With 1:01 left in the 3rd period, Carolina Hurricane Justin Williams scored an empty net goal and sealed the fate of the Edmonton Oilers' amazing Cinderella season.
Edmonton Oilers' run ends
While Williams and his teammates celebrated the empty net goal, the Edmonton Oilers' players faces showed the pain of coming so close to winning the Stanley Cup and then seeing it taken away so quickly.
A close Stanley Cup series
It was a series that couldn't have had any more drama. We watched players fall to injury one by one. Momentum shifted from game to game, sometimes from period to period.
We got to watch heroes emerge and see history being made, with Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Cam Ward becoming the first rookie goaltender to win the Stanley Cup since Patrick Roy in 1986.
A controversial play
The most memorable play of the series, though, was the non-goal, non-penalty shot play. The first period was all Carolina, and they started early with a goal 1:26 in the first period from Aaron Ward. Edmonton goaltender Jussi Markkanen had no chance of a save due to the huge screen in front of him.
At the end of the 1st period there was a delay in the game while the officials waited for a play review to see if the Hurricanes scored. They chatted amongst themselves to decide if a penalty shot was constituted.
Breakdown of the play
Here is what happened. Edmonton had a delayed penalty on Ethan Moreau. With the extra attacker on the ice for Carolina, Hurricanes Captain Rod Brind'Amour shot the puck towards the Edmonton net. The puck ended up going into the slot, teammate Craig Adams then attempted a shot, but the puck went over Markkanen.
Oilers forward Ales Hemsky tried batting the puck out of mid-air with his stick, but appeared to have missed. Oilers defenseman Steve Staios then dove into the net to save the goal, but ended up covering the puck in the crease. Referee Brad Watson, who got on his knees on the side of the net to get a better look at the happenings in the crease, signaled a penalty shot.
After the referees had their pow-wow, they decided since there was delayed penalty and the puck was touched by an Edmonton stick prior to Staois covering the puck in the crease, the play was dead and the Hurricanes would have the 2-minute power play with four seconds remaining in the first and the rest carried over into the 2nd period.
Edmonton seemed geared for a comeback
Edmonton started the 2nd period with a little more fire. They appeared to have better legs and they really started throwing their weight around. Two of the noticeably good hits were Chris Pronger leveling Erik Cole from behind and Michael Peca just dropping Rod Brind'Amour, but Carolina continued showing their offensive force with defenseman Frantisek Kaberle scoring on the power play 15:42.
Edmonton had a 2 man advantage for 1:56 late in the 2nd period, but they threw it away with a penalty on Ryan Smyth for holding. That really opened up the ice with a 4-3 for about 55 seconds. Edmonton still couldn't get anything going during that time.
Carolina's hometown Stanley Cup win
Carolina was just feeding off of their hometown crowd, who stood for practically the whole 2nd period.
Less than 2 minutes into the 3rd period at 18:57, Edmonton Oilers' Fernando Pisani scored his 14th goal of the playoffs with a big collision with Cam Ward and Mark Recchi. Rem Murray got the assist on the goal after jumping onto the ice for Michael Peca who had gotten a foot injury just seconds before. Peca did return to the ice for the next shift, but still looked to be in some pain. With that goal, Edmonton found new life and began testing Cam Ward more consistently.
With less than four minutes left in the 3rd period, Cam Ward made an outstanding save on Torres, but left a huge rebound for Pisani. Fortunately for Carolina, Pisani couldn't get a shot off before Ward was able to recover the puck.
Edmonton threw everything they had the Cam Ward, but it just wasn't enough though. Carolina played their game and it was just too much for the Edmonton Oilers.
A rookie goaltender
Cam Ward's historic win, and the rare chance to raise the Stanley Cup in his rookie year, weren't the only rewards he got. He also received the Conn Smythe Trophy for most valuable player of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
