Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Stanley Cup Game Seven: Carolina in My Mind


Image courtesy of Alipyon at flickr.com)

I write with droopy eyelids (stayed up to watch the bitter end) and a despondent heart--not so much because Edmonton lost Game Seven, but because the NHL season is over. Hats off to the Hurricanes, though, with my Carolina Top Ten:

10. Superior power play: 20% scoring percentage, nearly twice as good as the Oilers in this series

9. Rod “the Bod” Brind’Amour: plus-9 in the playoffs (without breaking his nose for at least the fifth time) and won 13/16 face-offs in Game Seven

8. James Taylor wanted them to win: I can’t get “Carolina in My Mind” off my mind, and I don’t mind

7. RBC (Royal Bank of Canada) Center (I was tempted to spell it “Centre”): 18,978 on their feet for the whole game!

6. Come to think of it, I’ll have a Hedican: Kristi Yamaguchi’s husband led the Carolina defensemen in plus/minus (plus-6 in 2006 playoffs)

5. Frantisek Kaberle: the defenseman scored what would be the game-winning goal

4. Aaron Ward: the defenseman notched the game’s first goal and won his third Cup (in case you don’t know me well…I’m a defenseman

3. Cam “Conn Smythe” Ward: 2.14 GAA was just a tad better than Jussi Markkanen (2.17 GAA) in the Finals

2. Glen Wesley: the former Bruin has waited 18 years to kiss the Cup, so it was his turn

1. Julia “Relentless” Rowe, Peter Laviolette’s six-year-old neighbor and Caniac, whose fight against cancer sparked the ‘Canes to raise money for the fight against cancer

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