With the best of the regular season covered yesterday, it's time to talk about the big dance. As is the reason for the occasion, the Carolina Hurricanes captured their only Stanley Cup in 2006, with this season marking the 20th anniversary. With any Cup run, there is a laundry list of big moments that allowed them to get the job done.
Many of these moments have been talked about ad nauseam, more than likely by me. If you've been following the team for a long time, you know what most of these moments are going to be, so I hope that the new folks unfamiliar with how the run played out learn a thing or two about what many longtime fans lived through in 2006.
1. A changing of the guard (ECQF, Game 2)
The Hurricanes dominated the Canadiens during the regular season, outscoring them 25-9 in four wins. In Game 1, despite Matt Cullen's series-opening goal 50 seconds in, the Habs obliterated the Canes with six goals against Martin Gerber on 21 shots in a 6-1 victory. To open Game 2, it was more of the same. Montreal scored three times in 14:46, taking a 3-0 lead and chasing Gerber.
In stepped rookie Cam Ward to make his first postseason appearance. The Canes responded accordingly, scoring four unanswered to take the lead. Montreal eventually reclaimed the lead before Cory Stillman tied it with 1:30 left to force overtime. While the Hurricanes ultimately fell, 6-5, in double overtime to fall into an 0-2 hole, it signaled a big change and an opportunity to be claimed.
2. Staal gives the Hurricanes life (ECQF, Game 3)
For most of the first three games, Montreal's rookie netminder Cristobal Huet had stymied the Canes. He stopped 42 shots in Game 1, 41 in Game 2, and he was shutting out the Canes for much of Game 3. Meanwhile, Cam Ward, who was making his first postseason start, was fighting to prevent his team from falling into an insurmountable hole.
With 8:33 left in the third, Rod Brind'Amour finally cracked the armor, sliding it five-hole on Huet to tie it. In overtime, the Canes drew a penalty and crawled back into the fight. Bret Hedican put it on a tee for Eric Staal to one-time home from the point. The Canes earned their first win of the series and of the postseason out of the 16 they'd eventually claim.
3. Stillman sends the Habs packing (ECQF, Game 6)
The Canes took Games 4 and 5 behind brilliant performances by Cam Ward, pushing the Canadiens to the brink. Montreal's Sheldon Souray and Carolina's Mark Recchi traded goals 30 seconds apart in the first period, and that would be all of the scoring we'd get during the 60 minutes of regulation, sending the series to overtime for the third time.
The resolution was swift for the Canes, scoring 79 seconds into overtime. Rod Brind'Amour made a play at the defensive blue line, allowing Cory Stillman to waltz into the Montreal zone while they were changing. With a defender bearing down on him, Stillman uncorcked a clapper from the point that probably should've been stopped. Nevertheless, it eluded Huet, sending the Canes to the next round.
4. The Canes blitz Brodeur, Devils (ECSF, Game 1)
After vanquishing Montreal, the Canes collided with the hottest team in the league, and not just because their name is the Devils. New Jersey won 11 straight to close the regular season and finished the Rangers in four games to advance. They were rolling on all cylinders. The Carolina Hurricanes didn't seem to care about that.
In an ugly game full of penalties, the Canes took it to Martin Brodeur. The power play struck five times to go with another at even strength to chase Brodeur from the game with just under seven minutes to play. It was a big statement win for the group to open the series, earning Cam Ward the first shutout of his postseason career against his childhood idol.
5. A wild final 21 seconds (ECSF, Game 2)
Game 2 between the Hurricanes and the Devils was considerably more competitive. The Devils claimed their first lead of the series in the first period, but the Canes responded with a power-play goal in the second. With under 21 seconds to go in regulation, a double-deflection by Scott Gomez beat Cam Ward, seemingly earning the Devils the series-tying victory.
The Canes prevented the Devils from enjoying their moment. With three seconds left, Eric Staal squeezed a shot through Martin Brodeur to even the game. In overtime, The Secret Weapon struck. Working to the front of the net, Niclas Wallin had the puck deflect off his skate and through Brodeur's pads to earn the third overtime goal of his career and give the Canes a 2-0 series lead.
6. Stillman's second OT winner moves them one win away (ECF, Game 5)
The Hurricanes made quick work of the Devils, but their battle with the Buffalo Sabres in the conference finals would prove tough. The sides alternated wins, with the Sabres taking Games 1 and 3 and the Canes claiming Games 2 and 4. After the Canes lost Game 3, Peter Laviolette turned back to Martin Gerber, and he earned the shutout win in Game 4.
The Sabres got to Gerber early in Game 5, scoring three times on 11 shots in the first 21:55. This brought Ward back into the game down 3-1. The Canes responded with two goals in the second period to tie it. In overtime, Cory Stillman was the hero again, scoring on the power play to give the Canes a comeback win in Game 5 and putting them on the doorstep of the Stanley Cup Final.
7. The captain clutches up (ECF, Game 7)
The Sabres evened the series with an OT win in Game 6, and they had the Canes on the ropes in Game 7, leading 2-1 after 40 minutes. Early in the third period, Doug Weight, whose penalty in Game 6 allowed Daniel Briere to win on the power play, scored to tie the game, setting up an exciting final 18 minutes to Game 7.
After Brian Campbell threw the puck over the glass, the Canes' power play got a chance to work midway through the period. With the puck sitting in front of the crease, Rod Brind'Amour swooped in and scored one of the most important goals in franchise history. Justin Williams added one more in the final minute to finish a 4-2 win and send the Canes to their second Stanley Cup Final.
8. The comeback to steal the opener (SCF, Game 1)
Game 1 against Edmonton didn't start the way the Hurricanes had hoped. Late in the second period, the Canes found themselves on the wrong side of a 3-0 game. Fortunately, Rod Brind'Amour didn't care much about the deficit. His goal with 2:43 left in the second gave his group signs of life. It kicked off four unanswered goals, giving the Canes their first lead of the series.
Edmonton's power play tied it late in the third. As overtime loomed, the series took its first big turn when Andrew Ladd was pushed into Dwayne Roloson, knocking Edmonton's goalie out of the series. As Ty Conklin took over, a turnover would be his undoing. Miscommunication behind the net allowed the Canes' captain to take the puck and bury it into an empty net, stealing the opener with a 5-4 win.
9. Ward robs Pisani and Torres (SCF, Game 7)
Up 2-1 late in the third period of Game 7, the tension at the RBC Center was at an all-time high. The Oilers had the only goal of the period and were pushing to tie it. Cam Ward made a ton of incredible stops throughout the playoffs, especially in the Stanley Cup Final. There might not be one more iconic in franchise history than this.
Raffi Torres and Fernando Pisani played a two-man game to try and tie it against Mike Commodore and Bret Hedican. Torres' initial chance was kicked away, but the rebound went right to Pisani. Ward stuck his pad out and prevented Pisani from getting the rebound past him. While Pisani didn't get much on it, the stop was still incredible.
10. Williams ends it (SCF, Game 7)
In the collective memories of the fanbase, we often overlook the game-winning goal from Game 7, a clapper from the point on the power play by Frantisek Kaberle. It's largely because of the iconic image of Justin Williams jumping into the air after scoring the empty-net goal that won the series. With Chris Pronger bearing down on him and giving him a good slash, Williams wouldn't be denied.
It finished a hard-working play in the defensive zone that allowed Eric Staal to spring Williams for the mad dash to the net. It's almost fitting that Williams finished both the conference finals and the Stanley Cup Final, especially with how the future unfolded. It's another of the most iconic goals in franchise history, and it came without a goalie in the net.