The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs of 2001 was the playoffs season where defenseman Ray Bourque, who had a career-long tenure in Boston without winning the championship, finally won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche, and his retirement directly following the win was fitting given all the empty years in Boston. NHL can also be an abbreviation for National Historic Landmark or Non-Hodgkins lymphoma. ... The modernized NHL shield logo, debuting in 2005. ... Raymond Jean Bourque (born December 28, 1960 in Saint-Laurent, Quebec, now a district of Montreal) is a Hockey Hall of Famer who currently holds the records for most goals, assists and points by a defenseman in the National Hockey League (NHL) and has become near-synonymous with the Boston... The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts. ... The Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup (French: ) is the championship trophy of the National Hockey League (NHL), the major professional hockey league in Canada and the United States. ... A request has been made of the Mediation Cabal for mediation on this page. ...

On the same ice was goalkeeper Patrick Roy, who would hoist the Stanley Cup for the last time with Bourque. Patrick Roy (IPA pronunciation: ), (born October 5, 1965, in Sainte Foy, Quebec, Canada — a suburb of Quebec City) is a retired ice hockey goaltender. ...

Seeds

Eastern Conference

1. New Jersey Devils
2. Ottawa Senators
3. Washington Capitals
4. Philadelphia Flyers
5. Buffalo Sabres
6. Pittsburgh Penguins
7. Toronto Maple Leafs
8. Carolina Hurricanes

[1] The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey. ... The Ottawa Senators (French: ) are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario. ... The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C.. They play in the National Hockey League (NHL). ... The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. ... The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ... The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ... The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. ...

Western Conference

1. Colorado Avalanche
2. Detroit Red Wings
3. Dallas Stars
4. St. Louis Blues
5. San Jose Sharks
6. Edmonton Oilers
7. Los Angeles Kings
8. Vancouver Canucks

[2] A request has been made of the Mediation Cabal for mediation on this page. ... The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. ... The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. ... The St. ... The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. ... The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. ... The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California, USA. They play in the National Hockey League (NHL). ... The Vancouver Canucks are the professional National Hockey League (NHL) ice hockey team based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. ...

Bracket

The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey. ... The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. ... The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey. ... The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ... The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. ... The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey. ... Eastern Conference logo, circa 2006 French version of the Eastern Conference logo The Eastern Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League (NHL) used to divide teams. ... The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ... The Ottawa Senators (French: ) are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario. ... The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ... The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ... The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. ... The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C.. They play in the National Hockey League (NHL). ... The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ... The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey. ... A request has been made of the Mediation Cabal for mediation on this page. ... The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. ... The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California, USA. They play in the National Hockey League (NHL). ... A request has been made of the Mediation Cabal for mediation on this page. ... The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California, USA. They play in the National Hockey League (NHL). ... The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. ... The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. ... A request has been made of the Mediation Cabal for mediation on this page. ... The Western Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. ... The St. ... A request has been made of the Mediation Cabal for mediation on this page. ... The Vancouver Canucks are the professional National Hockey League (NHL) ice hockey team based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. ... The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. ... The St. ... The St. ... The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. ...

Quarterfinals

Three of the bottom four seeded teams in the Eastern Conference succeeded in the quarterfinals round against their higher seeded opponents: The seven-seed Maple Leafs, the six-seed Penguins, and the five-seed Sabres.

The only Western Conference team to be upset was the Detroit Red Wings who had a two games to zero lead in the series, but the Kings had what the Red Wings didn't have: persistence. The Red Wings was a heavy favorite to beat the Kings.

Each conference saw one sweep series, but neither conference experienced any game-seven series, the series which is arguably the most exciting moment in sports.

Eastern Conference

New Jersey Devils v. Carolina Hurricanes

The eighth seeds always get underdog status in the first rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, especially when the opponent is a Martin Brodeur-led, first-seed New Jersey Devils, and the hype against the last-seed Carolina Hurricanes was confirmed by a three games to zero lead by the Devils. The Hurricanes were shut out in two of those three losses, and the first game was lost by four goals, but the Hurricanes seemed resilient, coming back in game four and game five with victories of one-goal margins. Game four featured Hurricanes center Rod Brind'Amour scoring the game-winning, overtime goal to give their team its first win of the series. In the end, though, the Devils defeated the Hurricanes in game six by four goals, five to one. Martin Pierre Brodeur (IPA: ) (born May 6, 1972, in Montreal, Quebec) is a professional ice hockey goaltender who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the New Jersey Devils. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Series Highlight

1. Game One: Devils 5, Hurricanes4.5
2. Game Two: Devils 2, Hurricanes 0
3. Game Three: Devils 4, Hurricanes 0
4. Game Four: Hurricanes 3, Devils 2 (Overtime)
5. Game Five: Hurricanes 3, Devils 2
6. Game Six: Devils 5, Hurricanes 1

[3]

Ottawa Senators v. Toronto Maple Leafs

The matchup between the Ottawa Senators and the Toronto Maple Leafs was one that left many hockey enthusiasts stunned. The second-seed Senators took on their seventh seeded counterpart, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Senators expected to roll over the Maple Leafs, but just the reverse happened. Game one was one of two overtime games in the series, and the first game ended with a shot from the blue line by Mats Sundin. Game two was distinguished by the play of the Maple Leafs, leaving the Senators in the dust three goals to zero. The second overtime game was game three where the score was tied at two goals apiece until Cory Cross scored early in the first overtime session. The fourth game was equally punishing by the Maple Leafs as they swept the number two seed. Mats Johan Sundin (born February 13, 1971, in Bromma, Sweden) is a Swedish professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the National Hockey League. ... Cory Cross Cory Cross (b. ...

Series Highlight

1. Game One: Maple Leafs 1, Senators 0 (Overtime)
2. Game Two: Maple Leafs 3, Senators 0
3. Game Three: Maple Leafs 3, Senators 2 (Overtime)
4. Game Four: Maple Leafs 3, Senators 1

[4]

Washington Capitals v. Pittsburgh Penguins

After game one, a game featuring high-standard goal tending that the Capitals won, the Penguins came roaring back in games two and three, game three being highlighted by rookie Johan Hedberg's shutout performance. Game four ended in overtime in favor of Washington, despite goals by Jaromir Jagr and Mario Lemieux, the two superstars of Pittsburgh. In game five, Pittsburgh came out fast with Lemieux having a goal and an assist on top of Andrew Ference's goal to win by one goal, two goals to one. The elimination game, game six, went all the way to overtime where Martin Straka scored after stealing the puck to win the series for the Penguins, four games to two. Johan Hedberg is a goalie from Leksand, Sweden who played with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Vancouver Canucks in his NHL career. ... This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ... Mario Lemieux (born October 5, 1965, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada) is a retired professional ice hockey centre who played 17 seasons for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2006. ... Andrew Ference (Born March 17, 1979) is an NHL hockey player. ... Martin Straka (born September 3, 1972) in Plzeň, Czechoslovakia is a player in the National Hockey League. ...

Series Highlight

1. Game One: Capitals 1, Penguins 0
2. Game Two: Penguins 2, Capitals 1
3. Game Three: Penguins 3, Capitals 0
4. Game Four: Capitals 4, Penguins 3 (Overtime)
5. Game Five: Penguins 2, Capitals 1
6. Game Six: Penguins 4, Capitals 3 (Overtime)

[5]

Philadelphia Flyers v. Buffalo Sabres

After Philadelphia got stopped by Dominik Hasek and the Sabres in the first two games, one of which was ended by a Jay McKee overtime goal, the Flyers came out in game three determined to win a game before losing the first three, and they did by one goal, but they lost again to the Sabres in game four in overtime, after Curtis Brown banged the puck past goalie Roman Cechmanek. The Flyers prevailed in game five by a two-goal margin, but they were hammered by the Sabres in game six: they gave up a total of eight goals, five of which were surrendered by Cechmanek who was replaced early by Brian Boucher, but Boucher didn't make a difference as he gave up three goals, too. Dominik Hasek notched another shutout performance in game six, and the Sabres moved on to the conference semifinals. Dominik Hašek (born January 29, 1965 in Pardubice, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic)), also known by his nickname The Dominator, is a professional ice hockey goaltender. ... Jay McKee has been a steady defensive blue-liner throught his tenure in Buffalo. ... Curtis Brown (Born: February 12, 1976 in Unity, Saskatchewan-) is a Canadian professional hockey centre. ... Roman Čechmánek (born March 2, 1971 in Gottwaldov, Czechoslovakia) is a Czech professional ice hockey goaltender. ... Brian Boucher (born January 2, 1977 in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, USA) is an American professional hockey goaltender. ...

Series Highlight

1. Game One: Sabres 2, Flyers 1
2. Game Two: Sabres 4, Flyers 3 (Overtime)
3. Game Three: Flyers 3, Sabres 2
4. Game Four: Sabres 4, Flyers 3 (Overtime)
5. Game Five: Flyers 3, Sabres 1
6. Game Six: Sabres 8, Flyers 0

[6][7]

Western Conference

Colorado Avalanche v. Vancouver Canucks

Each of the first three games were decided by one goal, the first game being a high-scoring affair at five goals for the Avalanche and four goals for the Canucks. In the overtime period of game three, Peter Forsberg sent a shot past the Canucks goal keeper, and the Avalanche strode away with a three games to zero advantage. Game four, though, was not close in the end because Peter Forsberg, Eric Messier, and Joe Sakic scored in 38 seconds that put the game on ice. Joe Sakic scored in each of the four games, and the Avalanche swept the Canucks, even though every game was pretty close.   (born July 20, 1973, in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden) is a professional Swedish ice hockey player currently playing center for the Nashville Predators. ... Eric Messier (Born October 29, 1973 in Drummondville, Quebec) is a former defenceman in the National Hockey League. ... Joseph Steve Sakic (born July 7, 1969 in Burnaby, British Columbia) is a professional ice hockey center who has played his entire National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche franchise. ...

Series Highlight

1. Game One: Avalanche 5, Canucks 4
2. Game Two: Avalanche 2, Canucks 1
3. Game Three: Avalanche 4, Canucks 3 (Overtime)
4. Game Four: Avalanche 5, Canucks 1

[8]

Detroit Red Wings v. Los Angeles Kings

In what is likely one of the largest upsets in Red Wings history, the seventh-seed Kings took a first-round series from number two Detroit, and Los Angeles came back to win the rest after trailing two games to zero. Game one and game two went to Detroit, game two coming easily by a four-goal margin, but the Kings persevered in game three behind Felix Potvin who netted 22 saves during the game. Game four was a game for the history books: in the third period, Detroit had a three-goal lead with about six minutes to go, but they relinquished the lead to the Kings' Jozef Stumpel and crew who made a miraculous comeback to tie the game up and force it to overtime. In the extra period, Eric Belanger scored to put the finishing touch on the momentous come-from-behind victory and raise the team's spirits up with a tied series. After losing game five in Detroit, the Red Wings traveled back to Los Angeles to won in overtime to an Adam Deadmarsh goal that lost the series for the Kings. Félix The Cat Potvin (born June 23, 1971 in Anjou, Quebec, Canada) is currently a free-agent professional hockey goaltender. ... Jozef Stümpel, #15 (born July 20, 1972 in Nitra, Slovakia) is a Slovak ice hockey center. ... Éric Bélanger (b. ... Adam Deadmarsh (born May 10, 1975 in Trail, British Columbia, Canada) is a former National Hockey League hockey player who played for the 1996 Colorado Avalanche Stanley Cup winning team. ...

Series Highlight

1. Game One: Red Wings 5, Kings 3
2. Game Two: Red Wings 4, Kings 0
3. Game Three: Kings 2, Red Wings 1
4. Game Four: Kings 4, Red Wings 3 (Overtime)
5. Game Five: Kings 3, Red Wings 2
6. Game Six: Kings 3, Red Wings 2 (Overtime)

[9]

Dallas Stars v. Edmonton Oilers

ɻWith four overtime games, three of which came on the heels of one another, the Stars fought off the Oilers after Edmonton tied the series up in game two, one of the two non-overtime games. Game one ended when Jamie Langenbrunner scored the overtime goal with more than seventeen minutes remaining. Game two was a cheeky game with nine roughing penalties, and out of the nine goals scored, only two were even strength goals. The penalty killing for each team was pretty poor: Edmonton scored three powerplay goals out of ten chances, and Dallas scored twice out of six chances. Game three ended very late in the initial overtime period when unlikely hero Benoit Hogue, of the Dallas Stars, scored the game-winning goal with twelve seconds remaining. In game four, it was Mike Comrie who closed the game with his own overtime goal with less than three minutes left in a first overtime period. The final overtime game concluded as Kirk Muller redeemed the Stars after they gave up a two-goal lead, but game six didn’t go as the previous game had: the Stars finished off the Edmonton Oilers as Mike Modano, Joe Nieuwendyk, and Brett Hull scored goals to win the series four games to two. Jamie Langenbrunner (born 24 July 1975 in Cloquet, Minnesota) is an American ice hockey winger who currently plays for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League. ... Benoit Hogue (born October 28, 1966 in Repentigny, Quebec, Canada) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left wing. ... Mike Comrie (born September 11, 1980, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) is a professional ice hockey player who plays centre in the National Hockey League. ... Kirk Christopher Muller (born Feb 8, 1966 in Kingston, Ontario, Canada) is a retired professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League for 19 seasons from 1984-85 until 2002-03. ... Michael Thomas Modano, Jr. ... Joe Nieuwendyk at the 1998 Winter Olympics. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Series Highlight

1. Game One: Stars 2, Oilers 1 (Overtime)
2. Game Two: Oilers 4, Stars 3
3. Game Three: Stars 4, Oilers 3 (Overtime)
4. Game Four: Oilers 2, Stars 1 (Overtime)
5. Game Five: Stars 4, Oilers 3 (Overtime)
6. Game Six: Stars 3, Oilers 1

[10]

St. Louis Blues v. San Jose Sharks

Game one of this six-game set featured no goals in the first period, but three goals in the final period, as St. Louis edged the Sharks for the opening game of the series. It was a rough game in the final period as misconduct penalties were dished out without hesitation: 52 total penalty minutes. Game two featured only one goal, and it came courtesy of Scott Thornton in the second period. Game three featured Dallas Drake who netted two goals, Scott Young who assisted three goals, and Pierre Turgeon who netted a powerplay goal and also had two assists; game three ended six goals to three for St. Louis. In game four, Keith Tkachuk scored a powerplay goal with one second remaining in the first period, but the player who would ultimately win game four would be Miikka Kiprusoff who encountered 41 shots and only let two into the net. San Jose won the game three goals to two. Kiprusoff would also play excellent hockey in game five when he stopped 35 shots out of 38, but it was San Jose who lost game five in overtime to a Bryce Salvador goal. The third period of an elimination game is not the most opportune moment to begin a comeback, and the San Jose Sharks realize this as well as anyone as Pavol Demitra scored the game-winning goal in the second period. Roman Turek, though, in the final two minutes of the third period stopped an onslaught of shots by the Sharks, and once the game ended, Chris Pronger, captain of the Blues, tackled Turek to congratulate him on his performance. The St. Louis Blues won the series four games to two. Scott Thornton (born January 9, 1971 in London, Ontario, Canada) is a professional ice hockey winger playing for the Los Angeles Kings. ... Dallas Drake was born in Trail, British Columbia on the 4th of February. ... Scott Young (born 1 October 1967 in Clinton, Massachusetts) is a retired American professional ice hockey right winger. ... Pierre Turgeon (born 28 August 1969 in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, Canada) is a Canadian professional hockey player who plays for the National Hockey Leagues Colorado Avalanche. ... Keith Matthew Tkachuk (born March 28, 1972, in Melrose, Massachusetts) is an American professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League. ... Miikka Kiprusoff (born October 26, 1976 in Turku, Finland) is a professional hockey goaltender, currently playing for the Calgary Flames. ... Bryce Salvador (born February 11, 1976 in Brandon, Manitoba) is a professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the St. ... Pavol Demitra (Born: November 29, 1974 in Dubnica, Czechoslovakia- now Slovakia) is a Slovak professional hockey centre. ... Roman Turek (born 21 May 1970 in Strakonice, Czech Republic) is a retired professional ice hockey player, playing as a goaltender for the Dallas Stars, St. ... Christopher Robert Pronger (born October 10, 1974, in Dryden, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian professional hockey player for the NHLs Anaheim Ducks (2006-present). ...

Series Highlight

1. Game One: Blue 3, Sharks 1
2. Game Two: Sharks 1, Blues 0
3. Game Three: Blue 6, Sharks 3
4. Game Four: Sharks 3, Blues 2
5. Game Five: Blues 3, Sharks 2 (Overtime)
6. Game Six: Blues 2, Sharks 1

[11] [12]

Eastern Conference Semifinals

New Jersey Devils v. Toronto Maple Leafs

Both the Devils and the Maple Leafs were efficient on the powerplay: 6 goals on 32 chances (18%) for New Jersey, and Toronto also scored 6 goals but on only 26 chances (23%). Brodeur and Joseph weren't exceptional, saving 130 shots out of 148 (88%) and 185 shots out of 206 (10%) faced, respectively. The Leafs were more efficient on the powerplay (and thus had more efficient penalty killing) and Joseph was more efficient than Brodeur in the goal.

Game One

The Maple Leafs flew out the gate in the Semifinals against New Jersey; the Devils had a very tough time on the powerplay, and being the top powerplay team in the league was surprising to many when the Devils failed to score on eight opportunities. The game-winning goal came from Nik Antropov in the second period, and Steve Thomas added a powerplay goal in the same period. But one goal was enough in this one, as Curtis Joseph played tremendously well for the Leafs, stopping all 32 shots by the Devils to shut them down in game one. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Steve Anthony Stumpy Thomas (born 15 July 1963 in Stockport, Cheshire, UK) is a retired British-born Canadian ice hockey Right Winger who played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils, Anaheim Mighty Ducks and Detroit Red... Curtis Shayne Joseph (born April 29, 1967 in Keswick, Ontario, Canada), is a Canadian ice hockey goaltender who currently plays for the Phoenix Coyotes in the NHL. // Playing career Joseph is nicknamed Cujo and has played wearing the number 31 for the St. ...

Game Two

Game one and game two were of seeming opposites: game two features nine more goals by the two teams. The Leafs started scoring in the first period, and they led going into the second period one goal to none. The Devils came thrashing back in the second period, scoring four consecutive goals against Joseph, one each by Gomez, Rafalski, Mogilny, and Madden. Entering the period down by thee goals, the Maple Leafs’ Sundin scored a short-handed goal just 29 seconds in, but the Devils’ Mogilny would respond with a powerplay goal just 38 seconds after that. Still down three goals, the Maple Leafs had to score quickly to try and return the game’s competitiveness, and they did just that. The Leafs’ Thomas and Sundin would tie the game up with three goals between themselves, one of which came with just 23 seconds remaining in the game. The night would end, however, on a sour note for the Leafs who would give up the game-winning goal to Holik just five minutes into the overtime period. Each team then had a game to its name. Scotty Gomez Scott Gomez (born December 23, 1979, in Anchorage, Alaska) is a professional ice hockey player. ... Brian Rafalski (born September 28, 1973, in Dearborn, Michigan) is an American professional ice hockey player who plays defenceman for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League. ... Alexander Mogilny (Александр Геннадиевич Могильный, Aleksandr Gennadijevič Mogilnyj) born on February 18, 1969, in Khabarovsk, USSR (now Russia) is a professional ice hockey player. ... John Madden (born May 4, 1973 in Barrie, Ontario) is a star NHL player who plays for the New Jersey Devils. ... Mats Johan Sundin (born February 13, 1971, in Bromma, Sweden) is a Swedish professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the National Hockey League. ... Robert Holik (born January 1, 1971 in Jihlava, Czechoslovakia) is a professional ice hockey player for the Atlanta Thrashers. ...

Game Three

Game three’s scoring would start on the Devils’ side with Holik’s powerplay goal, and the game’s scoring would end with a Holik assist to Rafalski. Toronto scored twice in the second period, giving them the lead going into the third period, where Scott Gomez would score early in the period. At exactly seven minutes into the overtime session of play, Rafalski attempted to pass the puck to a teammate, but the puck deflected off the skate of a Toronto defenseman (Cory Cross) and past Joseph for the game-winning goal. Rafalski was “trying to make a pass to Randy McKay . . . but the defenseman turned [and] it went off his skate.” Despite the exemplary goaltending by Joseph in game three, the Leafs’ offense wasn’t nearly as potent as the Devils’, who had 17 more shots than the Toronto club. Randy McKay (born January 25, 1967 in Montreal, Quebec) is a former Canadian National Hockey League right winger. ...

Game Four

Game four’s hockey play was overshadowed by the physical abuse Devils defenseman Scott Niedermayer took from Leafs enforcer Tie Domi. With mere seconds remaining in the game, a game Toronto won by two goals, Domi intentionally elbowed Niedermayer in the jaw, and the Devils defenseman left the ice rink on a stretcher, but he would return to his team’s locker room in a show of determination. Niedermayer would ultimately miss about two weeks of hockey because of post-concussion symptoms. Domi received a match penalty for what Devils forward John Madden called “disgusting” and “irresponsible”. The NHL suspended Domi for the rest of the playoffs and a few games the following season. The scoring in game four occurred in only the first two periods: Toronto’s Corson in the first and Berezin and Mats Sundin in the second; the Devils’ Elias scored a powerplay goal in the second period, as well. [13][14] The references in this article would be clearer with a different and/or consistent style of citation, footnoting or external linking. ... Tahir Tie Domi (born November 1, 1969 in Windsor, Ontario) is a retired professional ice hockey player. ... Forward is a hockey player position on the ice whose responsibility is primarily offence. ... Shayne Corson (born August 13, 1966) is a Canadian former professional hockey forward in the National Hockey League. ... Sergei Berezin Sergei Berezin (born November 5, 1971 in Voskresensk, Russia) was an NHL player from 1996-97 through 2002-03. ... Patrik Eliáš   (born April 13, 1976 in TÅ™ebíč) is a Czech professional hockey left winger. ...

Game Five

Game five in New Jersey started with a powerplay goal from McCabe whom Mats Sundin and Tomas Kaberle, but that would be the only powerplay goal from Toronto in the game. Leafs’ defenseman Cory Cross initiated scoring early in the second period, but the period would end with the two teams knotted at two goals each, as Devils’ right winger Petr Sykora and center Jason Arnott scored one goal each. The controversy starts in the third period: with about 30 seconds remaining until overtime, Tomas Kaberle scored a goal on Brodeur just as Toronto Shayne Corson landed on the goalkeeper, but the blame goes to Devils defenseman Colin White who cross-checked Corson into Brodeur. The Devils thought the goal should have been disallowed due to goalkeeper interference, but since the defender was forced into the goalkeeper, the goal was upheld, and the Leafs escaped New Jersey with a road win, giving them a three-games-to-two lead. Bryan Todd McCabe (born June 8, 1975 in St. ... Tomas Kaberle Tomáš Kaberle (born March 2, 1978 in Rakovnik, Czechoslovakia) is a defenceman for the NHLs Toronto Maple Leafs. ... Petr Sykora (born November 19, 1976 in Plzen, Czechoslovakia) is an ice hockey player, currently with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim of the National Hockey League. ... Jason William Arnott (born October 11, 1974 in Collingwood, Ontario, Canada) is a professional ice hockey center in the NHL with the Nashville Predators. ... Martin Pierre Brodeur (IPA: ) (born May 6, 1972, in Montreal, Quebec) is a professional ice hockey goaltender who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the New Jersey Devils. ... John Colin White (born December 12, 1977 in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia) is a professional hockey player. ...

Game Six

Toronto has the Devils exactly where they want them: with their backs to the wall in an elimination game on the road. The Devils responded well, though, as Petr Sykora scored the first goal early in the first period, but Leafs’ winger Steve Thomas put a shot past Brodeur early in the second period to tie the game up at one goal apiece. Randy McKay and Brian Rafalski (game-winning) would score within five minutes of each other to close the second period and take a two goal lead into the third. Early on in the third period, Mats Sundin would score a powerplay goal to put the Leafs within one goal, but nearly four minutes after that, Jason Arnott would score the final goal of the game, and the Devils went on to win it four goals to two and force game seven. Each team had 26 shots, but the Devils just had the power to put more pucks in the net. The Devils now have the advantage, playing the final, deciding game in their home rink.

Game Seven

The Maple Leafs came roaring out, though, as Steve Thomas scored a powerplay goal about half way through the first period. Unfortunately for the Leafs, though, this would be the final goal of the season for them. Even though New Jersey was trailing at the start of the second period, the Devils had a lot left in the tank: Patrik Elias scored two of the four goals scored by New Jersey in the second period, and the second period concluded with a three-goal lead for them. The Toronto team was going to have to fight back to get in the game, and they needed an early goal in the third period to do that. But the Devils held them off the entire period and John Madden added another goal about half way through the period, and this was the goal that closed the door on the Maples Leafs’ season. The Devils went on to win five goals to one, and they had finished off the Maple Leafs four games to three in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Series Highlight

1. Game One: Maple Leafs 2, Devils 0
2. Game Two: Devils 6, Maple Leafs 5 (Overtime)
3. Game Three: Devils 3, Maple Leafs 2 (Overtime)
4. Game Four: Maple Leafs 3, Devils 1
5. Game Five: Maple Leafs 3, Devils 2
6. Game Six: Devils 4, Maple Leafs 2
7. Game Seven: Devils 5, Maple Leafs 1

[15]

Buffalo Sabres v. Pittsburgh Penguins

Entering the series, Buffalo held the best penalty killing (PK) squad which killed 88%, and Pittsburgh entered the series with the fifth best powerplay (PP) squad, which scored on 20% of its opportunities. However, the Buffalo PK and the Pittsburgh PP would underachieve during the series: Pittsburgh only scored 4 times on 27 opportunities (14%), so, consequently, Buffalo's PK percent dropped to 86. Buffalo also scored 4 powerplay goals, but on 33 chances (12%)

The Sabres and Penguins had evenly matched goaltending: Pittsburgh goaltenders saved 155 shots out of 172 (90.2%), and Buffalo's saved 166 shots out of 183 (90.8%). Both teams scored 17 goals during the series, and they also scored the same number of powerplay goals, 4.

Game One

The Sabres just couldn’t put the puck past Johan Hedburg in game one, and the Penguins only needed star center Lemieux’s first-period goal to finish off Buffalo and take an early series lead. Buffalo goalkeeper Dominik Hasek gave up three goals, the other two of which came courtesy of centers Keith Primeau and Jan Hrdina in the second half of the third period. Penguins winger Jaromir Jagr, who assisted on the Lemieux goal in the first period, injured his leg in the third period and would miss game two. Both teams were rather inept on the powerplay, wasting five conversion opportunities each. Mario Lemieux (born October 5, 1965, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada) is a retired professional ice hockey centre who played 17 seasons for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2006. ...

Game Two

The first period had no scoring, despite five different powerplays for the two teams. Then, about halfway through the second period, Penguins center Robert Lang scored a goal to give the Penguins a one goal to zero advantage, but the advantage would only last about three minutes until Sabres center Stu Barnes tied the game up with the only powerplay goal of the game. Pittsburgh would turn on the jets and fly away from the Sabres though, scoring two more goals in the third period, one by defenseman Ference and an empty-net goal by Kovalev. Buffalo gave up two consecutive home games to the Penguins and now had to travel to Pittsburgh for game three. For other people named Robert Lang, see here. ... Stu Barnes (b. ... Andrew Ference (Born March 17, 1979) is an NHL hockey player. ... Alexei Alex Kovalev (Russian:Алексей Ковалёв, Aleksei Kovaliov; born February 24, 1973, in Togliatti, U.S.S.R. [now Russia]) is a Russian professional ice hockey player in the NHL currently playing with the Montreal Canadiens as a right winger. ...

Game Three

For the second consecutive game, there were no goals scored in the first period, even though there were 17 combined shots on goal. Early in the second period, Penguins defenseman Scott Stevens scored a powerplay goal to break up the scoreless game. Sabres center Curtis Brown would tie the game up, though, with an even-strength goal, and the period would end at a one goal tie. Hedberg had been solid in the net for the Penguins, but the third period features three goals against him out of 11 shots. At about the halfway point in the third period, Sabres defenseman Jason Woolley scored the untying goal, and three minutes later, Miroslav Šatan would score another goal to give Buffalo a two goal lead. Defenseman James Patrick finished off the game with an empty-net goal, and the Sabres won the game four goals to one. Buffalo came through to win a tough road game where a loss might have secured a series loss. For other persons named Scott Stevens, see Scott Stevens (disambiguation). ... Jason Woolley (b. ... Miroslav Å atan (born October 22, 1974 in Topoľčany, Czechoslovakia) is a professional ice hockey player who plays for the New York Islanders. ... James Patrick (born June 6, 1963 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada) is a former professional ice hockey defenceman, and is now a coach with the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League. ...

Game Four

Building off the road win in game three, Buffalo scored the first goal in game three very early in the first period by center J.P. Dumont, but the Penguins would respond with a powerplay goal by center Martin Straka. Sabres center Curtis Brown scored a short-handed goal late in the first period to give Buffalo the edge heading into the locker rooms. The second period featured only one goal by Janne Laukkanen, set up by Jagr and Lemieux, and the game was tied up going into the third. Stu Barnes scored twice in the third period, and the Sabres went on to win the game by three, five goals to two. Both teams were effective on the powerplay, each scoring one goal on two chances. Coming off two straight home losses, Buffalo works hard on the road to swipe the two home games back, swinging the series back to Buffalo’s advantage. Jean-Pierre Dumont (born April 1, 1978 in Montreal, Quebec) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who plays for the Buffalo Sabres in the National Hockey League (NHL). ... Martin Straka (born September 3, 1972) in Plzeň, Czechoslovakia is a player in the National Hockey League. ... Janne Laukkanen (born March 19, 1970) is a Finnish professional ice hockey player. ...

Game Five

Penguins wingman Jaromir Jagr initiated the scoring in game five with a powerplay goal, the only goal in the first period. Pittsburgh would tack on another goal early on in the second period by winger Aleksey Morozov, but Sabres center Chris Gratton would respond with a powerplay goal, and the Penguins still had the lead until they gave up another short-handed goal to Curtis Brown. Curtis Brown’s goal forced overtime, and Stu Barnes would score the game-winning goal to give Buffalo the series lead. The Sabres were down by two goals early but fought back and won the game by scoring three unanswered goals. Game five was the first overtime game in the string of three that would end the series. Aleksey Morozov (Алексей Морозов) was born on 16 February 1977 in Moscow, USSR and is a professional ice hockey player. ... Chris Gratton {b. ...

Game Six

Buffalo’s right winger Maxim Afinogenov scored in the first half of the first period to give the Sabres and early lead, a lead the team would need because Pittsburgh’s Alexei Kovalev tied the game up early in the second period. Donald Audette would break up the tied game with an even-strength goal late in the second period. Pittsburgh would persevere and score the tying goal very late in the third period courtesy of Mario Lemieux, so this match headed to overtime. Martin Straka was the hero of the Penguins on that night, as he scored the game-winning goal about halfway through the overtime period. Both teams didn’t score on any of the combined seven chances they saw, and the fabled game seven was due. Maxim Sergeyevich Afinogenov (Ru: Максим Сергеевич Афиногенов, Maksim Sergejevič Afinogenov, ; born September 4, 1979 in Moscow, USSR; now Russia) is a professional ice hockey player. ... Donald Audette (born September 23, 1969 in Laval, Quebec, Canada) is a Canadian professional hockey forward in the National Hockey League. ...

Game Seven

The first period was an uneventful one, featuring no goals and few penalties, but the second period was a different story. Buffalo struck first as J.P. Dumont scored very early in the period, but that one-goal lead wouldn’t last because Andrew Ference scored a powerplay goal to even things up at one goal apiece. Just about 30 seconds into the third period, Buffalo struck again as winger Steve Heinz scored a powerplay goal. Robert Lang would score to tie the game up at two goals apiece, so it was on to overtime in game seven. Penguins defenseman Darius Kasparaitis would win the game and the series for the Pittsburgh as he scored off of passes from Jagr and Lang. Pittsburgh would be facing the New Jersey Devils in the conference finals, but they relished the victory on the ice. Darius Kasparaitis (born October 16, 1972 in ElektrÄ—nai, U.S.S.R.) is an ethnic Lithuanian professional ice hockey defenseman, also known by the nickname Kaspar. He has Russian citizenship and plays for the Russian national hockey team. ...

Series Highlight

1. Game One: Penguins 3, Sabres 0
2. Game Two: Penguins 3, Sabres 1
3. Game Three: Sabres 4, Penguins 1
4. Game Four: Sabres 5, Penguins 2
5. Game Five: Sabres 3, Penguins 2 (Overtime)
6. Game Six: Penguins 3, Sabres 2 (Overtime)
7. Game Seven: Penguins 3, Sabres 2 (Overtime)

[16]

Western Conference Semifinals

Colorado Avalanche v. Los Angeles Kings

The powerplay teams for both clubs was not extraordinary, but the goalkeeping was. The Kings save percentage over the seven games was 92 (179 shots saved out of 196), and the Avalanche save percentage was 95 (165 shots saved out of 175). The powerplay for the Kings scored 3 goals out of 30 opportunities (10%), and the Avalanche scored 5 goals on 36 chances (13%). Given the exceptional goaltending by the two franchises, the low powerplay percentage is understandable.

Game One

Despite 37 shots on goal against Kings’ goalkeeper Felix Potvin, the Colorado Avalanche lost their first game of the playoffs. The teams traded goals in all three periods of play: Glen Murray had a goal for the Kings, and center Chris Drury scored a goal for the Avalanche in the first period, and in the second period defenseman Rob Blake stepped into one to give the Avalanche a temporary lead until Nelson Emerson put one past Avalanche goalkeeper Roy to even it up at two goals apiece. Murray would score another goal for the Kings in the third period to give the Kings the lead, but center Peter Forsberg tied it up at three with a powerplay goal late in the third. In overtime, the Avalanche took two minor penalties, one of which cost them the game to a game-winning powerplay goal by Kings defenseman Jaroslav Modry. Snatching a game from the Avalanche on the road was critical to the Kings’ chances of winning the series, being the seventh seed playing the first seed. Glen Murray (born October 27, 1957) is a politician who was formerly the mayor of Winnipeg, Manitoba. ... Christopher Chris Drury (born August 20, 1976 in Trumbull, Connecticut) is a professional ice hockey player who currently plays for the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL. He is the younger brother of former player Ted Drury. ... Robert Bowlby Rob Blake (born December 10, 1969, in Simcoe, Ontario) is a professional ice hockey defenseman in the NHL, playing for the Los Angeles Kings. ... Nelson Emerson (born August 17, 1967, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada) is a former National Hockey League right wing. ... Patrick Roy (IPA pronunciation: ), (born October 5, 1965, in Sainte Foy, Quebec, Canada — a suburb of Quebec City) is a retired ice hockey goaltender. ...   (born July 20, 1973, in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden) is a professional Swedish ice hockey player currently playing center for the Nashville Predators. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

Game Two

The first period of game two featured only penalties and no goals. The second period was a more exciting as Avalanche winger Ville Nieminen scored a powerplay goal to give his team a one-goal lead. As it turned out, Nieminen’s goal was the game-winning goal, but Captain Joe Sakic put another goal past Potvin late in the third period to clinch the victory and tie the series at one game apiece. Patrick Roy stopped all 20 shots he faced, notching his 16th playoff shutout. Ville Nieminen (born April 6, 1977 in Tampere, Finland) is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward for the St. ...

Game Three

Rob Blake started the scoring as he launched the puck past Potvin, but Kings left winger Luc Robitaille tied the game at one goal apiece with a powerplay goal, and Forsberg tacked on another goal for the Avalanche in the second period. About halfway into the third period was when things started picking up speed: Avalanche winger Milan Hejduk scored to give his team a two-goal lead, but two minutes later, Kings’ center Glen Murray would score a powerplay goal to reduce the lead to just one goal for the Avalanche, and about 30 seconds after Murray’s goal, Avalanche defenseman Jon Klemm scored his first goal of the playoffs to retake a two-goal lead for his club. As time wound down in the final minute of the game, Kings winger Ziggy Palffy scored to cut the lead in half, but it wasn’t enough as the Avalanche went on to win despite take 11 less shots on goal than the Kings. Many credit the Avalanche victory to the poor officiating where each official didn’t blow the whistles on blatant violations or made calls that they should not have made. At one instance, the linesman kicked the puck that created a two forwards-on-one-defenseman scoring opportunity that the Avalanche scored the game-winning goal on. Avalanche star Joe Sakic injured his shoulder in this game and would sit out part of the series. [17] Luc Robitaille playing for the Los Angeles Kings on December 21, 2005 Lucky Luc Robitaille (born February 17, 1966 in Montréal, Québec, Canada) is a retired professional ice hockey player. ... The engraved names of the 2000-01 Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche Jonathan Klemm (Born January 8, 1970 in Cranbrook, British Columbia) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who currently plays defence in the NHL for the Dallas Stars. ... Žigmund (Zsigmond) Pálffy (born May 5, 1972 in Czechoslovakia, now Slovakia) is a professional ice hockey player, currently playing for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League. ...

Game Four

Game four highlighted Avalanche goalkeeper Patrick Roy at his best: he stopped all 21 shots against him and recorded his second shutout in the series. There was only scoring in the second period: goals by Avalanche winger Tanguay, winger Hejduk, and center Drury. After losing the first game of the playoffs—at home—the Avalanche won three straight, two of which were in Los Angeles. They were going back to Colorado to try and end the series in five games. Alex Tanguay (born November 21, 1979, in Sainte-Justine, Quebec) is a professional ice hockey player. ... Milan Hejduk   (born February 14, 1976 in Ústí nad Labem, Czechoslovakia; now Czech Republic) is a professional ice hockey player. ...

Game Five

Game five was a goalkeeper game which featured outstanding play from both Patrick Roy and Felix Potvin. The game ended with one goal for Los Angeles courtesy of star player Luc Robitaille about halfway through the third period. 26 shots for the Kings and 20 for the Avalanche, but the goalkeeper battle in game five was only the beginning. Back to L.A.

Game Six

Out of 65 shots between both teams only one goal would fly into a net past the keepers. This game featured no goals at all until the second overtime, and the hero was Kings winger Glen Murray. The goal came at two minutes and fourteen seconds into the second overtime, and the Los Angeles Kings held the Avalanche to zero goals for the second straight game, making it eight consecutive periods. The last time the Avalanche scored a goal in the series was in game four when the Avalanche had a two-game lead in the series. This game was the second one that went into any multiple overtime periods. The Kings fought back and earned a game-seven match in Denver.

Game Seven

The exciting game seven hype was confirmed when the first goal in the game came late in the first period when Avalanche defenseman Blake scored a powerplay goal to give the team a one-goal lead. This goal was also significant for the Avalanche because Joe Sakic had his first point since his injury earlier in the series. The Kings Nelson Emerson would tie the game up in the second period, but the Avalanche would accelerate away from Los Angeles in the third period. Chris Drury started off scoring for Colorado in the third period, followed by Nieminen, Shjon Podein, and Hejduk’s empty-net goal after the Kings pulled Potvin with about five minutes to go. Colorado scored twice on three powerplay opportunities in the game, and they had ten more shots than the Kings did. The Avalanche face the St. Louis Blues in the Conference Finals. [18] Shjon Podein (born March 5, 1968 in Rochester, Minnesota) is a former professional ice hockey player who played for the Edmonton Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers, Colorado Avalanche, St. ...

Series Highlight

1. Game One: Kings 4, Avalanche 3 (Overtime)
2. Game Two: Avalanche 2, Kings 0
3. Game Three: Avalanche 4, Kings 3
4. Game Four: Avalanche 3, Kings 0
5. Game Five: Kings 1, Avalanche 0
6. Game Six: Kings 1, Avalanche 0 (Double Overtime)
7. Game Seven: Avalanche 5, Kings 1

[19]

Dallas Stars v. St. Louis Blues

Both powerplay squads were not efficient. The Stars’ powerplay team scored 1 goal on 17 chances (5.8%), and the Blues’ powerplay team also scored 1 goal but on 16 chances (6.2%). The goaltending for St. Louis’ Roman Turek was very good: he saved 106 shots out of 112 (94.7%). Stars goaltender Ed Belfour was not as good as Turek: he stopped 113 shots out of 126 (90%).

Game One

St. Louis and Dallas exchanged goals 53 seconds apart, the first by Blues center Pavol Demitra, and the response goal came from unassisted from Dallas’ John MacLean. Marty Reasoner would score the go-ahead goal late in the first to give the Blues a lead going into the second period. St. Louis’ offense picked apart the Dallas defense, and they piled on the goals in the second, another by Reasoner and one by center Pierre Turgeon. Dallas Stars defenseman Brad Lukowich would score the only other goal for Dallas, also unassisted. Dallas Stars star center Mike Modano injured his leg in game one, and he would not return in the series. Pavol Demitra (Born: November 29, 1974 in Dubnica, Czechoslovakia- now Slovakia) is a Slovak professional hockey centre. ... John MacLean (Born November 20, 1964 in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada) is a retired Canadian ice hockey player. ... Marty Reasoner (b. ... Pierre Turgeon (born 28 August 1969 in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, Canada) is a Canadian professional hockey player who plays for the National Hockey Leagues Colorado Avalanche. ... Brad Lukowich born August 12th, 1976 in Cranbrook, British Columbia, is a Canadian ice hockey defenseman who plays for the New York Islanders of the NHL. Lukowich was a 4th round selection, 90th overall by the Islanders in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. ...

Game Two

Marty Reasoner scored an even-strength goal less than two minutes into the game to give the Blues an earlier lead, and right winger Scott Young’s shorthanded goal would expand the lead to two goals. Period two featured no goals, but Dallas would try and make a comeback with less than one minute in the game when Joe Nieuwendyk scored. That goal would be the only one they would put past Roman Turek who shone for the second consecutive game. St. Louis went into Dallas and stole two home games away from the Stars, so the pressure was on the Stars to rebound and steal one back in St. Louis. Scott Young (April 14, 1918 – June 12, 2005) was a Canadian journalist, sportswriter and novelist and the father of musician Neil Young. ... Joe Nieuwendyk at the 1998 Winter Olympics. ...

Game Three

Dallas came out in game three and left winger Mike Keane scored the opening goal. Stars right winger Brett Hull opened the second-period scoring with a powerplay goal of his own, but St. Louis left winger Jochen Hecht would cut the Dallas lead in half, but the Stars still had the lead going into the final period. The Stars fended off the Blues offense well for more than 17 minutes of the third period, but then Blues defenseman Alexander Khavanov scored to even the game at two goals apiece. The two teams battled through 20 minutes of overtime, and still no goal could be scored, so the first double overtime of the playoff year occurred. Blues hero Cory Stillman scored the game-winning goal nearly half way through the period, giving the Blues the victory and a three-game advantage in the series. The Stars would have to play the best hockey to try and win several games in a row. Michael Mike Keane (born May 29, 1967 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Manitoba Moose in the American Hockey League (AHL) as of January 29, 2007. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Alexander Khavanov (born January 30, 1972 in Moscow, Russia) is a professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the NHLs Toronto Maple Leafs. ...

Game Four

The first period of this elimination game featured no goals, only penalties. St. Louis put the first marker up on the board in the second period as D-man Khavanov scored, and about five minutes later, Keith Tkachuk scored a powerplay goal to give the Blues a two-goal lead. Joe Niewendyk responded with a goal late in the second period, but in the long run, it turned out to be futile. St. Louis poured it on in the third period with two more goals, one by defenseman Chris Pronger and an empty-net goal by Scott Young. The Dallas Stars were the higher seed by one position, but the Blues still pasted them all series. The series was only the second of the playoff season to see only four games (the other being a first-round Avalanche-Canucks series). The Stars couldn’t seem to get it past Turek when they needed to most. Keith Matthew Tkachuk (born March 28, 1972, in Melrose, Massachusetts) is an American professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League. ... Christopher Robert Pronger (born October 10, 1974, in Dryden, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian professional hockey player for the NHLs Anaheim Ducks (2006-present). ...

Series Highlight

1. Game One Blues 4, Stars 2
2. Game Two: Blues 2, Stars 1
3. Game Three: Blues 3, Stars 2 (Double Overtime)
4. Game Four: Blues 4, Stars 1

[20]

Eastern Conference Finals

New Jersey Devils v. Pittsburgh Pengiuins

Game One

Devils centre Petr Sykora scored a pair of goals in the opening game of the finals in New Jersey. The one that mattered, the game-winning goal, came in the second period when he put the puck past Johan Hedberg to break the 1-goal tie. Pittsburgh came out fast, though, as Martin Straka scored the first goal a little over three minutes into the contest. The Devils scored three unanswered goals, one in each period, following Straka’s powerplay goal.

Game Two

The Devils came out firing in the first period, scoring twice in the first period and holding the Penguins to only seven shots, none of which got past Martin Brodeur. Wingman Jay Pandolfo scored an even-handed goal, while Petr Sykora scored one short-handed in the first period. But the Devils would give it up: the Penguins scored three goals in the second half of the second period to give the Pittsburgh team the first lead of the game. Aleksey Morozov stole back a goal when he scored a short-handed goal at about halfway through period two. Winger Alexei Kovalev and teammate Corbet also scored to cap off a three-goal second period; Mario Lemieux assisted on the goals by Morozov and Kovalev. Robert Lang would score early in the third period to cushion the Penguins lead, and the Penguins came out on top, stealing a game on the road. Jay Pandolfo (b. ... Alexei Alex Kovalev (Russian:Алексей Ковалёв, Aleksei Kovaliov; born February 24, 1973, in Togliatti, U.S.S.R. [now Russia]) is a Russian professional ice hockey player in the NHL currently playing with the Montreal Canadiens as a right winger. ...

Game Three

New Jersey dominated Pittsburgh in game three. Brian Rafalski and Jason Arnott scored in the first period, while the Devils defense didn’t allow any goals. Goalkeeper Brodeur was a brick wall all game though. The second period featured back and forth play without any goals. Patrik Elias would score in the first two minutes of the third period and put the icing on the cake. As good as Brodeur was with a shutout on 20 shots, Johan Hedberg was arguably better, saving 33 shots out of 36. The shutout was Brodeur’s eleventh career in the postseason, and it was also the first time the Penguins were shutout at home in the postseason since 1975. The Devils had the momentum they needed to win game four. Brian Rafalski (born September 28, 1973, in Dearborn, Michigan) is an American professional ice hockey player who plays defenceman for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League. ...

Game Four

Game Four was a blowout. Patrik Elias scored late in the first period to give the Devils a one-goal lead going into the second period, but they would pour it on. Rafalski and Sykora scored in the second, and Arnott scored an unassisted goal in the third while Rafalski netted his second of the game with a powerplay goal. The Penguins didn’t score in the game, and the team didn’t register ten shots in any one period, but Martin Brodeur was dominant in the net with his second consecutive shut out. The Devils claimed an opportunity to close the series out in New Jersey in game five.

Game Five

In just under a minute, winger Jason Arnott scored the first goal in game five, and it looked like the Devils were going to dominate in game five as much as they did in game four. Morozov countered the goal with one of his own late in the third period, and the game was knotted at a goal apiece going into the second period. Arnott was not done, however, because he would score the first goal of the second period on the powerplay and reclaim the lead for his team. Bobby Holik added to Arnott’s goal, and the Devils took a temporary, two-goal lead. Martin Straka scored shortly after Holik’s goal to put the Penguins at only a one-goal deficit going into the third period. Early in the third period, though, the Devils would quash any hopes of a comeback when John Madden slapped the puck past Hedberg to give the Devils another two-goal lead. They would eventually hold onto the lead and win the series.

Series Highlight

1. Game One: Devils 3, Penguins 1
2. Game Two: Penguins 4, Devils 2
3. Game Three: Devils 3, Penguins 0
4. Game Four: Devils 5, Penguins 0
5. Game Five: Devils 4, Penguins 2

[21]