(6-W) Calgary Flames (3-3) At (1-E) Tampa Bay Lightning (3-3), 8 P.m.
For the third time in four years, the Stanley Cup champion will be decided in a Game 7, as the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Calgary Flames to the St. Pete Times Forum tonight for the deciding match of the Finals.
The contest will be the culmination of a series that has seen neither team really carry momentum from one game to another. The Flames and Lightning have alternated victories, including Tampa Bay's 3-2 double-overtime decision in Saturday night's Game 6.
The back-and-forth flow of the set favors the Flames, as does their stellar 10-3 road record this postseason. However, in the last four editions of a Finals Game 7 -- 1987, 1994, 2001 and 2003 -- the home team has emerged victorious.
All time, the home club is 10-2 in seventh games during the championship round. The lone road victors were the Toronto Maple Leafs at Detroit in 1945, and the Montreal Canadiens at Chicago in 1971.
Lightning head coach John Tortorella thinks home ice could help in some respects, but that the game will ultimately be decided by other factors.
"I think when you get to a Game 7, I think that's when it gets to be your advantage," Tortorella said of playing at home. "Having said that, really it doesn't matter. It's a Game 7. Both teams are going to let it all hang out. And again it comes down to making big plays at big times, that's going to decide [tonight's] game."
The Bolts are in this position courtesy of Martin St. Louis' tally 33 seconds into the second OT. St. Louis converted on his only shot of the game from a bad angle, netting his ninth goal of the playoffs.
Brad Richards added his 11th and 12th goals of the spring in the win, and Nikolai Khabibulin finished with 31 saves on the night.
For the Lightning to win this evening, they will have to break a see-saw trend that goes beyond this series. Tampa has gone a league playoff-record 13 games rotating wins and losses.
"It was kind of back and forth with Philly [in the conference finals] with us," said Lightning defenseman Darryl Sydor, who won the Stanley Cup with Dallas in 1999. "There hasn't been highs and hasn't been lows with our team. I think a strong thing is that we have been able to really focus on the next day...[Saturday] is old news and [today] is a new day."
Game 6 didn't pass without a semi-controversy, as it seemed as if Calgary may have scored a third goal. With the Flames on a power play midway through the third period, Martin Gelinas' rebound attempt off his skate was kicked away by Khabibulin. However, a television replay appeared to show the puck across the line when it struck Khabibulin's pad.
Play resumed after the next stoppage without a timeout for review, and following the match the league gave its side of things.
"We reviewed a number of camera angles and only one showed the puck," NHL director of hockey operations Colin Campbell said. "From that angle, it was inconclusive whether the puck crossed the goal line...there was insufficient evidence."
The Flames, who did not argue the matter after the match, don't have the margin of error they had on Saturday, but nonetheless can win their second Cup (1989) and become the first Canadian team to lift the chalice since Montreal in 1993.
"It's sport, I wasn't very good, and it was tough but I am also very excited that there's another opportunity," Flames captain Jarome Iginla, who leads the league with 13 playoff goals, said. "It's a new day and [Saturday] I thought about it and today I am very positive, and our group is very optimistic, fortunate to have another chance. We are one shot away and we're still the same distance away from a Stanley Cup."
Only one team since 1971 has lost the series after having a 3-2 Finals lead, the 2001 New Jersey Devils against Colorado. Like Calgary, the Devils lost Game 6 at home, before bowing out in Denver the next game.
Chris Clark and Marcus Nilson scored in Saturday's loss for Calgary, and Kiprusoff finished with 24 saves. Kiprusoff is another advantage the Flames may have tonight, as he is 8-1 with a 1.23 goals-against average, .950 save percentage and four shutouts following a loss in the playoffs.
For the third time in four years, the Stanley Cup champion will be decided in a Game 7, as the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Calgary Flames to the St. Pete Times Forum tonight for the deciding match of the Finals.
The contest will be the culmination of a series that has seen neither team really carry momentum from one game to another. The Flames and Lightning have alternated victories, including Tampa Bay's 3-2 double-overtime decision in Saturday night's Game 6.
The back-and-forth flow of the set favors the Flames, as does their stellar 10-3 road record this postseason. However, in the last four editions of a Finals Game 7 -- 1987, 1994, 2001 and 2003 -- the home team has emerged victorious.
All time, the home club is 10-2 in seventh games during the championship round. The lone road victors were the Toronto Maple Leafs at Detroit in 1945, and the Montreal Canadiens at Chicago in 1971.
Lightning head coach John Tortorella thinks home ice could help in some respects, but that the game will ultimately be decided by other factors.
"I think when you get to a Game 7, I think that's when it gets to be your advantage," Tortorella said of playing at home. "Having said that, really it doesn't matter. It's a Game 7. Both teams are going to let it all hang out. And again it comes down to making big plays at big times, that's going to decide [tonight's] game."
The Bolts are in this position courtesy of Martin St. Louis' tally 33 seconds into the second OT. St. Louis converted on his only shot of the game from a bad angle, netting his ninth goal of the playoffs.
Brad Richards added his 11th and 12th goals of the spring in the win, and Nikolai Khabibulin finished with 31 saves on the night.
For the Lightning to win this evening, they will have to break a see-saw trend that goes beyond this series. Tampa has gone a league playoff-record 13 games rotating wins and losses.
"It was kind of back and forth with Philly [in the conference finals] with us," said Lightning defenseman Darryl Sydor, who won the Stanley Cup with Dallas in 1999. "There hasn't been highs and hasn't been lows with our team. I think a strong thing is that we have been able to really focus on the next day...[Saturday] is old news and [today] is a new day."
Game 6 didn't pass without a semi-controversy, as it seemed as if Calgary may have scored a third goal. With the Flames on a power play midway through the third period, Martin Gelinas' rebound attempt off his skate was kicked away by Khabibulin. However, a television replay appeared to show the puck across the line when it struck Khabibulin's pad.
Play resumed after the next stoppage without a timeout for review, and following the match the league gave its side of things.
"We reviewed a number of camera angles and only one showed the puck," NHL director of hockey operations Colin Campbell said. "From that angle, it was inconclusive whether the puck crossed the goal line...there was insufficient evidence."
The Flames, who did not argue the matter after the match, don't have the margin of error they had on Saturday, but nonetheless can win their second Cup (1989) and become the first Canadian team to lift the chalice since Montreal in 1993.
"It's sport, I wasn't very good, and it was tough but I am also very excited that there's another opportunity," Flames captain Jarome Iginla, who leads the league with 13 playoff goals, said. "It's a new day and [Saturday] I thought about it and today I am very positive, and our group is very optimistic, fortunate to have another chance. We are one shot away and we're still the same distance away from a Stanley Cup."
Only one team since 1971 has lost the series after having a 3-2 Finals lead, the 2001 New Jersey Devils against Colorado. Like Calgary, the Devils lost Game 6 at home, before bowing out in Denver the next game.
Chris Clark and Marcus Nilson scored in Saturday's loss for Calgary, and Kiprusoff finished with 24 saves. Kiprusoff is another advantage the Flames may have tonight, as he is 8-1 with a 1.23 goals-against average, .950 save percentage and four shutouts following a loss in the playoffs.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Pete Rose JR:
Do you think that is a smart wager that presents value?
Tampa -160
In my opinion that is way too high.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
well, lets put it this way and then you tell me where the value is sir.
wasn't this series price tampa bay -200 before this series started ? but, thats not the reason i like tampa bay here i just feel they will show up for this game here at home tonight i mean, calgary has been a road warrior this year in the playoffs but, like i posted before i still feel that TB is the better team here and the trends back that as well i feel.
Do you think that is a smart wager that presents value?
Tampa -160
In my opinion that is way too high.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
well, lets put it this way and then you tell me where the value is sir.
wasn't this series price tampa bay -200 before this series started ? but, thats not the reason i like tampa bay here i just feel they will show up for this game here at home tonight i mean, calgary has been a road warrior this year in the playoffs but, like i posted before i still feel that TB is the better team here and the trends back that as well i feel.
The trends back TB as the better team? lol.
The trend that the series should be already over if not for bull shit officiating? That trend? Or the trend of TB dominating every game? Ya, Calgary has just been rocked. They should stay home. Hang on, you must mean the trend of Calgary being 10-3 on the road and taking out 3 division winners on the way to the Cup, while TB got two easy series against NYI and the Habs.
-160 is a dumb bet for a pick 'em game.
Then again, the trend of the referees calling absolutely bull shit penalties against Calgary in this series might be decisive. Perhaps they should call Conroy for hooking during the anthems, just get it out of the way early.
[This message was edited by chach on June 07, 2004 at 01:21 PM.]
The trend that the series should be already over if not for bull shit officiating? That trend? Or the trend of TB dominating every game? Ya, Calgary has just been rocked. They should stay home. Hang on, you must mean the trend of Calgary being 10-3 on the road and taking out 3 division winners on the way to the Cup, while TB got two easy series against NYI and the Habs.
-160 is a dumb bet for a pick 'em game.
Then again, the trend of the referees calling absolutely bull shit penalties against Calgary in this series might be decisive. Perhaps they should call Conroy for hooking during the anthems, just get it out of the way early.
[This message was edited by chach on June 07, 2004 at 01:21 PM.]
well, lets just say i think that they will win and leave it at that.
as far as the refs calling those B.S. pentalties go, if you look at my explanation when i made my selection did i not say that what was gonna do calgary in this series yes i did and i did also say that i liked tampa bay to win in 7 games as well and well, correct me if i'm wrong but, isn't this game 7 ???
btw, i was up over 50+ units documented in pucks this year so yes, i think i do know a little something about pucks
as far as the refs calling those B.S. pentalties go, if you look at my explanation when i made my selection did i not say that what was gonna do calgary in this series yes i did and i did also say that i liked tampa bay to win in 7 games as well and well, correct me if i'm wrong but, isn't this game 7 ???
btw, i was up over 50+ units documented in pucks this year so yes, i think i do know a little something about pucks
Very few reasons to bet Calgary while lots to bet TB. Regehr is out which is a huge loss for Calgary. By far the best desfenseman logging 33 minutes in last game. Calgary sails are already deflated. Losing this guy really puts them up against wall. TB has all the momentum. I think they score early and never look back. 3-0 TB.
