Thursday, June 13, 2002
Wings' Cup quest could end tonight
The Associated Press
DETROIT — The Detroit Red Wings were built for this moment, this day, this game.
They were constructed by general manager Ken Holland and coach Scotty Bowman for one reason: to win the Stanley Cup.
The NHL's best team during the regular season, its best team so far in the playoffs and, perhaps, one of its best teams of all time, the Red Wings can solidify their place in history tonight by beating the Carolina Hurricanes in Game5 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
“We are anticipating a big moment for us out there, and we have to mobilize and go and get it,” Detroit forward Sergei Fedorov said Wednesday.
But, as center Igor Larionov said, “The fourth one is always the hardest to get, the toughest game of the series.”
The first three were difficult enough, given what seemed to be a huge disparity in talent between the two teams. But Carolina has gone into the third period with a chance to win every game, even if it has done so only once. Only in the final 30 minutes of Detroit's 3-0 victory in Game4 Monday night did the Hurricanes look overwhelmed.
“I know it's going to take a great effort, and I expect Carolina to match that,” Fedorov said. “We've got quite a few emotions flying around out there.”
Especially from their two most prominent players who have never won the Cup in Dominik Hasek, a six-time Vezina Trophy-winning goalie, and Luc Robitaille, a 600-goal scorer. And they don't want to squander what could be their last opportunity to win it.
With more than half the Red Wings' core players age 35 or older, this assemblage of All-Stars might not stay together long enough to take even one more run at the Cup.
After a first-round upset loss to Los Angeles a year ago, Holland was almost ready to dismantle the team. But owner Mike Ilitch signed off on taking another shot at a title, and Holland added veterans Hasek, Brett Hull, Robitaille and Fredrik Olausson.
“It is a long grind, but so far this year it's been unbelievable,” Robitaille said. “I've been excited since the beginning of the playoffs. And I know we want to play our best game.”
The Hurricanes have rallied once from a big deficit in the playoffs, scoring four straight goals to beat Montreal 4-3 in Game4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals and avoid going down 3-1 in the series. But history is against them: Only one team, Toronto in 1942 against Detroit, came back from trailing 3-1 to win the final three games and the Cup.
“If we pull out a game in Detroit and bring it back for Game 6, you can never say never,” Carolina defenseman Glen Wesley said.
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Wings' Cup quest could end tonight
