THE Lightning and Flames are not only worthy Stanley Cup Finalists, they both play the game to win rather than not to lose, they both attack the puck all over the ice, they both look to create.
These are two entertaining, talented teams. The uncountable millions in the States who likely won’t watch any of this because the participants aren’t called, say, the Red Wings and Flyers, won’t
know what they’re missing.
GOALTENDING
Tampa Bay’s Nikolai Khabibulin attempts to become the first Russian goaltender to win the Cup
while Calgary’s Miikka Kiprusoff attempts to become the first Finnish netminder to capture the chalice. Both play similar styles, though Kiprusoff, who has carried the team since coming from San Jose in mid-November, is probably more compact and technically-based than Khabibulin.
EDGE: TAMPA BAY
DEFENSE
The Lightning have thrived this season with a mobile, puck-moving corps of defensemen who love to jump in on the play whenever possible. The mid-season acquisition of Darryl Sydor not only solidified the no-name group but ended the team’s inquiries about Tom Poti. Pavel Kubina is perhaps the most dangerous threat to score. The Flames, meanwhile, boast a couple of the league’s rising stars on defense in the multidimensional Robyn Regehr and Jordan Leopold, with their rapid development allowing the club to overcome injuries to top six men Toni Lydman and Denis Gauthier. The Calgary D, which now includes Mike Commodore and Steve Montador, doesn’t
have quite the depth or mobility of the Lightning.
EDGE: TAMPA BAY
FORWARDS
Tampa Bay’s Martin St. Louis led the league in points while Calgary’s Jarome Iginla tied for the league lead in goals, which is a large part of the reason they’re finalists for the Hart Trophy, the first time since 1990 (Edmonton’s Mark Messier and Boston’s Ray Bourque) finalists for the MVP award have opposed one another for the Cup. The Lightning have a brilliant playmaker in Brad Richards and elite finishers in St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier. Dave Andreychuk, in his first Finals after 22 years in the league, is a presence around the net. The Flames love to come hard on the forecheck and thereafter crash the net, and that will largely be their focus against the smaller, less-physically inclined Tampa D. Craig Conroy, who in another summer would be looking at a free agent bonanza, is an accomplished two-way pivot who complements Iginla perfectly. Martin Gelinas, the poor man’s Claude Lemieux, thrives in pressure situations and is particularly handy around the net.
EDGE: TAMPA BAY
SPECIALTY TEAMS
So dangerous with the puck, the Lightning went 9-for-26 on the power play against the Flyers in the Eastern Finals, succeeding in creating traffic and generating deflections, but they’d only gone 5-40 in the first two rounds without a bomber from the point. They’ve killed all but five of the 52 power plays
they’ve faced. The Flames were just 6-48 on the PP in the last two rounds but went 41-44 on the PK against the Red Wings and Sharks.
EDGE: TAMPA BAY
COACHING
First time in the Finals for both Tampa’s brash John Tortorella and Calgary’s country Darryl Sutter, each of whom knows just how to take his team’s temperature.
EDGE: EVEN
ANALYSIS
The Flames are indeed the vessel for the hopes of a nation as the first Canadian team in the Finals since Vancouver went in 1994, a year after Montreal won. They’re a good team, a strong team, the first team ever to get to the Finals by beating three division champions, the first since the 1980 Islanders to get to the Finals by beating three 100-point teams. But they don’t appear to have quite enough depth to beat a fourth division champion and 100-point team. Emotion at home will carry the
team, but only so far, in what should be a memorable series.
PREDICTION: TAMPA BAY in SEVEN