The Stanley Cup Final: Game 7 Predictions

[A True Canadian]

O.K. not a lot of you have been following up on the Stanley Cup Finals as much as us Canadians, but tonight is the last NHL game of the year and the Cup will be awarded.

The Teams:

Tampa Bay Lightning
- first time in the Stanley Cup finals
- eliminated New York Isalnders (4-1), Montreal Canadians (4-0), and Phillidelphia Flyers (4-3)

Calgary Flames
- first time in Stanley Cup Fianls since 1989
- eliminated Vancouver Canucks (4-3), Detroit Red Wings (4-2), San Jose Sharks (4-2)

The Series:

Game 1: Calgary defeats Tampa Bay (Final Score: 4-1)
Game 2: Tampa Bay defeats Calgary (Final Score: 4-1)
Game 3: Calgary defeats Tampa Bay (Final Score: 3-0)
Game 4: Tampa Bay defeats Calgary (Final Score: 1-0)
Game 5: Calgary defeats Tampa Bay (Final Score: 3-2 OT)
Game 6: Tampa Bay defeats Calgary (Final Score: 3-2 2nd OT)
Game 7: To be determined tonight!


Of course I'll be routing for Calgary, but it would be nice to see what the rest of you think.

(NOTE: The last Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup was the 1992-93 Montreal Canadians)

 

[CptStern]

someone will lose

 

[A True Canadian]

someone will lose

I'm pretty sure that's a given.

 

[Dr. Freeman]

been watching since April and its been fun!!

cheering for Calgary for many reasons.. one being that i like some of the players on that team.. another being their remarkable run and being the last Canadian team representing Canada

i hope Calgary wins.. they really deserve it.. Iginla for Conn Smyth :thumbs:

edit: in the poll Flames is spelled wrong

 

[Naft]

im thinkin the lightning....while it would be great for canada to win.....im actually not canadien, so im going for the team that appeals to me more( =lightning). calgary did a good job against the sharks though, they were gonna go all the way.

 

[CptStern]

I'm pretty sure that's a given.

yes I was being sarcastic


btw I'm canadian and I dont watch hockey...does that mean I'm not canadian? funny ...I know what poutine is

 

[ray_MAN]

Never heard of the 'Falmes'. I hope the Flames win. My uncle is a Lightning fan, so I don't want to hear it when the win. Sadly, it looks like the Lightning are going to win.

 

[A True Canadian]

in the poll Flames is spelled wrong

Ooops. Unfortunately I can't edit the poll as 15 minutes have past. Maybe a Mod can change it. hint hint hint hint....

 

[A True Canadian]

Here are some very interesting statistics:

The 2004 Stanley Cup Final is only the 13th series to go to a seventh and deciding game. The home team is 10-2 in a full seven-game series.


Game 7 will mark the first time since 1964 and 1965 that the Final has gone to seven games in consecutive years, following the New Jersey Devils’ 3-0 victory over the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in Game 7 last year.


History can also work in favour of the Calgary Flames. The only two visiting teams to win a full seven-game series in the final were both Canadian - The 1971 Montreal Canadiens and the 1945 Toronto Maple Leafs.


Canadian teams are 6-3 (Toronto in 1942, 1945 and 1964, Montreal in 1965 and 1971, Edmonton in 1987) when the Stanley Cup Final goes the full seven games.


With a overtime win in Game 7, the Lightning can become the third team in NHL history and the first in 53 years to win the Stanley Cup with consecutive overtime triumphs. The Flames had that very same chance in Game 6.


Calgary will try to avoid becoming the second team in 33 years to squander a three games to two lead. In 2001, the Devils dropped the final two games against the Colorado Avalanche.


The visiting team has won the last seven multiple overtime playoff games and 13 of the last 16 final overtime games. The Lightning won 3-2 on Martin St. Louis' overtime goal in Game 6, while the Flames won 3-2 on Oleg Saprykin's overtime goal in Game 5.


Lightning captain Dave Andreychuk will be participating in his 11th career Game 7, tying St. Louis Blues defenseman Al MacInnis for second place among active players.


Martin Gelinas leads the playoff class of 2004 with seven overtime points. No other player in this postseason has more than two going into Monday's Game 7.


The Tampa Bay Lightning are 9-0 in the 2004 postseason when Brad Richards scores a goal.


The Tampa Bay Lightning are 31-0-3 in the 2003-2004 season and playoffs when Brad Richards scores a goal.


The Tampa Bay Lightning are 44-0-4 since Dec. 31, 2002 when Brad Richards scores a goal.


After Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, Flames netminder Miikka Kiprusoff set a new NHL record for minutes played by a goaltender in a single playoff season with 1,596. Ed Belfour (Dallas - 1999) and Kirk McLean (Vancouver - 1994) shared the previous record with 1,544.


The most penalty minutes the Lightning have tallied in a postseason game this year is 17. The Flames have tallied at least that many in a game nine times.


Heading into Game 7, the Flames are 13-1 in the postseason when scoring first, while the Lightning are 13-2.


Nikolai Khabibulin and the Tampa Bay Lightning are 7-0 following a loss in the Stanley Cup playoffs.


Khabibulin has a 0.95 goals-against average and .963 save percentage in those seven games.


Heading into Game 7, the Flames have 10 road wins in the postseason, tying the NHL record. The New Jersey Devils set the mark in 1995 and equaled it in 2000, going on to win the Stanley Cup each time.


Tampa Bay set an NHL playoff record after Game 6 by alternating wins and losses for 13 straight games after its 3-2 double-overtime win. New Jersey did it 12 straight times in 1988.


Look out Lightning: Since the NHL expanded in 1967-68, a division or conference opponent that eliminated the Montreal Canadiens in a playoff season has never gone on to win the Stanley Cup.


The Flames finished the postseason with a 5-7 home record and no team has fashioned a losing record at home and won the Stanley Cup.


Heading into Game 7, Flames captain Jarome Iginla leads all skaters in plus/minus on the road with a +11.


Should Conn Smythe favourites Jarome Iginla or Brad Richards win MVP honours in Game 7, it will mark the first time since 1999 that a forward has won it.


Should Conn Smythe favourite Jarome Iginla win MVP honours in Game 7, it will mark the first time ever that two players traded for one another have won the trophy. Former Flame Joe Nieuwendyk won it in 1999 with Dallas.


Should Tampa win Game 7, John Tortorella will join the late Bob Johnson (Pittsburgh, 1991) as the only Amercian-born coaches to lead their team to a Stanley Cup.


Should Calgary win Game 7, Darryl Sutter will be the first head coach/General Manager to win the Cup since Glen Sather with Edmonton in 1988 (Scotty Bowman was head coach/Director of Player Personel when Detroit won it in 1997, with Ken Holland as Assistant GM).


HINT "MOD FIX THE POLL" HINT

 

[OCybrManO]

I have to say the Tampa Bay Lightning since I live about 15 miles from Tampa, FL and I go to school at the USF Tampa Campus.

 

[BirdMan]

Go Calgary!

Even tho there is some Quebecers in Tampa: Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St-Louis are my favorite, my vote goes to the canadian team. I hope Iginla is gonna make the winning goal.

 

[A True Canadian]

WOOT! (I never thought I'd use that expression)

The game is about to begin. To quote Don Cherry:

There's nothing like Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Kids dream about this when they're skating on the rink; it's the 7th game of the finals, it all comes down to this. 2 months of war; no other sport in the world has a war like this.
This is hockey and I'm loving it.

 

[brink's]

Calgary's got this.

 

[nw909]

I hope Calgary wins, even if I'm not Calgarian they're still in the same province as me.

So many cars with Flames flags on them now, it's cool.

 

[A True Canadian]

UPDATE:

After one period of play it's 1-0 Tampa Bay. The goal was scored by #17 Ruslan Fedotenko off a big reboud in front of the net. Don't get discouraged Calgary fans, there's still a lot of hockey left to be played.


The poll still hasn't been fixed yet

 

[Baal]

I don't even care anymore.

I wanted Calgary to win so bad on Saturday that now i'm just like..whatever, they win, yay, they don't...whatever.

I wanted them to win it all at home.

Oh well, Go Flames...

 

[brink's]

No A Leafs Fan!!!!!!!!!!!
Kill Him!!!!one!

 

[Baal]

Leafs for life..

I was grown up taught to be a leaf fan...not my fault, my whole family loves the leafs.

 

[JonTheCanuck]

i said b4 the game started that tampa would take it 1-0... altho i'm cheering for the flames cause i'm canadian, i dont think they'll take it

 

[BirdMan]

Leafs for life..

I was grown up taught to be a leaf fan...not my fault, my whole family loves the leafs.

I grew up being a Nordiques Fan, too bad they dismissed in 1995 :frown: ;(

Come on Calgary, go back on the 2nd!

 

[brink's]

NOOOO its 2-0 Tampa
bastige

 

[BirdMan]

Unless they score a goal early in the 3rd Period, Calgary is doomed right now.. :x


oh well... It's sad that a Canadian team won't have the cup this year, at least Canada gets the honor on the international league. :imu:

for now we just have to pray.

 

[brink's]

NOOOO tampa won, ohh well that sucks major ass

 

[Baal]

Last game we saw in the NHL ?

Possibly.

Last game we've seen in at least like eight months?

Most likely.

 

[A True Canadian]

The end has come...

It's over, it's done. Another NHL season comes to a close. I really thought Calgary would take the Cup this year, I really did.

It was a very hard-fought series, and it was nice to see big Dave Anderchuck finally get to the finals and win one of pro sports most coveted prize. This series was tough to watch because both of these teams had everything common in champions. Both teams showed a lot of character and earned some very well-desereved respect.

I think congratulations are in order. The Tampa Bay Lightning become the 17th team to win the Cup. They finished 1st overall in the regular season, and quickly became one of the greatset franchises in the NHL today.

There's always next year (if CBA comes through), there's always next year...



EDIT: How about that poll?

 

[Prince of China]

The Americans won!
Good job Yanks!
But that's because most of the players are Canadian.
So, I'm not so disappointed.

 

[Scorp_Ice183]

*Cough* Hockey Blows *Cough*

Leave it to canadians to make a Post about hockey...

Ohh and if your gona assult my americanism, piz no more bacon grease jokes, there getting a litte run dry, come up with some new material M'kay?

*Takes off running out of the thread*

 

[ScopeD]

They lost :O Ohno! I was hoping Calgary could pull this one, but it seems they didn't. Oh well, at least the world cup is coming to kick some lamas ass!

 

[neil7]

I was hoping the Toronto Maple leafs would win, but they got put out. i have seen some good game this year but because i live in scotland the times the games are on are too late to watch them all what with college and that. There was a good check in the Leafs last game even though they still lost!
by the way why do shirts of hockey teams cost a hundread dollers!!!!!

 

[hasan]

oh no canada lost ..
heh, I don't really watch hockey, but I hoped that Calgary would win ..

actually they deserve the cup, the no-goal goal was a goal IMHO.

 

[Tinneth]

England 1 - 2 France