2004 Stanley Cup Playoffs - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs for the National Hockey League

National Hockey League

The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...

began on April 7, 2004, following the 2003–04 regular season. The playoffs ended with the Tampa Bay Lightning

Tampa Bay Lightning

The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...

securing the Stanley Cup

Stanley Cup

The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...

with a seven-game series win over the Calgary Flames

Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...

on June 7. It was Tampa Bay's first Stanley Cup victory. It was the Flames' third final appearance, as they came this far in 1986 and 1989, winning the latter. The sixteen qualified teams, eight from each conference, played best-of-seven

Playoff format

There are several different Playoff formats used in various levels of competition in sports and games to determine an overall champion. Some of the most common are the single elimination, the best-of- series, the total points series, and the round-robin tournament.-Single elimination:A Single...

games for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and finals. The winner of each conference proceeded to the Stanley Cup Finals. The format was identical to the one introduced for the 1999 playoffs. Don Cherry

Don Cherry

Don Cherry may refer to:* Don Cherry hockey player, coach, and commentator* Don Cherry , trumpeter* Don Cherry...

called this the greatest playoffs he has seen in 20 years.

These playoffs marked the first time the Nashville Predators

Nashville Predators

The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

qualified, being in their sixth season in the NHL. The future champions from Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay Lightning

saw playoff action for the third time, while the Colorado Avalanche

Colorado Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...

made their ninth straight post-season appearance. As of 2011, this was the most recent time that the Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

made the playoffs.

Eastern Conference

Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...

- Southeast Division
Southeast Division (NHL)
The NHL's Southeast Division was formed in 1998 as part of the Eastern Conference due to expansion.The Southeast Division is the only one of the six divisions that does not have a precursor from the Wales/Campbell conference era ....

and Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (NHL)
The Eastern Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Western Conference....

regular season champions, 106 points
Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...

- Northeast Division
Northeast Division (NHL)
The NHL's Northeast Division was formed in 1993 as part of the Eastern Conference in a league realignment, the predecessor of which was the Adams Division...

champions, 104 points
Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

- Atlantic Division
Atlantic Division (NHL)
The NHL's Atlantic Division was formed in 1993 as part of the Eastern Conference in a league realignment, the predecessor of which was the Patrick Division. It is the only division in the NHL where all of its current members have won the Stanley Cup at least twice, though only three teams have won...

champions, 101 points
Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

- 103 points
Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

- 102 points
New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

- 100 points
Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...

- 93 points
New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

- 91 points

Western Conference

Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...

- Central Division
Central Division (NHL)
The NHL's Central Division was formed in 1993 as part of the Western Conference in a league realignment, the predecessor of which was the Norris Division.The Central Division consists of the Western Conference's easternmost teams.-Current lineup:...

and Western Conference
Western Conference (NHL)
The Western Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Eastern Conference....

regular season champions; Presidents' Trophy winners, 109 points
San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

- Pacific Division
Pacific Division (NHL)
The National Hockey League's Pacific Division is one of three divisions that make up the Western Conference. It was formed in 1993 as part of a league realignment...

champions, 104 points
Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...

- Northwest Division
Northwest Division (NHL)
The NHL's Northwest Division was formed in 1998 as part of the Western Conference due to expansion. Like the Pacific Division, the Northwest Division is also a descendant of the former Smythe Division, as three of its Canadian teams played in that division from 1981–1993...

champions, 101 points
Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...

- 100 points
Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...

- 97 points
Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...

- 94 points
St. Louis Blues - 91 points (39 wins)
Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

- 91 points (38 wins)

Playoff bracket

Skaters

GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/– = Plus/Minus; PIM = Penalty Minutes

Team	GP	G	A	Pts	+/–	PIM
Tampa Bay Lightning	23	12	14	26	+5	4
Tampa Bay Lightning	23	9	15	24	+6	14
Calgary Flames	26	13	9	22	+13	45
Tampa Bay Lightning	23	8	11	19	+7	10
Calgary Flames	26	6	11	17	+12	12
Tampa Bay Lightning	23	9	7	16	–2	25
Philadelphia Flyers	18	9	7	16	+11	22
Calgary Flames	26	8	7	15	+10	35
Tampa Bay Lightning	22	12	2	14	0	14
San Jose Sharks	17	7	7	14	0	20
Philadelphia Flyers	18	4	10	14	–1	8
Tampa Bay Lightning	23	1	13	14	–2	14

Goaltending

These are the top five goaltenders based on either goals against average

Goals against average

Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender....

or save percentage

Save percentage

Save percentage is an ice hockey and lacrosse statistic that represents the percentage of shots on goal a goaltender stops...

with at least four games played.

GP = Games Played; W = Wins; L = Losses; SA = Shots Against; GA = Goals Against; GAA = Goals Against Average; TOI = Time On Ice (minutes:seconds); Sv% = Save Percentage; SO = Shutouts

Team	GP	W	L	SA	GA	GAA	TOI	Sv%	SO
Detroit Red Wings	9	4	4	197	12	1.39	517:34	.939	1
Nashville Predators	6	2	4	197	12	2.02	355:44	.939	1
San Jose Sharks	17	10	7	461	30	1.71	1052:15	.935	3
Tampa Bay Lightning	23	16	7	598	40	1.71	1400:30	.933	5
Toronto Maple Leafs	13	6	7	379	27	2.09	773:47	.929	3
Calgary Flames	26	15	11	710	51	1.85	1655:00	.928	5
Ottawa Senators	7	3	4	139	13	1.96	398:22	.906	0

(1) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (8) New York Islanders

In 2004, the Tampa Bay Lightning had won the Southeast Division. They entered these playoffs with high hopes that they could win their first ever Stanley Cup. For the Islanders, it was a struggle just to make the postseason.

The highly favoured Lightning met up with the Islanders who, under rookie head coach Steve Stirling, had a respectable 91 points. Good enough for eighth spot in the conference. The Lightning led the Southeast Division for the whole year, finishing with their highest point total ever. Martin St. Louis finished with his best season. He led the league in scoring with 94 points. The Islanders won the season series 3–1, and it was thought that this might be a tough task for the Lightning.

Games 1 and 2, at St. Pete Times Forum

St. Pete Times Forum

The St. Pete Times Forum is an arena in Tampa, Florida, that has been used for ice hockey, basketball, and arena football games, as well as concerts....

in St. Petersburg, saw goalies Nikolai Khabibulin

Nikolai Khabibulin

Nikolai Ivanovich Khabibulin is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League...

of the Lightning and Rick DiPietro

Rick DiPietro

Rick DiPietro, Jr. is an American professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League . He was the first overall selection by the Islanders in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft....

of the Islanders trade 3–0 shutouts, with Tampa Bay winning Game 1 and New York winning Game 2.

The series turned to Nassau Coliseum

Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum

The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Uniondale, New York, United States. Home to the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League, the Coliseum is located approximately east of New York City on Long Island...

in New York for Games 3 and 4, and Khabibulin all but put up a wall in front of the net: the Lightning won both games 3–0, Khabibulin's GAA for the series was a tidy 0.75 through the first four games, and Khabibulin stopped all 61 shots he saw in New York. Back in Florida for Game 5, Khabibulin allowed his first goals in three games, but Martin St. Louis

Martin St. Louis

Martin St. Louis is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger and alternate captain currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...

scored the game-winner four minutes into overtime. For the Islanders, this was the second straight season they had lost in the first round after splitting the first two games on the road.

(2) Boston Bruins vs. (7) Montreal Canadiens

In 2002, the top seeded Bruins were upset by the lower seeded Canadiens in the first round of the playoffs. It was a humiliating defeat. This series between the bitter rival

Bruins–Canadiens rivalry

The rivalry between the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League is considered "one of the greatest rivalries in sports," along with the Yankees – Red Sox and Bears–Packers rivalries...

s featured the same result, as the Bruins were once again upset by the lower seeded Canadiens.

The Bruins recent history was marked by playoff collapses. They beat the Hurricanes in 1999, but since then had not won a playoff series. To change their luck, Mike Sullivan was hired to be the coach, and he led his team to a division title. They had relied on the stellar play of goaltender Andrew Raycroft all season. For the Canadiens, the playoffs were long overdue. They had only made the playoffs 3 times in last 7 seasons. The two teams had the same amount of wins (41) during the season, and Habs coach Claude Julien told his team to remember that his team was not very different from the Bruins.

Games 1 and 2 at FleetCenter in Boston saw the Bruins win two low-scoring games, winning Game 1, 3–0, behind a 31-save shutout from goalie Andrew Raycroft

Andrew Raycroft

Andrew Joseph Ernest Raycroft is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League . Originally drafted by the Boston Bruins 135th overall in 1998, he won the Calder Trophy with the club in 2004 as rookie of the year...

. Raycroft was almost as good in Game 2, allowing one goal, but Boston won the game anyway, 2–1.

Down 2–0 in the series, but home at the Bell Centre

Bell Centre

The Bell Centre , formerly known as the Molson Centre , is a sports and entertainment complex in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It opened on March 16, 1996 after nearly three years under construction...

, Montreal won Game 3, 3–2. But, the Canadiens were pushed to the brink with a painful double-overtime 4–3 loss in Game 4. Montreal was in trouble. If they were to advance, they had to win the next three games before losing one, and two of the three games were in Boston.

The Canadiens bounced back from the double-overtime loss with a 5–1 Game 5 victory, scoring three third-period goals to break open a close game. Energized by home-ice advantage and their temporary staving off of elimination, Montreal forced a Game 7 with a 5–2 Game 6 victory. Montreal completed the stunning comeback with a 2–0 victory in Game 7 in Boston, as goalie Jose Theodore

José Théodore

José Théodore is a French Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League...

went a perfect 32-for-32 in save attempts.

"We had a lead in this series and left it to chance in Game Seven, and that's what happened," rookie goaltender Andrew Raycroft said. "We had just as much a chance as they did. It's just disappointing."

"I thought we played extremely hard tonight and played a great hockey game," Bruins coach Mike Sullivan added. "We certainly had our chances to score goals and I thought we deserved a better fate, but that's the nature of sports."

For the Bruins, it meant another playoff disappointment. They would miss the playoffs in 2006 and 2007. As for the Canadiens, they would move on to face the Tampa Bay Lightning, where they were swept in 4 games.

(3) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (6) New Jersey Devils

Game 1 of the series at Wachovia Center

Wachovia Center

The Wells Fargo Center is an indoor arena located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....

in Philadelphia saw the Flyers win, 3–2. Game 2 saw another well-played, close game, with Philadelphia again winning, 3–2. Game 3 at Continental Airlines Arena

Continental Airlines Arena

Izod Center is a multi-purpose arena, in the MetLife Sports Complex, in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. It opened in 1981 and currently has a maximum seating capacity of 20,000...

in New Jersey saw the first game of the series not decided by one goal, a 4–2 Devils victory. With a chance to tie the series heading back to Philadelphia, the New Jersey attack was completely stonewalled by Flyers goalie Robert Esche

Robert Esche

Robert L. Esche is an American professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for SCL Tigers of National League A.-Playing career:...

in a 3–0 shutout victory for the Flyers. Esche had 35 saves. Back in Philadelphia for Game 5, the Flyers finished off the Devils with a 3–1 victory.

(4) Toronto Maple Leafs vs. (5) Ottawa Senators

The 4–5 matchup in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals was billed as the Battle of Ontario

Battle of Ontario

The Battle of Ontario is a rivalry between the Ottawa Senators and the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League, often described as one of the top NHL rivalries. The teams both compete in the Northeast Division and with current NHL scheduling meet 6 times per season...

. The Senators would have had home ice advantage, however on the final day of the regular season, the Maple Leafs routed Ottawa 6–0. Therefore giving the Leafs the higher seeding. Game 1, at Toronto's Air Canada Centre

Air Canada Centre

The Air Canada Centre is a multi-purpose indoor sporting arena located on Bay Street in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada.The arena is popularly known as the ACC or the Hangar ....

, saw Ottawa pull out a 4–2 victory. Needing a victory to avoid going down two games to Ottawa, the Maple Leafs came through with 2–0 win on the strength of a 31-save shutout by Ed Belfour

Ed Belfour

Edward John Belfour is a former Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender.Belfour was born in Carman, Manitoba and grew up playing hockey. He played junior hockey for the Winkler Flyers before going to the University of North Dakota where he helped the school win the NCAA championship in the...

.

Game 3 of the series shifted venue to Ottawa's Corel Centre, but the teams shouldn't have bothered playing the game if they wanted a different result: Toronto again won, 2–0, behind another Belfour shutout, and this time Belfour stopped 37 shots. Ottawa finally broke through the wall Belfour had put up in net, winning Game 4, 4–1.

With the series back in Toronto for a crucial Game 5, Belfour posted his third shutout of the series in yet another 2–0 Toronto victory. This was a clear indication of the strength of the Toronto defense, and the Senators bleak offense. Facing elimination on home ice in Game 6, Ottawa won, 2–1 in double-overtime. The series went back to Toronto for the third time, this time for a Game 7. Toronto relied on what brought them the first three victories of the series: goalie Belfour, who all but denied Ottawa's offense in a 4–1, series-clinching win. Patrick Lalime gave up 2 questionable goals by Joe Nieuwendyk before being pulled after the first period and replaced by backup Martin Prusek by head coach Jacques Martin.

(1) Detroit Red Wings vs. (8) Nashville Predators

At Detroit's Joe Louis Arena

Joe Louis Arena

Joe Louis Arena, nicknamed The Joe and JLA is a hockey arena located at 600 Civic Center Drive in Detroit, Michigan. It is the home of the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League. Completed in 1979 at a cost of $57 million, Joe Louis Arena is named after boxer and former heavyweight...

for Game 1, the Red Wings shook off a slow start and got goals from Kris Draper

Kris Draper

Kristopher Draper is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player. Draper is a four-time winner of the Stanley Cup, a Frank J. Selke Trophy winner and scored over 100 goals in the Red Wings uniform. Draper was a member of the famous Grind Line in Detroit, consisting of himself, Kirk Maltby...

, Tomas Holmstrom

Tomas Holmström

Tomas Holmström is a Swedish professional ice hockey left winger currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League , where he has won four Stanley Cup championships...

and Robert Lang and posted a 3–1 victory. Game 2 saw a closer game, but Detroit still won the game, 2–1 on Mathieu Schneider

Mathieu Schneider

Mathieu Schneider is a American former professional ice hockey player. Considered an offensive defenseman, Schneider played 1289 games in the National Hockey League with ten different teams, scoring 233 goals and totalling 743 points...

's game winning goal.

However, at Nashville's Gaylord Entertainment Center

Gaylord Entertainment Center

Bridgestone Arena, is an all-purpose venue in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, that was completed in 1996.-Ownership and usage:...

for Games 3 and 4, Nashville made it a series by taking both games, tying the series 2–2 headed back to Detroit. After a 3–1 Game 3 victory, Nashville one-upped themselves with a 3–0 Game 4 victory as goalie Tomas Vokoun

Tomas Vokoun

Tomáš Vokoun is a Czech professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently playing for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...

posted a 37-save shutout. Game 4 also saw Detroit goalie Manny Legace

Manny Legacé

Emmanuel Legace, is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently playing for the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League. He most recently played in the National Hockey League for the Carolina Hurricanes. He has also played in the National Hockey League for the Los...

being yanked in favor of Curtis Joseph

Curtis Joseph

Curtis Shayne Joseph is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He last played for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League....

.

Back in Detroit for Game 5, Joseph got the start in goal for the Red Wings, and the decision paid off: the Red Wings dominated the Predators, winning 4–1. When the series returned to Nashville for Game 6, Joseph shut out the Predators to end their season in a 2–0 victory. It was a relatively easy victory for Joseph, as the Red Wings defense allowed only 15 Predator shots on goal.

(2) San Jose Sharks vs. (7) St. Louis Blues

The Sharks had made the playoffs for the first time since missing them the previous season. For the Blues, it was a struggle just to make the postseason. They fired coach Joel Quenneville at the risk of missing the playoffs for the first time in a quarter of a century. Assistant coach Mike Kitchen was promoted to interim coach, and under him the Blues posted a 10–7–4 record, good enough for a playoff berth.

Game 1 of the series at San Jose's HP Pavilion saw a defensive battle, with San Jose winning the game, 1–0, on the strength of a 26-save shutout from Evgeni Nabokov

Evgeni Nabokov

Evgeni Viktorovich Nabokov is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender who is playing for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League .Nabokov was selected by San Jose in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft...

. Chris Osgood

Chris Osgood

Christopher John Osgood is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He's currently ranked tenth in wins in NHL regular season history with 401 career wins. He spent the first part of his 17-year NHL career with the Detroit Red Wings, then the New York Islanders and the St. Louis...

was equally strong in net for the Blues, but allowed a goal to Niko Dimitrakos

Niko Dimitrakos

Nicholas Dimitrakos is a Greek-American professional ice hockey right winger, currently signed with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on a 25 game PTO contract.-Playing career:...

in the first overtime. Nabokov gave up only one goal in Game 2, a 3–1 Sharks victory highlighted by Patrick Marleau

Patrick Marleau

Patrick Denis Marleau is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League. He serves as the alternate captain for the Sharks during home games...

's hat trick. "I don't think they really gave the players a chance to play in Game 2, and it kind of threw us off balance right from the start of the game," St. Louis coach Mike Kitchen said. "Some calls we deserved, and some calls weren't strong calls on the referees' part."

In St. Louis at the Savvis Center for Game 3, the Blues used home-ice advantage to post a 4–1 victory and half their series deficit, getting a hat trick from Mike Sillinger

Mike Sillinger

Mike Sillinger is the current Director of Player Development for the Edmonton Oilers, and a retired Canadian ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League for 17 seasons...

. The next night, in Game 4, saw a back-and-forth game that ultimately went to San Jose, 4–3. With a chance to knock out the Blues at home in Game 5, they did just that, winning the game 3–1. The Blues would not see the playoffs again until after the lockout in 2009.

On a more serious note, shortly after the series, St. Louis left wing Mike Danton

Mike Danton

Michael Sage Danton is a Canadian ice hockey player currently playing for the IFK Ore of the Swedish Division 1. Danton played for the New Jersey Devils and St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League between 2000 and 2004, before being imprisoned for a conspiracy to commit murder...

, who scored one goal in the series, was arrested, charged, and convicted in a conspiracy to murder his agent, David Frost

David Frost

Sir David Frost is a British broadcaster.David Frost may also refer to:*David Frost , South African golfer*David Frost , classical record producer*David Frost *Dave Frost, baseball pitcher...

(3) Vancouver Canucks vs. (6) Calgary Flames

The Canucks had won the division, and were riding a current 6 game winning streak. Dan Cloutier served as the starting goalie, and faired pretty well during the season. The Flames had used a run of 10–2–2 in the month of December, to make the playoffs for the first time since 1996.

The second all-Canada first round series (#4 Toronto defeated #5 Ottawa, 4–3 in the Eastern Conference) began at GM Place in Vancouver. The goals were easy to come by, but Vancouver scored more in a 5–3 Game 1 victory. Both defenses tightened considerably in Game 2, a 2–1 Calgary victory that tied the series headed to the Pengrowth Saddledome

Pengrowth Saddledome

The Scotiabank Saddledome is the primary indoor arena of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It has a seating capacity of 19,289 people.Located on the Stampede Grounds, on the east end of downtown Calgary, the Saddledome was built in 1983 to replace the Stampede Corral as the home of the Calgary Flames of...

in Calgary.

Game 3 saw another 2–1 game, but this time Vancouver prevailed. However, during the game, Canucks goalie Dan Cloutier

Dan Cloutier

Dan Cloutier is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey goaltender. In his 10-year National Hockey League career, Cloutier played with the New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vancouver Canucks, and Los Angeles Kings, spending the majority of his career in Vancouver...

was injured making a save, and backup Johan Hedberg

Johan Hedberg

Johan "Moose" Hedberg is a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing with the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...

took over. Game 4 saw Calgary goalie Miikka Kiprusoff

Miikka Kiprusoff

Miikka Sakari Kiprusoff is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League . He was selected in the fifth round, 116th overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. He has also played for TPS of the Finnish SM-liiga...

and the Flames defense pick a good time to play well, with Kiprusoff stopping all 20 shots he faced in a 4–0 victory that tied the series, 2–2. After Hedberg's subpar performance in Game 4, he was replaced in the net by Alexander Auld, the third goalie in as many games for the Canucks.

Game 5, back in Vancouver, saw Calgary push the Canucks to the brink with a 2–1 victory. With elimination staring Vancouver in the face, the Canucks and Flames engaged in an all-out battle in Game 6 that saw Vancouver storm out to a 4–0 lead only to see the Flames come back to tie it. The game didn't end until triple-overtime, when Brendan Morrison

Brendan Morrison

Brendan Morrison is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League...

scored 2:28 into the period in a 5–4 Vancouver victory. That set up a thrilling Game 7 in Vancouver with the winner getting bragging rights for western Canada. Matt Cooke scored twice for the Canucks, including a game tying goal off a desperation rush with five seconds left in regulation. Calgary won the game in overtime, 3–2, with Martin Gelinas

Martin Gelinas

Martin Gélinas is a former professional ice hockey forward and the current director of player development with the Nashville Predators.-Playing career:Gelinas made a splash in 1987–88 with the Hull Olympiques of the QMJHL with a 63-goal, 131-point campaign...

scoring the game-winner 85 seconds into overtime.

In a bizarre fact, the last three times these teams have met in the playoffs, the series was a first round match-up, went the maximum seven games with Game 7 being decided in overtime each time, and the winning team would eventually go all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals.

(4) Colorado Avalanche vs. (5) Dallas Stars

This was the first playoff series for Colorado without Patrrick Roy, who retired after the previous season.
Game 1 at the Pepsi Center

Pepsi Center

Pepsi Center is a multi-purpose arena in Denver, Colorado, United States. The building is home to the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association, the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League, and the Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League...

in Denver saw the Avalanche win, 3–1. Game 2 saw Colorado increase the offensive pressure on Dallas goalie Marty Turco

Marty Turco

Marty Turco is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He has played professionally with the Dallas Stars and Chicago Blackhawks. Because of his puckhandling prowess, Canadian hockey personality Don Cherry named Turco: "the smartest goalie in the...

in a 5–2 Avalanche win.

At home at the American Airlines Center

American Airlines Center

The American Airlines Center is a multi-purpose arena, located in the Victory Park neighborhood, near downtown Dallas, Texas.It is home to the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA, and the Dallas Stars of the NHL....

and in danger of falling behind 3–0 in the series, Dallas bounced back with a crucial victory in overtime, 4–3, to climb back into the series. After the first 80 minutes of Game 4 failed to produce a winner, Dallas stood a chance at winning the game, tying the series, and guaranteeing at least one more game at home. But Marek Svatos

Marek Svatoš

Marek Svatoš is a Slovak professional ice hockey forward who is currently a free agent. In the 2010–11 season, Svatoš had played for Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League before signing with the St. Louis Blues of the NHL...

won the game for the Avalanche 5:18 into the second overtime to break Dallas' back.

Back in Colorado for Game 5, Dallas kept it close until the third period, when Colorado broke the game wide open with three goals to extend a 2–1 lead to 5–1 to clinch the series.

(1) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (7) Montreal Canadiens

This series pitted the top-seeded Lightning, who had hastily eliminated the Islanders in the first round, against the Canadiens, who were riding an emotional high after their thrilling comeback seven-game series victory against the Boston Bruins.

Game 1, at Tampa's St. Pete Times Forum

St. Pete Times Forum

The St. Pete Times Forum is an arena in Tampa, Florida, that has been used for ice hockey, basketball, and arena football games, as well as concerts....

, saw a not-so-rare occurrence for the Lightning: a shutout by goalie Nikolai Khabibulin

Nikolai Khabibulin

Nikolai Ivanovich Khabibulin is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League...

, his fourth of the postseason out of six games he played in. Khabibulin turned away all 21 shots he saw in the 4–0 victory, with the 21 shots being an indicator of the strong Lightning defense. Game 1 also saw Montreal goalie Jose Theodore

José Théodore

José Théodore is a French Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League...

, who had shut out Boston in Game 7 of the Quarterfinals, get pulled in favor of Mathieu Garon

Mathieu Garon

Mathieu Garon is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Garon is a goaltender for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League . Garon has also played for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Los Angeles Kings, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Garon was a member...

, who went 6-for-6 during his brief stint in goal. Game 2 saw Theodore return to goal for Montreal, but the Canadiens still lost the game by a score of 3–1.

Game 3 saw Khabibulin give up three goals for the first time in five games. In fact, in the five games since his last loss, he had allowed a combined total of three goals. But despite the letdown, Tampa found a way to win the game 65 seconds into overtime, 4–3. The demoralizing defeat stung Montreal, and they were swept without resisting in a 3–1 Game 4 loss.

(3) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (4) Toronto Maple Leafs

This series pitted two Eastern Conference rivals that were evenly matched; Toronto had 103 points and Philadelphia 101, but Philadelphia had knocked off their first-round opponent quicker than Toronto; Philadelphia knocked out New Jersey in five games while it took Toronto all seven games to eliminate Ottawa.

Game 1, at Philadelphia's Wachovia Center

Wachovia Center

The Wells Fargo Center is an indoor arena located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....

, saw a closely played game that ultimately went to the Flyers, 3–1. Game 2 was even closer, but Philadelphia's defense held firm in a 2–1 victory that put them up in the series, 2–0.

However, the shift in venue to Air Canada Centre

Air Canada Centre

The Air Canada Centre is a multi-purpose indoor sporting arena located on Bay Street in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada.The arena is popularly known as the ACC or the Hangar ....

certainly fired up the Maple Leafs, as they used three second-period goals to help out in a 4–1 Game 3 victory. Home-ice advantage continued to be a factor in Game 4, a 3–1 Toronto victory.

The series went back to Philadelphia for Game 5, and Philadelphia scored a postseason-high seven goals in a 7–2 victory, knocking out Toronto goalie Ed Belfour

Ed Belfour

after the sixth goal in favor of Trevor Kidd

Trevor Kidd

Trevor Kidd is a former NHL goaltender who last played for the Hannover Scorpions in Germany. Throughout his 12-year National Hockey League career, Kidd played for the Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs...

in the process. Overlooked during the scoring barrage was a goalie to Philadelphia goalie Robert Esche

Robert Esche

Robert L. Esche is an American professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for SCL Tigers of National League A.-Playing career:...

, who was knocked out early and replaced by Sean Burke

Sean Burke

Sean Burke is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the New Jersey Devils, Hartford Whalers, Carolina Hurricanes, Vancouver Canucks, Philadelphia Flyers, Florida Panthers, Phoenix Coyotes, Tampa Bay Lightning and Los Angeles...

, who went 8-for-9 in goal; Toronto only took 11 shots during the whole game. Philadelphia's Keith Primeau

Keith Primeau

Keith Primeau is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings, Hartford Whalers, Carolina Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers...

logged a hat trick to add to the positive for the Flyers. Game 6, back in Toronto, saw Toronto rally from a 2–0 third-period deficit to force overtime. In overtime, Darcy Tucker

Darcy Tucker

Darcy Tucker is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player, who played most of his National Hockey League career with the Toronto Maple Leafs. A sixth round draft choice, Tucker began his NHL career with the Montreal Canadiens...

made a devastating hit on Sami Kapanen

Sami Kapanen

Sami Hannu Antero Kapanen is a Finnish professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for KalPa of the SM-liiga. He has played 12 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Hartford Whalers, Carolina Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers...

who was barely able to stumble to the bench after the hit. However, in return, Jeremy Roenick

Jeremy Roenick

Jeremy Shaffer "J.R." Roenick is a former American professional ice hockey player who played the majority of his career in the National Hockey League . He played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Phoenix Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks over the course of his 18 NHL...

jumped on the ice and proceeded to score his second goal of the game only seconds later, ending the Maple Leafs' season. The Leafs have not been back to the playoffs since.

(1) Detroit Red Wings vs. (6) Calgary Flames

This series pitted the top-seeded Red Wings, who were heavily favored, against the Flames, who had knocked out their intracountry rival, Vancouver, in an emotional seven-game series.

Game 1, at Joe Louis Arena

Joe Louis Arena

in Detroit, saw the Flames stay with the Red Wings for every step of the way, and then in overtime, Marcus Nilson

Marcus Nilson

Marcus Nilson is a Swedish professional ice hockey player currently playing for Djurgårdens IF of the Elitserien.-Playing career:...

scored the game-winning goal 2:39 in. Stunned by the Game 1 loss, the Red Wings, hoping to avoid going down 2–0 in the series going to Calgary, bounced back with a 5–2 Game 2 victory.

At the Pengrowth Saddledome

Pengrowth Saddledome

in Calgary for Game 3, Calgary used three second-period goals to register a 3–2 victory and take a 2–1 lead in the series. But Detroit again showed the ability to bounce back after a close loss, taking Game 4, 4–2.

The series shifted back to Detroit for Game 5, when Calgary goalie Miikka Kiprusoff

Miikka Kiprusoff

picked an opportune time to shut out an opponent: his 31-save shutout in a 1–0 victory pushed Detroit to the brink, with Game 6 in Calgary. Detroit goalie Curtis Joseph

Curtis Joseph

Curtis Shayne Joseph is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He last played for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League....

also played well, but the difference in the game was a goal by Craig Conroy

Craig Conroy

Craig Conroy is an American former professional ice hockey player and currently the Special Assistant to the General Manager of the Calgary Flames. A sixth round selection of the Montreal Canadiens at the 1990 National Hockey League Entry Draft, Conroy played 1,009 NHL games for the Canadiens, St...

. During the second period, a shot by Red Wings defensman Mathieu Schneider deflected off a stick and struck Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman

Steve Yzerman

Stephen Gregory "Steve" Yzerman is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and current general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League...

in the left eye. Joe Louis Arena fell silent while Yzerman was attended to for several minutes and then helped off the ice, holding a towel to his face. Yzerman would not return to the series.

At the Saddledome for Game 6, Kiprusoff again refused to budge, allowing nothing in regulation, but so did Joseph. It was now sudden-death for Detroit, and with 47 seconds left in the first overtime, Martin Gelinas

Martin Gelinas

beat Joseph set up by assists from Conroy and Jarome Iginla

Jarome Iginla

Jarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior Elvis Iginla is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League . A six-time NHL All-Star, he is the Flames' all-time leader in goals, points, and games played, and is second in assists to Al MacInnis...

, and Calgary won their second straight 1–0 game, and their second straight overtime victory to clinch a series. Kiprusoff's 38-save shutout in Game 6 meant that he had stopped the final 69 shots he saw in the series.

(2) San Jose Sharks vs. (4) Colorado Avalanche

This series pitted two opponents who defeated their first-round opponents, St. Louis and Dallas, respectively, in five games, with each team winning the first two, losing the third game, and then winning the next two.

Game 1 took place at the HP Pavilion in San Jose. The Sharks came flying out of the gate, scoring three first-period goals en route to a 5–2 victory highlighted by Patrick Marleau

Patrick Marleau

's hat trick, his second of the postseason. After giving up the fifth and final Sharks goal, Colorado goalie David Aebischer

David Aebischer

David Aebischer , is a Swiss professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the St. John's IceCaps of the American Hockey League . Before returning to North America in 2011 Aebischer had spent four seasons with HC Lugano of the Nationalliga A in Switzerland. He has also played for the...

was pulled in favor of Tommy Salo

Tommy Salo

Tommy Mikael Salo is a Swedish General Manager of Swedish ice hockey club Leksands IF of the HockeyAllsvenskan. He is a retired professional ice hockey goaltender and a former head coach of IK Oskarshamn.-Playing career:...

, who went 7-for-7 in saves. Game 2 was more of the same: San Jose continued to shell Aebischer while goalie Evgeni Nabokov

Evgeni Nabokov

limited the Avalanche attack in a 4–1 victory.

The shift in venue to Colorado's Pepsi Center

Pepsi Center

for Game 3, and San Jose's attack was limited to only one goal, scored by Vincent Damphousse

Vincent Damphousse

Vincent Francois Damphousse is a retired Canadian professional hockey who played in the National Hockey League for eighteen seasons. He played centre for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens and San Jose Sharks, winning a Stanley Cup championship with Montreal in 1993...

, but Nabokov was brilliant between the pipes, stopping all 33 shots that he faced in the 1–0 victory to push Colorado to the brink. Down 3–0 in the series, Colorado extended their season for at least another game with a 1–0 overtime victory in Game 4 as Aebischer rebounded from his poor play in Games 1 and 2 with a 27-save shutout, and the game's lone goal was scored by Joe Sakic

Joe Sakic

Joseph Steven "Joe" Sakic is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player and current hockey executive. He played his entire National Hockey League career with the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche franchise. In his 20-year tenure, Sakic won the Stanley Cup twice, captured numerous NHL...

5:15 into overtime.

When the series returned to San Jose for Game 5 and posted another overtime victory on another game-winning goal by Sakic, this time by a 2–1 count, people began to wonder: with Game 6 in Colorado, could Colorado rebound from a 3–0 hole to force a Game 7? Fortunately for Sharks fans, this did not happen, as San Jose won Game 6 in Colorado, 3–1, and eliminate the Avalanche. San Jose's strong second period, in which they scored three goals, was the difference.

(1) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (3) Philadelphia Flyers

The Eastern Conference Finals pitted the Lightning, 8–1 in the postseason up to that point, against the third-seeded Flyers, who had just defeated Toronto in a six-game series.

Game 1, at St. Pete Times Forum

St. Pete Times Forum

The St. Pete Times Forum is an arena in Tampa, Florida, that has been used for ice hockey, basketball, and arena football games, as well as concerts....

, saw Philadelphia take only 20 shots on goal, a sign of the strong Tampa Bay defense. Goalie Nikolai Khabibulin

Nikolai Khabibulin

Nikolai Ivanovich Khabibulin is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League...

, all but impenetrable in the first two rounds, stopped 19 of those 20 shots, the only miss being a Michal Handzus

Michal Handzus

Michal Handzuš is a Slovak professional ice hockey centre currently playing for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...

goal in a 3–1 Lightning win. However, Game 2 saw a stunning turn of events: Khabibulin was shelled in goal, only seeing 12 shots and getting yanked after giving up four goals in a 6–2 Flyers victory. Backup goalie John Grahame

John Grahame

John Gillies Mark Grahame is currently the goaltender coach for the Sioux City Musketeers of the USHL and is a former professional ice hockey goaltender who played most recently for the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League.-Playing career:Grahame played in the USHL for the Sioux City...

went 15-for-17 in relief of Khabibulin, and the series was tied, 1–1, going to Philadelphia.

Game 3 at the Wachovia Center

Wachovia Center

The Wells Fargo Center is an indoor arena located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....

saw Khabibulin return to his dominant form in net, which was bad news for the Flyers, as Khabibulin stopped 24 out of 25 shots, the only miss being a Keith Primeau

Keith Primeau

goal in a 4–1 Lightning win. Game 4 saw the Flyers pull even with a critical 3–2 victory that tied the series headed back to Tampa Bay.

Back in Tampa Bay for a critical Game 5, the Lightning used home-ice advantage in a 4–2 victory, and they were now one win away from the Stanley Cup Finals. Brad Richards

Brad Richards

Bradley Glenn Richards is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and alternate captain for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League .-Early career:Born and raised in Murray Harbour, Prince Edward Island...

' two goals marked the first time all series a player had scored more than one goal in a game. Philadelphia's backs were against the wall in this critical Game 6, but they had home-ice advantage. Trailing 4-3 in the third period, Keith Primeau continued his impressive playoff performance by tying the game with under 2 minutes remaining, beating Khabibulin on a wraparound and sending the Wachovia Center into a frenzy. The Flyers won the game in overtime, 5–4, on a Simon Gagne

Simon Gagné

Simon Gagné is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League . Prior to Los Angeles, he spent the first 10 seasons of his NHL career with the Philadelphia Flyers and another with the Tampa Bay Lightning.Drafted out of the Quebec Major Junior...

goal 18:18 in, his second of the game and his first two goals of the series. The series was going back to Tampa Bay for a Game 7, and both defenses were strong, but Tampa Bay had a little bit more, winning the game, 2–1, and moving on to the Stanley Cup Finals.

(2) San Jose Sharks vs. (6) Calgary Flames

The Western Conference Finals pitted the second-seeded Sharks against the sixth-seeded Flames, who had upset both Vancouver and Detroit en route to this series against San Jose.

Game 1, at San Jose's HP Pavilion, saw the Flames win the game 18:43 into overtime, 4–3, on a Steve Montador

Steve Montador

Steve Montador is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...

goal, his first of the postseason. In Game 2, Calgary came charging out of the gate, scoring two first-period goals and never looking back in a 4–1 victory. The Sharks were in trouble: they were down in the series, 2–0, headed to Calgary.

Game 3, at the Pengrowth Saddledome

Pengrowth Saddledome

in Calgary, saw San Jose come through when they needed to: goalie Evgeni Nabokov posted a 34-save shutout and Alex Korolyuk scored two goals in a 3–0 Sharks win. Game 4 saw the unusual trend of the away team playing well in the series, as San Jose tied the series, 2–2, with a 4–2 victory. San Jose's attack came quick and hard with four second-period goals. After San Jose's fourth goal, Calgary goalie Miikka Kiprusoff

Miikka Kiprusoff

was pulled in favor of Roman Turek

Roman Turek

Roman Turek is a retired Czech professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Dallas Stars, St. Louis Blues, and Calgary Flames in a 9-year National Hockey League career...

, who went 3-for-3 between the pipes.

The series went to San Jose for Game 5, and the road team continued to play well, with Kiprusoff bouncing back from his Game 4 shelling, getting help from his defense as well, as he stopped all 19 shots he faced in a 3–0 Flames win that pushed San Jose to the brink. The series returned to Calgary for Game 6, and for the first time all series, the home team won, a 3–1 Calgary victory that propelled the underdog Flames into the Stanley Cup Finals. This marked the first time since 1994

1994 Stanley Cup Finals

The 1994 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven playoff series contested between the Eastern Conference champion New York Rangers and Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League...

when Vancouver lost to the New York Rangers

New York Rangers

The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...

that a Canadian team reached the finals.

(E1) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (W6) Calgary Flames

The 2004 Stanley Cup Finals pitted the team with the second-most points, the Tampa Bay Lightning, against a team that barely made the playoffs, three points from the bottom of the playoff qualifiers, the Calgary Flames.

Tampa Bay had cruised through the first two rounds against the New York Islanders and Montreal Canadiens before running into stiff competition from the Philadelphia Flyers, who they nevertheless defeated in seven games. Calgary had beaten the Western Conference's top three seeded teams, the Vancouver Canucks, Detroit Red Wings, and the San Jose Sharks, in that order.

Game 1, at St. Pete Times Forum

St. Pete Times Forum

The St. Pete Times Forum is an arena in Tampa, Florida, that has been used for ice hockey, basketball, and arena football games, as well as concerts....

, saw the Flames win the game, 4–1. Calgary only got 19 shots off against the Lightning defense, but more than one-fifth found the net. Martin Gelinas

Martin Gelinas

got Calgary on the board early, and they extended the lead to 3–0 in the second period on goals by Jarome Iginla

Jarome Iginla

, his 11th of the postseason, and Stephane Yelle

Stephane Yelle

Stéphane Yelle is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre. He won two Stanley Cups with the Colorado Avalanche, and also played in the National Hockey League with the Calgary Flames, Boston Bruins and the Carolina Hurricanes....

. Chris Simon

Chris Simon

Chris Simon is a former Canadian professional ice hockey left winger whose last club was UHC Dynamo of the Kontinental Hockey League . He played 15 seasons in the NHL.-Minor hockey:...

added the fourth and final Calgary goal after Tampa Bay's Martin St. Louis

Martin St. Louis

Martin St. Louis is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger and alternate captain currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...

scored the lone Lightning goal.

Game 2 saw the same final score, but this time, it was Tampa Bay winning a clutch game to tie the series, 1–1, headed to Calgary. Ruslan Fedotenko

Ruslan Fedotenko

Ruslan Viktorovych Fedotenko is a Ukrainian American professional ice hockey winger who is currently playing for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . A two-time Stanley Cup champion, in his NHL career he has played for the Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, New York...

's 10th goal of the postseason got the Lightning on the board first, and Tampa Bay used three third-period goals, coming from Brad Richards

Brad Richards

, Dan Boyle, and St. Louis, respectively, to blast the game open. The lone Calgary goal was scored by Ville Nieminen

Ville Nieminen

Ville Nieminen is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward currently playing for Dinamo Riga of the Kontinental Hockey League.-Playing career:...

.

The series shifted to the Pengrowth Saddledome

Pengrowth Saddledome

in Calgary, where Flames goalie Miikka Kiprusoff

Miikka Kiprusoff

and the Calgary defense completely stonewalled the Tampa Bay attack, which only took 21 shots in a 3–0 Flames victory, and Calgary was halfway home. Simon scored the first Calgary goal in the second period, and Shean Donovan

Shean Donovan

Shean Donovan is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey Forward. A veteran of the National Hockey League, he played in 951 games spanning over seven clubs.-Playing career:...

and Iginla added goals to ice the game.

With a chance to take a commanding 3–1 series lead, Calgary was shut out by Lightning goalie Nikolai Khabibulin

Nikolai Khabibulin

Nikolai Ivanovich Khabibulin is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League...

, who recorded his fifth shutout of the postseason, a 29-save shutout, in a 1–0 Tampa Bay victory, with the game's lone goal being scored by Richards three minutes into the game.

The series returned to Tampa Bay tied, 2–2, for a critical Game 5, and Calgary pulled off a 3–2 overtime victory to move within one win away from the Stanley Cup. After Gelinas and St. Louis traded goals in the first period, Iginla scored for Calgary late in the second period. However, Fredrik Modin

Fredrik Modin

Fredrik "Freddy" Modin is a Swedish former professional ice hockey left winger, who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League and most notably won the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2003–04 season....

tied the game for the Lightning 37 seconds into the third period. The 2–2 score held until after 14:40 had gone by in overtime, when Oleg Saprykin

Oleg Saprykin

Oleg Dmitrievich Saprykin is a Russian professional ice hockey player. Saprykin currently plays for the Ufa Salavat Yulayev of the Kontinental hockey league-Playing career:...

's first goal since the first round won the game for the Flames.

Back to Calgary for Game 6, each team scored two second-period goals, with Richards scoring two for the Lightning and Chris Clark and Marcus Nilson

Marcus Nilson

Marcus Nilson is a Swedish professional ice hockey player currently playing for Djurgårdens IF of the Elitserien.-Playing career:...

for the Flames, respectively. In the third period, there was a dispute over a Martin Gelinas shot that appeared to have gone in off of his skate. Although not officially reviewed during the game, the NHL would later rule the video was inconclusive. The game entered overtime with the Flames needing only a single goal to win the Stanley Cup. Thirty-three seconds into double overtime, St. Louis put in the game-winner for the Lightning to force a winner-take-all Game 7 in Tampa Bay.

In a tense Game 7, Fedotenko scored goals for Tampa Bay late in the first period and late in the second period for a 2–0 lead. After Conroy

Craig Conroy

scored to narrow the deficit to 2–1, Calgary barraged Khabibulin after taking only seven shots in the first two periods. After the Conroy goal, Khabibulin stopped 16 Calgary shots. Tampa Bay won the game, 2–1, and the Stanley Cup.

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