3. Fedotenko, who has ten goals in the playoffs, did not skate with the team on Sunday.

"We're not looking to pay back," Tampa Bay coach John Tortorella said. "We're looking to play better."

"We're down, 2-1, it's not the end of the world," Lightning defenseman Dan Boyle said Saturday. "This team's come back before."

Calgary is 12-1 when scoring first in the postseason, the Lightning 11-2. The team that scored the first goal has won the first three games of this series, but coaches Darryl Sutter and John Tortorella are not bowled over by that statistic.

"When the first goal comes, the first goal comes," Tortorella said. "We always go about preparing our team for each and every game the way we always do. If you are preparing that way, sure you'd like to score the first goal. But as far as emphasis and all the talk about it, no, it's not really in our meetings. Our meetings are about how we're going to play."

Sutter went a step further, saying that goal scoring grabs headlines, but the team that plays better defensively usually wins in the playoffs.

"In the end, the best defensive teams are playing," Sutter said. "That's what it is about. It's about teams having the ability as a group, not as individuals, to shut other teams down. The most consistent team over the past decade, for sure, regular season and playoffs, is New Jersey. So that's a pretty good model to try and follow."

Who's Hot:

Tampa Bay - C Brad Richards has a goal and an assist through the first two games of the series and has points in five of his last six playoff games. The Lightning are 7-0 when he scores in the postseason.

Calgary - RW Jarome Iginla has a goal in five of his last six playoff games; G Miikka Kiprusoff picked up his league-leading fifth shutout Saturday and is two shutouts away from tying the playoff record set by Martin Brodeur in last year's postseason.

Who's Not:

Tampa Bay - Despite being a physical force in Game Two, C Vincent Lecavalier has not scored in his last four games.

Calgary - LW Oleg Saprykin has not scored in his last 16 games.

STREAKS: The Flames have not won back-to-back home games in any of their three previous series; Calgary stopped the Lightning's penalty-killing streak at eight games with a power-play goal. The Flames also have scored on the power play in each of its last four games.

HISTORY: In the 24 times the Stanley Cup Finals have been tied after two games, the team winning Game Three has taken the championship 21 times. The only teams to buck the trend were the 1964 Toronto Maple Leafs, 1989 Calgary Flames and 1991 Pittsburgh Penguins.

LEADERS:

Tampa Bay - LW Ruslan Fedotenko, 10 goals; LW Martin St. Louis, 14 assists; St. Louis, 21 points.

Calgary - Iginla, 12 goals; C Craig Conroy, 11 assists; Iginla, 20 points.

Injuries:

Tampa Bay - LW Ruslan Fedotenko (head).

Calgary - D Denis Gauthier (knee); D Toni Lydman (concussion); Matthew Lombardi (concussion); C Dean McAmmond (back).

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[Insane3D]

LMAO @ Aquaman!

:beer:

 

[Aquaman]

Former Flames remember 1989 Cup run

Canadian Press
5/31/2004

CALGARY (CP) - The last time the Calgary Flames played for the Stanley Cup, their star-studded roster had a $6-million US payroll, no one had heard of the neutral-zone trap and NHL teams still played in Winnipeg and Quebec City.

What a difference 15 years makes.

When the '89 Flames beat the Montreal Canadiens in Game 6 to win the franchise's only Stanley Cup title, Lanny McDonald scored a key go-ahead goal, defenceman Al MacInnis was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy and effusive Mike Vernon was in goal. The roster featured Joe Mullen and Joe Nieuwendyk, both 51-goal scorers, plus six other players who had scored 20 or more goals.

This year's Flames, who are battling the Tamp Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup final, are led by Jarome Iginla, who had 41 goals during the season, and Finnish goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff who barely utters a word. Outside of Iginla, none of the Flames scored more than 18 goals and few started the playoffs as household names outside of Calgary.

"This year's team versus the 1989 team, I think we might have been deeper in the skill level," said Terry Crisp, who coached the Flames in '89 and now does television commentary for the Nashville Predators.

"The area this new bunch can match us is work ethic and tenacity."

The 1989 Flames won the Presidents' Trophy for having the NHL's best regular-season record of 54 wins and 117 points. Calgary scored 354 goals that year, then added 82 more in 22 playoff games.

This year's Flames finished sixth in the Western Conference with 42 wins and 94 points. The team scored 200 regular-season goals. In the first 22 playoff games Calgary scored 54 goals.

"This team, when it started (the playoffs), was certainly not the favourite," said McDonald, who retired after the 1989 season and now is player personnel director for Hockey Canada. "No one other than the team probably expected them to get all the way to the final."

During the Flames' 1989 run current forward Shean Donovan was a 14-year-old in Timmins, Ont.

"My sister actually cheered for them," said Donovan. "I had to watch them.

"I remember Lanny McDonald scoring the big goal. I remember because two Canadian teams were going at it."

McDonald remembers the Stanley Cup team as a closely knit group. At least eight members of that squad still live in Calgary, several on the same block.

"One of the things you never forget is the friendships that last a lifetime," he said.

Cliff Fletcher, who was general manager of the 1989 Flames, said teams of that era existed on a more level playing field.

"In those days economics didn't come into play like they do today," said Fletcher, now the vice-president of hockey operations for the Phoenix Coyotes. "The teams that did the best job from a management and coaching standpoint, they usually were successful."

McDonald was the highest paid Flame in 1989, earning $350,000 US. Many of the players were paid in Canadian dollars, said Fletcher.

Today, Iginla alone earns $7.5 million US. The Flames' $36 million US payroll - six times more than in '89 - is considered low.

Fletcher said what the current Flames lack in pure talent they make up for with a hot goaltender and an almost fanatical work ethic.

"You have to take you hat off to Calgary and their style of play," said Fletcher. "They are tenacious.

"They've got great speed and that over used word chemistry is very prevalent on their hockey club."

Considering the talent on the Flames' Stanley Cup winner, it seems strange the team didn't win another playoff series until this year's first-round defeat of the Vancouver Canucks. Calgary went seven years without making the postseason.

"It was hard and it was disheartening at times," said Al MacNeil, who was the Flames assistant general manager in 1989 and remains with the team as the special assistant to general manager Darryl Sutter. "Economics has been a major cause of changes in the NHL."

As salaries grew the Flames could now longer afford to keep their best players.

"Maybe that was the first salvo of the fact we were a small market team and couldn't stay in the running to pay the money that was coming," said Crisp, who was fired after the 1990 season.

Asked what advice he would pass onto the current Flames, McDonald said they should cherish each moment of the final.

"You think it's going to happen again next year," he said. "Sometimes it just isn't meant to be.

"If you have that chance, don't let it slip away. Don't take it for granted you're going back again."

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[Aquaman]

Nothing funny about facing Kiprusoff

Sports Ticker
5/31/2004

CALGARY, Alberta (Ticker) - Miikka Kiprusoff of the Calgary Flames may look like Martin Brodeur when he's between the pipes. But the resemblance ends when you put a microphone in front of him.

Quiet is how many teammates describe Kiprusoff, who on Saturday night posted his fifth playoff shutout to climb within two of the single-season record Brodeur set a year ago.

"I think if I was over in Finland playing, I don't know how much I'd be talking to the media, either," Flames defenseman Mike Commodore said. "You've got to remember, English is his second language."

Away from the cameras and microphones, however, Kiprusoff has a dry sense of humor.

"He's pretty different when he gets behind the curtain," Flames defenseman Andrew Ference said. "He's just as relaxed, he's just as mild-mannered, but he's hilarious."

Hilarious? Miikka Kiprusoff?

"He's sarcastic," said left wing Ville Nieminen, a fellow Finn who sits next to Kiprusoff on team flights. "He's so sarcastic, he's almost funny."

So he has a cutting sense of humor?

"He's got no sense of humor," Nieminen deadpanned. "He's funny, but he has no sense of humor."

Ference offered an example of Kiprusoff's ultra-dry sense of humor. It followed an incident in the Western Conference finals in which Ference was burned by speedy San Jose Sharks center Patrick Marleau.

"I went for a puck and Marleau stepped to the inside and got a great shot on him," Ference recalled. "After the game, he goes, 'Andy, I just want to thank you for taking away the boards on Marleau and giving him the middle.' He'll rip you pretty good, but it's in a fun way."

Kiprusoff fit seamlessly into the Flames' dressing room after he was acquired from San Jose last November. Relegated to the No. 3 goalie with the Sharks, the 27-year-old thrived after he was reunited with coach Darryl Sutter.

"I was so happy. I was waiting for I don't know how many weeks in San Jose," Kiprusoff said. "I was not going to get my chance there. When I heard (about the trade), I was real happy."

"You are getting a player that's 27 years old that has something to prove," said Sutter, who coached Kiprusoff for parts of three seasons in San Jose. "It's that simple."

With Roman Turek out with a knee injury, Kiprusoff grabbed the Flames' starting job and never let go. He set an NHL modern-era record with a 1.69 goals-against average, going 24-10-4 after the trade to help Calgary secure its first playoff berth since 1996.

"You think we would be here without him? I don't think so," Nieminen said. "You can talk about defense and offense and atmosphere and whatever, if your goalie is not there, you can't build anything. It's like building a house on soft land."

There's been nothing soft about Kiprusoff in the playoffs. The owner of one career postseason win before this year, he is 14-8 with a team playoff-record five shutouts, a 1.87 goals-against average and .930 save percentage.

Playing behind a largely inexperienced defense, Kiprusoff has allowed more than three goals just five times in 22 playoff appearances. And he is 5-0 with a 1.00 goals-against in games following those five performances.

Tampa Bay Lightning center Tim Taylor paid Kiprusoff the ultimate compliment after Saturday night's 3-0 loss, likening him to six-time Vezina Trophy winner Dominik Hasek.

Kiprusoff, the one in front of the curtains, deflects the credit like a shot from the point.

"I think our team, they make me look really good," he said. "They play great defense and they block shots, our defensemen let me see the pucks. I think that's the biggest thing. They really make me look good."

According to Commodore, it's the other way around. Kiprusoff, he said, yields few rebounds and rarely puts his defensemen in awkward positions.

"I can't remember too many times when there's a shot and I have to turn around or the puck's in my feet in front of the net or I'm worried where the puck is," Commodore said. "He usually freezes it, plays it into the corner or puts it into the corner."

His postseason success notwithstanding, Kiprusoff knows he has a lot to learn. And while some things may change, some won't.

"That's me, I'm a quiet guy," he said. "Even if I play 10 years for the same team, I'm going to be the same way."

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[bootymac]

Okay, time to take a break Aquaman, the game's on!

 

[rh71]

<-- wishes he had ABCHD

whoa... canadian hockey chicks are hot.

 

[sandorski]

2 man advantage, WTF?

 

[rh71]

Originally posted by: sandorski
2 man advantage, WTF?

I dont' know if they gave Clark the other... but he deserved one too... he gave Pratt a nice shot after the whistle.

 

[bootymac]

1-0 after the first :frown:

That 2 man advantage was a joke, but I understand Clark was being stupid

Lot of chances for Calgary too, I've never been so excited before

 

[monk3y]

Hopefully Tampa can hold on or extend the lead...

 

[sandorski]

Well, series tied 2-2. The Flames fought hard right to the end, but one(me) wondes if they could have pulled it off if they weren't short handed.

Bring on the next game!

Go Flames Go!

 

[Aquaman]

Challenging present, future for NHL

Associated Press
5/31/2004

Outside of Canada and Tampa Bay, is anyone talking about the Stanley Cup final?

The television audience in the United States is minuscule. Coverage of the Calgary-Tampa Bay series in many newspapers has shrunken to a brief. It's a championship without a buzz.

On the surface, the NHL seems to be drifting from unpopularity to irrelevance, raising the question of whether it still deserves to be called a major league in this country.

Yet the fortunes and prospects for the league are not as bleak as they appear. There are big bucks in those pucks if the NHL makes a few smart moves and avoids a really dumb one.

Take the dumb one first: A lockout or strike that knocks out next season.

``That could be the death knell of the NHL,'' says Nye Lavalle, president of the Sports Marketing Group. ``The people who are paying $75 or $100 a ticket to see hockey are going to get fed up. They have many other choices for their time and money.''

Sponsors and advertisers, who have to budget and set up promotional plans in advance, already are worried about a prolonged labour dispute after the current contract between the NHL and the players union ends Sept. 15.

``It's hurtful for any sport,'' Lavalle said. ``It takes a long time, as we've seen from baseball, to come back from a lockout or strike. It would be much, much harder for the NHL to survive.''

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman warned again recently that owners are determined to reach a radically different labour agreement no matter how long it takes. The players union, he said, ought not to test that resolve.

``If this is a test to see if the owners really mean it, it's a shame to have to go through all the hardship that will entail to prove the point,'' Bettman said.

A recent economic study prepared for the league, challenged by the players but repeatedly cited by Bettman, concluded that players get 76 per cent of all league revenues - far more than the percentage for the other major team sports.

Changing that pay structure and going to an NFL-style revenue-sharing plan, which promotes parity and gives more teams a chance to win championships, is the NHL's top priority.

Even if the league succeeds in that, it still has a long way to go to build up its popularity.

``No. 1, the NHL has to reduce ticket prices to get people into the stands,'' Lavalle said. ``Once they get into the stands, they're hooked.''

The NHL also has to find ways to promote the personalities of players, particularly among young fans and women.

``Women love hockey,'' Lavalle said. ``I've talked to people in the front offices of a lot of sports and nobody understands who their fans are. Young men in the 18-to-34-year-old group and women should be the people the NHL targets.''

The league also should go to a European division, Lavalle said, to extend its reach and capitalize on the popularity of European players.

The influx of Europeans has raised the quality of play but made it more difficult for American fans to identify with them. More stable rosters and better promotion of players can change that.

One of the greatest challenges the NHL faces is making itself into a TV-friendly sport. The league already is packing arenas, averaging nearly 17,000 fans per game over the past three years, even with soaring ticket prices.

But traditional TV broadcasts haven't captured the speed and sounds of the game. In some movies, like last year's ``Miracle'' about the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, the excitement of the sport comes through. On television, the game has seemed lost as cameras try to track a small puck on a large sheet of ice and miss the quick movements of players.

That's changing with the advent of sharper, more lifelike, high-definition TV broadcasts.

``It's the biggest innovation in televising hockey in the last 50 years,'' NHL senior vice-president Doug Perlman said recently. ``It takes watching hockey to the next level.''

Though there are only about 10 million HDTV sets in use in the United States and fewer than a million in Canada, nearly one-quarter of the NHL's games this year were shown in high-definition this season.

``We're already seeing a huge impact on hockey,'' Perlman said.

The NHL is switching networks next season - assuming there is a next season. NBC is back on the ice after 29 years, replacing ABC.

It's a modest but significant commitment by NBC over the next two years: seven regular-season games beginning in January and six playoff games in regular Saturday afternoon time slots. The network also will televise Games 3-7 of the Stanley Cup finals in prime time.

ESPN and the NHL also agreed to a deal to keep the league on ESPN2 next season, with options for the cable network to extend the deal for two more seasons.

All the pieces are in place for a comeback by the NHL. If the networks can figure out how to get the action in the arena to translate to the tube, and if the NHL can avoid one dumb move while making a few smart ones, the buzz just might come back to the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[Aquaman]

Lightning ride Richards' hot hand

Canadian Press
6/1/2004

CALGARY (CP) - The importance of Brad Richards scoring in the success of the Tampa Bay Lightning has reached almost spooky proportions.

Richards notched his eighth game-winning goal in the 2004 playoffs Monday as the Lightning defeated the Calgary Flames 1-0 and tie the Stanley Cup final 2-2.

``Sometimes you're lucky, sometimes you just want to score a goal,'' said Richards after the game.

The Lightning are now 8-0 in the post-season when Richards scores. In fact, the Lightning are an unbelievable 30-0-2 this season when Richards scores.

Monday's marker, the tenth of the playoffs for Richards, came at 2:48 of the first period with Tampa on a two-man advantage.

Richards said there has been pressure for Tampa's much-vaunted power play to deliver. But he never expected that to stand as the game-winner with 57 minutes of play remaining.

Forward Chris Dingman laughed when asked if Tampa's string of wins with Richards scoring had reached absurd levels.

``As soon as you say that, the trend changes,'' said Dingman.

Defenceman Darryl Sydor said it's just the mark of a great leader.

``He knows what's at stake and what he wants,'' said Sydor. ``It just shows that these players that have been here for three years are really taking the bull by the horns and wanting to put a stamp on this organization,'' he said.

``By no means do you think that if he scores, it's over. I mean, this is the Stanley Cup playoffs.''

Richards preferred to pass the attention to goalie Nikolai Khabibulin, who posted his fifth shutout of the playoffs - tying the post-season record of Calgary's Miikka Kiprusoff.

``He was a wall back there,'' said Richards said of Khabibulin. ``It's great to see both goalies play the way they have. It's a lot of fun. When you get a chance, you have to bear down.''

The see-saw series now shifts to Tampa on Thursday that down to a best of three.

Sydor says the Lightning knew they couldn't head home trailing 3-1 in the series.

``We considered this a must win,'' he said. ``We faced the facts, took our lumps and we were able to able to regroup and get a win but by all means, it's a long series.''<

Centre Tim Taylor says there was room for improvement.

``As a team, we have to step it up another notch,'' said Taylor. ``We're feel good about the win, but at the same time, we didn't play particularly well. We gave them too many odd-man rushes. Nik came up with big saves, and the defence came up with big blocks. So I think we can play a lot better. And we're going to have to because they're going to come at us hard.''

Sydor says the Lightning knew they couldn't head home trailing 3-1 in the series.

``We considered this a must win,'' he said. ``We faced the facts, took our lumps and we were able to able to regroup and get a win but by all means, it's a long series.''

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[Aquaman]

Iginla: Flames need to shoot more

Canadian Press
6/1/2004

CALGARY (CP) - The Calgary Flames have to concentrate on getting shots on net, not worrying about calls from the referee, captain Jarome Iginla said Monday night following his team's 1-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

``We're not going to win not scoring any goals,'' said Iginla after the Lightning tied the best-of-seven NHL Stanley Cup final 2-2. ``We missed the net on a few good chances. We have to find ways to score one goal.''

The series resumes Thursday in Tampa Bay.

Tampa Bay's Brad Richards scored the game's only goal on a five-on-three power play with just 2:48 gone in the first period after both Chris Clark and Mike Commodore were called for penalties.

Clark said the Flames had over 57 minutes to regroup.

``That didn't cost us the game,'' said Clark, who took a cross-check from Nolan Pratt in front of referee Kerry Fraser that wasn't called.

``We had plenty of time to come back. We had our chances, we just didn't bury them.''

With just over four minutes left in the game, and Calgary desperately looking for the tying goal, Ville Nieminen was given a five-minute boarding major and a game misconduct for driving Vincent Lecavalier into the boards.

Nieminen denied trying to injure Lecavalier.

``He was probably two or something feet away from the boards,'' said the feisty Finn.``He was just turning and I was going to finish my check.''

While Nieminen refused to comment on whether the play deserved a penalty, the sellout Saddledome crowd voiced their opinion with thunderous boos.

The fans had been on a slow boil ever since the second period when Calgary's Craig Conroy was hauled down on a hook from Pratt that wasn't called.

Iginla stickhandled around the issue of refereeing.

``It doesn't do us any good to comment,'' he said. ``It was pretty tough out there to see some of those things. From our point of view, we have to find ways to score one goal. We'll think about ourselves more than think about that other stuff.''

The Flames blasted 29 shots at Tampa Bay goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin but were guilty of firing several chances wide or high.

``Hey, in the second period we had great chances and missed the net,'' said Darryl Sutter, the Flames coach and general manager.

``You have got to bear down on the opportunities that present themselves.''

Iginla said he was as guilty as anyone else.

``We had some very good chances in the second period coming right down the slot,'' he said. ``I know I missed a good chance.

``We have to find ways to hit the net. We have to find ways to not only hit the net but to score.''

For the fourth consecutive series the Flames find themselves tied 2-2.

``It's supposed to be tough,'' said Iginla.

``They're not just going to roll over, giving it to us. The Stanley Cup is supposed to be tough. If you lose a game you get more desperate.''

Cheers,
Aquaman