Gegen einen Krieg im Irak!!! Es gibt eine neue Achse des Bösen, sie beginnt in Washington...
"Eishockey ist doch ganz einfach, man muss sich nur den Puck schnappen und ins Tor schießen." (Brian Sutter, Head-Coach und Ex-Spieler der Chicago Blackhawks)
Tampa Bay - New Jersey 1-2 3.OT (1-1/0-0/0-0/0-0/0-0/0-1) (Playoffstand 1-4) Vancouver - Minnesota 3-2 OT (0-1/0-0/2-1/1-0) (Playoffstand 3-1)
Tampa Bay - New Jersey 1-2 3.OT (1-1/0-0/0-0/0-0/0-0/0-1) (Playoffstand 1-4) Den vierten Erfolg über Tampa Bay erreichten die favorisierten Devils in dieser Nacht und müssen nun das Conference Finale gegen den Sieger aus der Serie Ottawa-Philadelphia bestreiten. Leicht machten es ihnen die Mannen Florida erneut nicht, denn trotz der vielgelobten Abwehr New Jerseys konnten sie sich gute Chancen erspielen, unterlagen aber dennoch in einer wiederholt überlangen Partie.
Martin Brodeur(N.J.) war erneut kaum zu bezwingen.
Tampas Coach John Tortorella überraschte bei seiner Aufstellung mit einer Änderung auf der Torhüterposition. Er ließ an Stelle von Nikolai Khabibulin diesmal John Grahame von Beginn an spielen, um seine Akteure besonders in der Defensive etwas sensibler zu machen. Der 27-jährige US-Amerikaner verrichtete seine Arbeit sehr gut und wurde vorerst nur im ersten Drittel von Scott Niedermayer(14.pp) bezwungen, der in nummerischer Überlegenheit frei vor dem Gehäuse stehend die Scheibe über den schon geschlagenen Grahame lupfte. Kurz zuvor hatte bereits Tampas Nikita Alexeev(12.) die zwischenzeitliche Führung für die Gäste erzielt. In den folgenden vier Abschnitten sollte dann kein weiters Tor mehr fallen, obwohl die Hausherren sich die klareren Einschussmöglichkeiten erspielten. Sie schienen an Grahame zu verzweifeln bis Grant Marshall(312.) in einem Getümmel in der dritten Overtime als Einziger die Übersicht behielt und mit einem Rückhandschuss den Puck zwischen die Beine des gegnerischen Goalies über die Linie beförderte.
Vancouver - Minnesota 3-2 OT (0-1/0-0/2-1/1-0) (Playoffstand 3-1) Nur äußerst knapp scheiterten die Wild zum dritten Mal an Vancouver, nachdem die Hausherren bis zwei Minuten vor der Schlusssirene eine Führung inne hatten, doch noch den Ausgleich hinnehmen mussten und in Overtime den Kürzeren zogen. Ein weiterer Kraftakt wie gegen die Colorado Avalanche in der ersten Runde, als sie ebenfalls mit 1-3 Spielen hinten lagen, die Serie aber doch noch umbogen, gilt es jetzt zu wiederholen.
Ed Jovanovski und Todd Bertuzzi (beide Van.) freuen sich über den dritten Sieg.
Keineswegs zurückhaltend präsentierten sich die Teams im Anfangsdrittel. Beide Mannschaften spielten munter nach vorne, jedoch gelang nur Marian Gaborik(20./44.) 38 Sekunden vor der ersten Pause ein Erfolgserlebnis zur Führung der Hausherren. Nach einem torlosen und ereignisarnmen Mittelabschnitt zerstörte dann zunächst Vancouvers Matt Cooke(43.) alle Siegeshoffnungen der Gastgeber, als er Goalie Manny Fernandez geschickt überlisten konnte. Nur kurz darauf brachte aber erneut Gaborik seine Wild nach vorne und riss dadurch die Zuschauer zu Jubelstürmen hin, die eine weitere Sensation zu wittern glaubten. Ed Jovanovski(58.) transportierte mit seinem sechsten Playofftreffer nur 126 Sekunden vor dem vermeintlichen Ende allerdings die Fans wieder zurück in die Realität, so dass es zum zweiten Mal in dieser Serie in die Overtime ging. Sehr zurückhaltend agierten dort die Teams, niemand wollte etwas riskieren. Zum Siegtreffer kam es dann knapp vier Minuten nachdem Filip Kuba wegen eines hohen Stocks auf der Strafbank Platz nehmen musste, als sich Brent Sopel(76.pp) ein Herz fasste, einen Pass von Markus Naslund direkt abnahm und die Scheibe im gut abgeschirmten Kasten der Wild unterbrachte.
EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Ticker) -- Grant Marshall sent the New Jersey Devils back to the Eastern Conference finals. Marshall scored on a rebound 11:12 into the third overtime, giving the Devils a 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game Five of their conference semifinal series.
Acquired from Columbus just before the trade deadline, Marshall got the rebound of defenseman Scott Niedermayer's shot just above the crease and backhanded it past goaltender John Grahame. "Nieder shot the puck and I just kind of deflected it or whacked it," Marshall said. "Basically, I just kept whacking at it. I just took a step and fired it and it went five-hole on Grahame. My goals aren't the prettiest." "I saw the rebound go out. Then either somebody hit my stick or somebody ran into it and my stick popped up into the air," Grahame said. "I think that's where it went. It was a bad break. My stick was out of my hands and I was trying to get over the post." As he raced into the right corner to celebrate, Marshall was joined by his teammates. It was his third goal of the series after ending a 65-game postseason drought in Game Two. "By far, it's the biggest goal of my career and the greatest moment; well, one of the greatest moments after winning the Cup in '99," Marshall said. "But this is awesome, too, to be able to actually help the team win." Niedermayer had the other goal for the Devils, who await the winner of the series between the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers in what will be their third conference finals appearance in four years. "We'll be down to four teams. I think this is where you want to be," said Brodeur, who made 39 saves. "Now it's just one step before you play for everybody's dream." The longest game in Lightning history also was the last of their most successful season ever. They reached the second round for the first time and had three of the five games in this series decided in the third period or overtime. "Oh, Jesus, we've made tremendous steps," Tampa Bay coach John Tortorella said. "This is how you build. These are the steps you need to take to become an organization like we played against tonight and through this series - one of the model organizations in the league. These are the steps you need to go through." The Lightning got no breaks in Game Five. New Jersey had all four power plays, including two in overtime. Tampa Bay also had a goal disallowed. "That amazed me that we're such a dirty team that we gave them four power-play chances and we didn't get one for six periods," Lightning center Tim Taylor said. Tampa Bay also could not win at New Jersey, where the Devils remained the league's only unbeaten home team at 6-0. The Lightning had their chances after regulation. Brodeur kicked out his left pad to deny a wide-open Martin St. Louis midway through the first overtime, then came up with two big stops in the third extra period. Brad Richards' shot from the right circle hit Brodeur in the mask and knocked him over. But he was able to get enough of St. Louis' chance on the rebound. "The rebound was right there, but (Scott) Stevens was holding me," St. Louis said. "I had to dive to get to it and I put as much as I could on it. He had his stick in my belly and I was reaching for (the puck). I couldn't get it up, but I thought I was able to slide it underneath." Facing elimination for the first time, Tortorella benched All-Star Nikolai Khabibulin and went with Grahame, who made 46 saves in his first start since the regular-season finale. "He was outstanding, outstanding," Tortorella said. "Nothing else I can say. I thought he was terrific." For the first half of the first period, the Devils looked like the team facing elimination. They were tentative and sloppy, managing just one shot on their first power play. Tampa Bay finally took advantage at 11:18, grabbing the lead less than three minutes after killing Ben Clymer's tripping penalty. New Jersey defenseman Scott Niedermayer was trapped deep, enabling the Lightning to break out 2-on-1. With defenseman Dan Boyle breaking down the right side, Nikita Alexeev fired a slap shot from the left faceoff circle past Brodeur's stick side. It was the first point in 11 playoff games for Alexeev and it seemed to snap the Devils to attention. They got another power play just 24 seconds later as Fredrik Modin was penalized for hooking and tied it with 15 seconds to go on the advantage. Niedermayer atoned for his earlier play when he got a cross-ice pass from fellow defenseman Brian Rafalski low in the right circle. He crept toward the net, got a screen from Lightning defenseman Cory Sarich and wristed a shot inside the far goalpost for his second playoff goal. "I don't usually end up down in the other team's zone too much. Unfortunately, they had a break because of it," Niedermayer said. "Not that I can go out there and score a goal whenever I make a mistake, but it was nice to be able to do that tonight." The first half of the second period was played at a break-neck pace, with just one stoppage during a 7 1/2-minute stretch. Once the tempo slowed, Tampa Bay appeared to take the lead with 8:18 to go. Off an odd-man rush, Modin had two chances stopped by Brodeur. Tied up by Rafalski at the top of the crease, Modin knocked in the puck on his third try, but replays showed he kicked it with his right skate. "I'm trying to stop and I'm getting pulled down from behind," Modin said. "I knew the puck was there, but I'm not going to move my foot because of that. It is a forward motion of the leg, and a forward kick with the leg is apparently what makes it disallowed." That ensured that Game Five was the third in the series that was tied after two periods. The third settled nothing as the teams reverted to the cautious brand of hockey played in the opening period. Patrik Elias, who ended a nine-game postseason scoring drought in Game Four, had the best chance to avoid overtime when he broke in alone on Grahame just under two minutes into the period. Trying to pick the top right corner, Elias missed the net.
Vancouver vs. Minnesota 3:1
Game 4: Vancouver @ Minnesota 3:2 OT
ST. PAUL, Minnesota (Ticker) -- Just two minutes away from evening the series, the Minnesota Wild now find themselves on the brink of elimination. Brent Sopel scored a power-play goal 15:52 into overtime after fellow defenseman Ed Jovanovski's game-tying tally late in the third period, giving the Vancouver Canucks a 3-2 victory over the Wild and a three games to one lead in their Western Conference semifinal series. With Minnesota holding a 2-1 lead, Jovanovski deflected Sopel's one-timer from just above the left faceoff circle past goaltender Manny Fernandez with 2:06 remaining in the third to draw the Canucks even. In overtime, Wild defenseman Filip Kuba was given a double-minor penalty for high-sticking Todd Bertuzzi and Vancouver made Minnesota pay. From nearly the same spot, Sopel one-timed a pass from captain Markus Naslund past a screened Fernandez for his second goal of the postseason and the Canucks' 12th postseason tally with the man advantage. Marian Gaborik scored both goals for Minnesota, which will begin its bid for a second straight series comeback when down three games to one in Game Five on Monday in Vancouver.
Méschda Hoschbess holy ...und nichts ist wie es scheint!!
Brawls. Blood. Mayhem. Philly style. You want it - we got it!
newcoming tough enforcers: --> Leafs-Fans können hier klicken!! Garrett Burnett HFD GP 62, G 6, A 1, P 7, Pim´s 346 Peter Vandermeer PHI GP 77, G 5, A 8, P 13, Pim´s 335 Sean McMorrow ROC GP 64, G 0, A 1, P 1, Pim´s 315 Darcy Verot SJN GP73, G 5, A 11, P 16, Pim´s 299
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Vielleicht wirds ja besser!?
GO LEAFS GO!
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...und nichts ist wie es scheint!!
