Rewind: The Night the Carolina Hurricanes almost won The Cup

The Carolina Hurricanes won the franchise’s first Stanley Cup in 2006, bringing North Carolina its first professional sports championship.  One misplay, however, extended the series and put the win in jeopardy.

June 14, 2006.  Shakira’s “Hips Don’t Lie” was riding high on the Billboard Hot 100.  Cars was enjoying a financial windfall at the box office.  The FAA certified a spaceport in Oklahoma, allowing space flights to launch from the Clinton-Sherman Industrial Airpark.  Heady times, indeed, and the Carolina Hurricanes were looking to add themselves to the headlines.

The eyes of the hockey world were focused on Raleigh’s RBC Center, the site of Game 5 of the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals.  After winning the first two games at home and splitting two games in Edmonton, the Hurricanes returned home, seeking to capture The Cup in front of their ravenous fans.  Through the first four games of the series, they held a 13-7 scoring edge over their opponent.

Through four games, rookie sensation Cam Ward had stopped 107 out of 114 shots, good for a .938 save percentage.  Rod Brind’Amour, Andrew Ladd, and Mark Recchi had notched game-winners in games 1,2, and 4, respectively.  Despite a 2-1 loss in Game 3, the Hurricanes showed that they had an answer for whatever the Oilers threw at them.

As the puck dropped, Brind’Amour won the opening faceoff and Game 5 was underway.

1st Period

Maybe you believe in omens; maybe you don’t.  No matter your stance on that topic, things didn’t get off to a great start for the Hurricanes.  Off of the opening draw, the puck went into Carolina’s zone and the Oilers swarmed.  With traffic scattered throughout the slot, Raffi Torres slid the puck to the point where Chris Pronger rifled a shot on goal.  Fernando Pisani, Edmonton’s playoff hero, tipped it past Ward.  Just 16 seconds in and the visitors were up 1-0.

A fortuitous bounce nearly tied the game for the Hurricanes 95 seconds later when Josef Vasicek threw the puck in from the neutral zone.  A strange carom off of the glass caught Edmonton goalie Jussi Markkanen off guard as he came out of his net, forcing him to dive across the crease in order to preserve the lead.  The Hurricanes were starting to buzz, forcing the Oilers into taking penalties in an effort to slow them down.

With Edmonton’s Matt Greene off for hooking, Carolina quickly set to work on their second power play of the game.  After driving the play, Eric Staal took a pass from Recchi and fired a heavy wrist shot from the right circle.  The initial shot was blocked, but Staal drove the net, scooping up the loose puck and launching it on net.  Markkanen made the first save but was unable to stop Staal’s follow-up attempt.  The boys in red had tied things up at 1-1.

Just past the halfway mark of the period, with Greene again in the penalty box—this time for holding—Ray Whitney uncorked a shot from the top of the circle to give the Hurricanes a 2-1 lead.  Edmonton answered a little over three minutes later when Ales Hemsky wired a shot over Ward’s shoulder, tying things up at 2.  This was the third power-play goal of the period and first for the Oilers.

What had been a crazy period skewed more towards the insane when a loose puck came to Michael Peca, who promptly slid the puck past a sprawling Ward.  As the first period ended, the visitors skated off with a 3-2 lead.  The teams had combined for 16 minutes in penalties during a wide-open period that saw 5 different goal scorers.

Periods 2 & 3

Compared to the opening stanza, the second was much more controlled and deliberate.  While each team showed greater discipline, they did still take early penalties—one apiece—but the shorthanded units were able to get the job done.

That changed as the midway point approached.  Edmonton’s Steve Staios was sent off for hooking, giving the Hurricanes their second man-advantage opportunity of the period.  This time they wouldn’t squander it and, as it had been in the first, it was Staal who capitalized.  When a point shot from Whitney went wide, the young center—who was at the goal line—prodded the loose puck under Markkanen and tied the game at 3.

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Carolina killed off another penalty—a high-sticking call on Brind’Amour—and the teams returned to their dressing rooms to prepare for the third.  The Oilers received 2 power-play chances in the final period of regulation, thanks to calls on Mike Commodore and Vasicek, but were unable to beat the Hurricanes’ rookie netminder.  The Hurricanes responded with their own flurries, their best chance to score the go-ahead goal stymied when Markkanen made a telepathic glove save on Whitney.

With both goaltenders holding strong, the series got its first and only taste of overtime.

It would offer no shortage of drama.