Brind'Amour's Late Goal Lifts Hurricanes Over Oilers in Game One of Cup Finals
RALEIGH, N.C. -- A stunning comeback, phenomenal goaltending and the bitter loss of a star player to injury all made Game 1 of the 2006 Stanley Cup Final both unforgettable and vexing for both the Carolina Hurricanes and Edmonton Oilers.
The Hurricanes got the important win, 5-4, after falling into a three-goal hole in midway through the second period, capitalizing on the tremendous work of rookie goalie Cam Ward.
The comeback from the three-goal deficit equaled the largest comeback in Stanley Cup Final history.
For the Oilers, the loss was especially devastating as goalie Dwayne Roloson, a leading contender for the Conn Smythe Trophy headed into the Final, suffered a knee injury late in the third period and is out for the remainder of the playoffs.
The Oilers have to solve their goaltending question Tuesday in preparation for Wednesday night's Game 2 (8 p.m. ET, OLN, CBC, RDS, NHL Radio). Ty Conklin came on in relief for the Oilers and it was a miscommunication between him and defenseman Jason Smith behind the net that allowed Carolina's Rod Brind'Amour to gain control of the puck and jam it into the empty net with just 32 seconds remaining in the third period.
