Moderators: jcmanson, Sly Fox, BuryYourDuke
Hold My Own wrote:will someone PM me when someone wins the finals?I'll let ya know! I'm good like that. No teams anyone cares about left, anyway.
bigsmooth wrote:BTW HMO, if you can find OLN on your dial, it is probably way down on the list, check out game one of this series. it will be a fun, fast game!DirecTv channel 609, I believe.
JLFJR wrote:Thanks for your input, PA! Very helpful.
Sabres, Hurricanes are beasts of the EastExactly why this series will be hard fought and why whoever wins needs to bring home the Stanley Cup.
By Shawn P. Roarke | NHL.com Senior Writer
May 15, 2006
The upcoming Eastern Conference Finals will not be about big names.
No, most of the big-name players in the East are already home now, contemplating what went wrong this spring.
Daniel Alfredsson, Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza from Ottawa? Bounced in the second round by Buffalo. New Jersey's Brian Gionta, Patrik Elias and Scott Gomez? Dispatched Sunday night by Carolina.
Philadelphia's Peter Forsberg and Simon Gagne? Couldn't get out of the first round. New York's Jaromir Jagr? Couldn't get out of his own way or the first game of the Rangers' first playoff run in nine years. Montreal's Saku Koivu? Unfortunately injured in the first round before his team lost four straight to fall at the first hurdle. Tampa Bay's Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis and Brad Richards? Still trying to clear the ringing from their ears caused by coach John Tortorella's diatribes in a stunning first-round ouster for the defending Cup champs.
Instead, Buffalo and Carolina -- two of the East's most unfancied teams in the pre-season -- have survived the first month of do-or-die hockey to earn the right to go head-to-head in a seven-game series for the right to represent the Eastern Conference in next month's Stanley Cup Finals.
How unappreciated were these roaring Hurricanes and stampeding Sabres? Well, neither was readily acknowledged as playoff-ready when the season started. In fact, both were picked by many prognosticators to reside at the foot of the Eastern Conference table.
So, what exactly has happened to fashion this unlikeliest of showdowns in the East?
The answer is stunningly simple.
Each team believed totally in itself after their respective management came out of the lockout, assessed the new-look NHL, contemplated what would be necessary to compete in what promised to be a faster, more free-flowing, higher-skilled game and then fashioned teams that could excel in that atmosphere.
And, unlike in the past, successful teams could no longer rely on the game-breaking talents of elite individuals. No, in the new-look NHL, it would require a team-first approach that featured rosters rife with skill and speed, emphasizing players that could play both sides of the puck effectively.
In essence, it was a "Brave New World" that required both foresight and conviction -- and undeniably a little luck -- to not only embrace, but to conquer.
Fortunately, Both Buffalo and Carolina already had rosters dotted with players that could excel in this "Brave New World." Each played a variation of the up-and-down style that has flourished this season. No major overhaul was necessary for either franchise, but tinkering with both personnel and mindset was paramount.
Both Buffalo and Carolina did the necessary roster alterations and welcomed the chances chances to the game that were only embraced by other teams after much wailing, feet dragging and teeth gnashing.
The Sabres did not possess a top-40 scorer this season, but did manage to see nine forwards and one defenseman accumulate at least 40 points. Plus, the team compiled an ego-free blue line corps that was both mobile and physical at the same time. Finally, rookie goalie Ryan Miller delivered completely on the promise he showed during an award-filled college hockey career.
As those divergent pieces melded together into an entertaining, effective team throughout the regular season, the Sabres confidence in themselves grew exponentially. Coach Lindy Ruff nurtured the development by placing increasing faith in his younger players, the ones with fresh legs and fast minds that would have to be at the vanguard of the Sabres' rebirth.
Then, Buffalo passed its first playoff hurdle in emphatic fashion, throttling the still old-school Flyers with a dazzling display of fleet feet and offensive-zone wizardry.
Five games later, the Sabres had beaten Ottawa, everyone's pick to represent the East in the Finals, at the Senators' own game -- out-skating, out-scoring, out-defending and out-hustling the favorites -- in the second round.
Now, this is a team that believes it can reach the Finals for the first time since 1999; a team that believes it has the depth to make the difference in a long series. And, the proof is right there in the pudding.
Buffalo has seen 20 of its 21 skaters register at least a point. Seven different players have game-winning goals in the eight playoff wins. And, the team has won all four of its OT games this post-season.
It is that one-for-all, all-for-one attitude that has made all the difference, especially in a second-round series that featured five one-goal games and three overtime affairs.
"Never have I played before on a team that seems to have a new hero every night," said Jay McKee, a veteran defenseman for the Sabres. "From goaltending to all the defense and the forwards, it's simply been a complete team effort every night."
Buffalo now faces a virtual mirror image in Carolina. The Hurricanes have followed a similar script to Buffalo's in dispatching the upset-minded Canadiens and the red-hot Devils, winners of 15 straight before being run off the tracks by a more-complete Carolina team in five contests.
The 'Canes are four lines deep up front, stressing speed and skill over brawn. They spread the workload evenly among six, and sometimes seven, workmanlike defenseman and they have watched their rookie goalie, Cam Ward, turn the postseason into his own personal highlight reel.
Granted, Carolina has more household names than the Sabres, and that may be the biggest difference between these two squads.
Rod Brind'Amour might just be the best two-way player in the game today, enjoying a renaissance as the leader of these Canes. Eric Staal had a 100-point sophomore season, with the bar expected to go even higher in the near future. Veterans Doug Weight and Mark Recchi were imported during the season to bolster the team's depth and experience.
Buffalo's roster, on the other hand, has just 295 games of postseason experience and co-captain Chris Drury is the only Cup winner in that dressing room.
But, Carolina has never relied on its big names to solely carry the load, an offense with which too many already-eliminated teams are guilty. Fourteen different players have registered a point so far and six players have game-winning goals for the 'Canes. Brind'Amour has not only led by example, but he has fostered an atmosphere that encourages others to step to the forefront and lead in their own unique ways.
The result, says veteran Kevyn Adams, is a team that believes inherently in itself and knows that it can expect heroics from any of its four lines or seven defenseman.
"He wants everybody to lead in their own way and I think that has been a big boost," said Adams, an alternate captain. "You don't get this far without having a good group of guys and that is what we have here.
"It was never about what anybody else thought. We felt we could have a pretty good team here. I remember thinking in training camp that this was a team that could be all right this year."
The 'Canes, like the Sabres, have been more than alright throughout this year. Now, as they approach the Eastern Conference Finals later this week, each team is on the verge of greatness in their own unique way -- a way few were cognizant enough to recognize as plausible just nine short months ago.
- By LU Armchair coach
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