Tampa Bay Lightning - 2004 Stanley Cup Champions!!

[Jazz]

Well....

I predicted Calgary would win the series and win game 7, so I was wrong there. I'm glad becuase I was going for Tampa deep down. But props to Calgary for a gutsy effort and for coming all the way!

But you have to admit that the more talented team won. Plus if you are a fan of the way the game is played and considering the fact that teams tend to copy the Champion - Tampa Bay was the better choice. The way teams like Tampa, my hometown Vancouver Canucks, and the Colorado Avalanche play, hopefully it means that a newer offensive trend will emerge in the NHL to stop the defensive trap oriented trend that started when New Jersey() won the cup in 1995.

Congrats to both teams for a wonderful final. Those last 10 minutes were intense!

[Skratch]

Good words, indeed.
Cheers to offensive hockey!

[TampaLightning]

It was a great series. I do think the Flames were jobbed in Game Six, though. They scored a goal and it was never even reviewed. Congrats to both teams.

[NyQuil]

It's always a shame when a hockey game misses a play.

Undoubtedly, Sabres fans remember the Dallas goal scored in the crease, (Brett Hull), which while legal by today's standards, was illegal for that one season.

Also, Slovakia still has their beef with Canada's controversial second goal in the semi-final.

In all cases however, particularly in a 7 game NHL series, it's tough to pin all the blame on one play.

[TampaLightning]

The Slovakia-Canada game caused a furor. From what I heard, the North American refs don't call that one when the goalie leaves the crease, and the European ones do. So it was more of a cultural clash than anything else there. I bet the fans in Prague were cheering hard for Sweden to beat the USA in the next game, though. Musta been tough for Team USA to take the ice right after that, as they were blamed for what that ref did, even though he is not connected to Team USA in any way.

[pihinalle]

Great job Tampa Bay Lightning!!! Congrats!! Especially congrats to Dave Andreychuk!!

[roots]

it was a whole lot more entertaining than last year..congrats to all the tampa fans...nice showing by the Flames it was a good ride.

[MarmotMike]

Congrats to Tampa Bay. Calgary looked like they were out of gas for the first two periods. I recall they had about 7 shots on goal after the midway mark of the game...

Great to see that speed and skill being displayed in the finals. Nice to see that Andreychuk getting the Cup after 22 years of play!

[Jazz]

Lightning's Cup a victory for attacking hockey despite a sloppy final series[/u][/color]

BILL BEACON
Canadian Press
Tuesday, June 08, 2004

(CP) - The upside of the Tampa Bay Lightning's Stanley Cup victory over the Calgary Flames is that attacking hockey may come back in style in the NHL.

Offensive skill was the difference between the teams, even if it came down to a one-goal win in Game 7 to decide the series. That may move other clubs to forecheck more and play the pressure game that made Tampa Bay the top team in the East this season and helped them overcome the Flames' swarming, hard-hitting game.

It was a refreshing sight after last year's Cup final between New Jersey and Anaheim, two clubs dedicated to stifling, defensive hockey, even if the play in the final, except for Game 5, was often sloppy.

"We tried to play that (attacking) style all year," said Tampa centre Brad Richards, the playoff scoring leader with 12 goals and 14 assists and Conn Smythe Trophy winner as post-season MVP.

"There was never a doubt. We went through slumps (in November and December) but there was no way we were going to change. We didn't change it since the Olympic break in 2002. That shows the confidence we have in the system."

It helps to have offensive guns like Richards, Martin St. Louis, Vincent Lecavalier and Ruslan Fedotenko, who had both goals in the Cup-clinching 2-1 win on Monday night.

The Flames, on the other hand, were done in by their inability to finish. When star winger and captain Jarome Iginla was shut down in the final two games, the Flames' attack was at a near standstill.

Part of that was due to injuries.

Dean McAmmond, with 17 goals in the regular season, and Matthew Lombardi (16 goals) were among the better Calgary offensive players who missed the final. Steve Reinprecht missed most of the season.

The Lightning's 1-0 win in Game 4 was the turning point. Calgary outhustled Tampa Bay, but their inability to put away glittering scoring chances let the Bolts tie the series 2-2.

Game 5 produced the most entertaining hockey of the series, as the Flames uncharacteristically went on the attack even after taking the early lead, and they prevailed 3-2 in overtime.

But with the series tied, nerves and the mushy ice at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa made Game 7 a ragged affair in which the two teams combined for only 32 shots.

The Lightning dazzled their opponents through the first three rounds, but faced a test of a different kind against a Calgary team that had knocked off Vancouver, Detroit and San Jose - division champions all - with heart, speed, young legs and pure determination.

It wasn't pretty hockey, but it was very effective.

Tampa Bay thought they had proved themselves physically against Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference final, but that was nothing.

Lightning veteran Tim Taylor called the Flames "the most physical team we've played against.

"A lot was written that Philadelphia was the most physical team, but they had probably five or six guys that would finish their checks consistently," he said. "Their defencemen weren't overly physical, but these guys (the Flames) are very physical.

"They don't have anyone who doesn't hit. They all finish their checks and they finish them hard."

Defencemen Robyn Regehr, Rhett Warrener, Andrew Ference, Jordan Leopold and Steve Montador, relative unknowns before these playoffs, were as solid as any unit they faced. And Toni Lydman's return from a concussion in Game 5 boosted their skill level.

Sometimes the hitting went over the top, such as Ville Nieminen slamming Lecavalier's face into the boards in Game 4, drawing a one-game suspension or Ference high-sticking and boarding St. Louis in the dying moments of Game 7 with his team pressing for the tying goal.

Still, doubt will always remain that the Flames may have won the Cup had officials spotted the puck apparently entering the net as it glanced off Martin Gelinas's skate late in Game 6, won 3-2 in double overtime by Tampa Bay.

That loss broke the backs of the battered Flames, who also lost winger Shean Donovan and had top defenceman Robyn Regehr playing with a high ankle sprain.

By Game 7 of the final, their 26th playoff game, the Flames were out of energy and the Lightning's stars were quick to take advantage, despite the heroics of Flames goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff, who kept his team in a game that could have been a blowout.

It may be a while before NHL hockey resumes unless the league and the players association can forge a new collective bargaining agreement (the current agreement expires Sept. 15 and a lockout looms).

When it does, the young Lightning are likely be a team to be reckoned with for many years. Hopefully, other squads will imitate them.
© Copyright 2004 The Canadian Press

[Jazz]

Also, Alberta premier must wear Bolts jersey[/u][/color]
Associated Press
Tuesday, June 8, 2004

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Lightning weren't the only ones celebrating a victory Tuesday -- Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (brother of US President George W. Bush) also won his bet with the Alberta premier over the game.

Because the Lightning beat the Calgary Flames 2-1 in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals, Bush will soon receive some of Alberta's world-famous Grade-A beef.

And the Alberta Premier, Ralph Klein, will have to wear a Lightning jersey.

Bush also offered his congratulations to the Lightning, saying: "This victory has made the residents of Tampa Bay and Florida proud."

[Balder]

Had no time to follow the finals, and a little late congrats to TBL!

[braveheart]

Congrats to Tampa Bay.A great game to end a great series .I thought the better team won on the night and both goalies were excellent throughout.

[TampaLightning]

Nice to see that Andreychuk getting the Cup after 22 years of play!







Word up on that! Remember Ray Borque a couple of years back--same deal with the Avalanche. Andreychuk has earned it indeed.

[stjohnsleafsfan]

Congratulations to the Tampa Bay Lightning. You know what else makes it so sweet? That they won it before their expansion cousins the Ottawa Senators even though Ottawa has had a better overall record than them since 1992.

[NyQuil]

>>Congratulations to the Tampa Bay Lightning. You know what else makes it so sweet? That they won it before their expansion cousins the Ottawa Senators even though Ottawa has had a better overall record than them since 1992.

Nah.

What's sweet is yet another team has made it to the Stanley Cup final in the post-expansion era, unlike the Toronto Maple Leafs who still haven't done it in 37 years.

The list of teams that haven't played in 4 rounds of hockey gets smaller every year, and soon it'll only be the poor old blue and white left.

Now THAT's sweet!