Monday, June 7: Game 7 |
![]() Ruslan Fedotenko scored twice, including the critical first goal, as the resilient Lightning held off the Flames 2-1 in Game 7 Monday night to win their first Stanley Cup. |
Kelley: Anatomy of a Stanley Cup finals The Lightning's win over the Flames in seven games came down to one thing: more of everything. |
Kelley: Making the most of it Craig Ramsay once gave Dave Andreychuk sage words of advice. Two decades later, Andreychuk gave him something bigger in return. |
Hradek: Fedotenko trade pays off Two years after acquiring Ruslan Fedotenko, the Lightning reaped the benefits. |
Adelson: 'The most toughest loss' For Jarome Iginla and the Flames, losing Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals hurt like no other. |
Richards' 26 playoff points wins him Conn Smythe Brad Richards can finally forget about last year's playoffs. |
ESPN analysts: Team effort for Tampa ESPN's analysts examine Tampa Bay's stifling defense, Vincent Lecavalier's dominance and Nikolai Khabibulin's brilliance in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals. |
Stanley Cup notebook: Game 7 If you want to know the pecking order of an NHL champion, just follow the Stanley Cup. |
Photo gallery: Game 7 A pictorial look at Tampa Bay's 2-1 win against Calgary. |
Monday, June 7: Pregame |
![]() Players may say it's fun to prepare for Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals -- but they're lying. |
Clement: Iginla, Richards key ESPN's Bill Clement breaks down the keys to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals. |
Regehr might be hurt, but he's playing Stanley Cup notes from Game 7 |
After Game 7, when will next NHL game be? As of Tuesday, all 30 teams -- including the champ -- will be firmly united. How long they stay that way may determine what hockey looks like the next time there's an NHL game. |
Sunday, June 6 |
![]() Don't expect Flames-Lightning to ignite into high-scoring, heart-stopping hockey Monday just because it will be Game 7 of the finals. |
Homing in? Hosting Game 7 could boost Bolts Of the 10 Cup finals Game 7s since 1950, nine were won by the home team. So the Lightning's 3-2 double-OT victory at Calgary in Saturday's Game 6 could be huge. |
Bolts look for Lecavalier to step up next The Bolts needed more from their top players to push the Stanley Cup finals to Game 7, and that's just what they got. |
Andreychuk thisclose to finally winning title Dave Andreychuk was so nonchalant that it was hard to tell he is so near what has eluded him for over two decades. |
Saturday, June 5: Game 6 |
![]() Martin St. Louis knocked in a rebound in the second OT, and the Lightning forced a Game 7 by beating the Flames 3-2 Saturday night. |
Kelley: Lightning answer Bourque's call Trailing 3-2 and facing an uphill battle, the Lightning recieved a powerful message: it can be done. |
Adelson: Won for the road If the Flames are to win the Stanley Cup, it's only fitting that they'll have to do so on the road. |
Kelley: Flames may have lost more than game Flames defensive stalwart Robyn Regehr was seen leaving the Saddledome after Game 6 with a cast on his left foot. |
ESPN analysts: Momentum? Maybe, maybe not ESPN's analysts examine Tampa Bay's effort, Calgary's inconsistency and Martin St. Louis' game-winning goal in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals. |
Photo gallery: Game 6 A pictorial look at Tampa Bay's 3-2 double-overtime win against Calgary. |
Saturday, June 5: Pregame |
![]() The only reason the Flames want to go back to Florida is to celebrate a Stanley Cup title at Disneyworld. |
Kelley: Lightning face mirror first Before facing the Flames, the Lightning must wrestle with the idea of doing whatever it takes to win. |
Clement: Tampa out of time It's now or never for the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals, but the Calgary Flames face some pressure of their own. |
Friday, June 4 |
![]() How did the Flames and Lightning get this far? See Miikka Kiprusoff and Nikolai Khabibulin, respectively. |
Taylor turning party crasher Angry about his team's loss in Game 5, Bolts center Tim Taylor is intent on spoiling the Flames' party plans. |
Calgary seeks to clinch at home Calgary is revving up to enjoy one of the most unlikely Cup titles. |
Cup notes: Fraser out of Game 6 Referee Kerry Fraser was pulled Friday from his Game 6 assignment. |
Thursday, June 3: Game 5 |
![]() Oleg Saprykin's OT goal has the Calgary Flames one win from the Stanley Cup. |
Kelley: Finding the fire The Flames keep following Jarome Iginla's lead and dig deep inside when it matters most. One more time and they could be Stanley Cup champions. |
Berra: An unlikely hero The Flames gave Oleg Saprykin a bigger role in Game 5. He paid them back with an overtime goal. |
Hradek: Lydman returns for Flames Flames defenseman Toni Lydman returned for Game 5 after missing nearly two months due to a concussion. |
ESPN analysts: Iginla carries Calgary ESPN's analysts examine the superlative efforts of Jarome Iginla and Nikolai Khabibulin in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals. |
Photo gallery: Game 5 A pictorial look at Calgary's 3-2 overtime win against Tampa Bay. |
Thursday, June 3: Pregame |
![]() A remorseful Ville Nieminen, the Flames suspended winger, doesn't plan on watching Game 5 against the Lightning. |
ESPN analysts: What pressure does ESPN's Bill Clement and Darren Pang examine some of the storylines heading into Game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals. |
Wednesday, June 2 |
![]() Flames left wing Ville Nieminen was suspended Wednesday for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup final, two days after ramming Tampa Bay's Vincent Lecavalier's head into the glass late in Game 4. |
Kelley: Truth, lies and the Stanley Cup finals The Flames-Lightning series isn't what we thought it was going to be. Shame on us ... and Darryl Sutter. |
Tuesday, June 1 |
![]() The Flames are mirror images of their coach/GM Darryl Sutter: hard workers who can handle the truth. |
Kelley: Torts' intensity John Tortorella's demanding style has rubbed some the wrong way, but not the Lightning. |
Monday, May 31: Game 4 |
![]() Nikolai Khabibulin remained undefeated following a loss in carrying Tampa Bay to a series-tying 1-0 victory over Calgary in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals Monday. |
Kelley: Richards redux A second chance gives Brad Richards an NHL record and the Lightning a renewed hope. |
Adelson: No apologies The Flames' aggressive style cost them a 3-1 lead. It's also what got them to the Stanley Cup finals in the first place. |
Berra: Lightning turn the other cheek Vincent Lecavalier. Pavel Kubina. Ruslan Fedotenko. The Bolts are taking on injuries, but they'd rather take the Cup than revenge. |
Hradek: Juggling act With winger Ruslan Fedotenko and key defenseman Pavel Kubina out hurt, Bolts coach John Tortorella made the most of the players he had in Monday's win over the Flames. |
ESPN analysts: Ugly win for Tampa ESPN's analysts examine the shifting momentum, outstanding goaltending and silly penalties in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals. |
Photo gallery: Game 4 A pictorial look at Tampa Bay's 1-0 win over Calgary. |
Monday, May 31: Pregame |
![]() Lightning winger Ruslan Fedotenko and defenseman Pavel Kubina were scratched from Monday's Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals against the Flames. |
Stanley Cup finals notebook: May 31 Breaking down coaching methods, passing along some valuable lessons and other notes from the Stanley Cup finals. |
Sunday, May 30 |
![]() If the Flames win two in a row, they'll be heavily favored to win the Stanley Cup. But in this series, that's a big if. |
Saturday, May 29: Game 3 |
![]() One trend is developing in a furiously played Stanley Cup final: The first team to 1 wins. In Saturday's Game 3, that was Calgary, which went on to a 3-0 victory. |
Kelley: Simon powers Flames Best known as a tough guy, Chris Simon has emerged as the Flames' go-to guy with the man advantage. |
Adelson: Flames play their game The Flames played hard, tough and physical in Game 3. They also played Follow The Leader. |
Lightning lose edge again After losing Game 3, the Lightning must win back-to-back games to win the Stanley Cup. If only it were that easy. |
Hradek: Glut of goals? Gone What was expected to be a high-scoring series has developed into a tight-checking battle of wills. |
ESPN analysts: Iginla, Kiprusoff lead ESPN's analysts break down Jarome Iginla's dominance, Calgary's overall intensity and Miikka Kiprusoff's stellar goaltending in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals. |
Photo gallery: Game 3 A pictorial look at Calgary's 3-0 win over Tampa Bay. |
Saturday, May 29: Pregame |
![]() After his worst game of the playoffs, Craig Conroy knows he has to rebound for the Flames to have a chance. |
Kelley: Flames don't forget Turek Roman Turek has been relegated to a backrup role, but his contributions are still noticed by his teammates. |
Stanley Cup notebook: May 29 Breaking down the goalies, examining the influence of the Calgary crowd and other notes from the Stanley Cup finals. |
Friday, May 28 |
![]() Calgary is already in a heightened state of hockey euphoria as the Cup final moves north. |
Adelson: Flames' power struggle Does an ineffective power play preclude the Flames from winning the Stanley Cup? They hope not. |
Tension flares between Cup finalists It's taken only two games for the Calgary Flames and Tampa Bay Lightning to realize they don't really like each other. |
Don't overlook Richards![]() It's doubtful Tampa Bay would still be playing without Brad Richards' important contributions. |
Game 2 ratings slightly higher than Game 1's The rating for Tampa Bay's 4-1 victory in Game 2 was up slightly from Game 1, which tied for the lowest-rated finals game on ESPN since 1990. |
Thursday, May 27: Game 2 |
![]() Ruslan Fedotenko ended Calgary's 10-game first-period shutout streak and the Lightning beat the Flames 4-1 Thursday night. |
Kelley: From the end of the world to the top Critics questioned the Bolts' ability to rebound from their Game 1 loss. Then the puck was dropped on Game 2. |
Flames lack edge, then lose it Unable to carry over their physical play from Game 1, the Flames head back to Calgary with the series tied. |
Hradek: Score first or lose The Stanley Cup finals are holding true to a hockey trend -- the team that scores first wins. |
ESPN analysts: Lecavalier the leader ESPN's analysts break down Vincent Lecavalier's effort, Nikolai Khabibulin's improvement and the increased intensity in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals. |
Berra: Boyle changes things he can Dan Boyle overcame his personal loss and helped deliver a big win for the Lightning in Game 2. |
Thursday, May 27: Pregame |
![]() The only changes the Lightning are going to make for Game 2 are in their heads. |
Chat: Bill Clement ESPN analyst Bill Clement dropped by to talk about the Stanley Cup finals. |
Wednesday, May 26 |
![]() The NHL and the sport of hockey need a new face. And Jarome Iginla is willing to be just that. |
Bolts plan proportional 'response' The Lightning aren't waiting until they're on the verge of elimination to recover from their loss in Game 1. |
SportsNation Stanley Cup notebook: May 26 Do you have questions about the Stanley Cup finals? We've got the answers. |
Tuesday, May 25: Game 1 |
![]() The Flames shook off a five-day layoff and any jitters, scoring on their first shot and riding a superb two-way game by Jarome Iginla to stun the Lightning 4-1 in Game 1. |
Kelley: Greatness in grand fashion In Game 1, Flames captain Jarome Iginla showed why true greatness has nothing to do with luck. |
Berra: At home on the road The Calgary Flames are on the verge of making NHL history on the road. Seriously. |
Hradek: Can Bolts rebound from bad bounces? Bounces, bad ice, zone clearances and short-handed aggressiveness all played a role in Game 1. |
ESPN analysts: Flames had the emotion ESPN's analysts examine Calgary's emotional edge, Jarome Iginla's dominance and Nikolai Khabibulin's struggles in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals. |
Photo gallery: Game 1 A pictorial look at Calgary's 4-1 win over Tampa Bay. |
Tuesday, May 25: Pregame |
![]() An up-close look at Flames goalie Miikka Kiprusoff and the Lightning's Nikolai Khabibulin. |
Stanley Cup notebook: May 25 It may be 90 degrees and humid in Tampa, but the Forum ice is in good hands. |
ESPN Analysts: Stanley Cup predictions ESPN's roster of NHL analysts offer their picks for the Stanley Cup champion and Conn Smythe winner. |
SportsNation notebook: May 25 Do you have questions about the Stanley Cup finals? We've got the answers. |
Vote: Flames or Bolts -- who wins? Who will hoist the Stanley Cup? The Flames? The Lightning? Cast your vote now! |
Monday, May 24 |
![]() Forget their payrolls, markets and lack of megastar power, the Lightning and Flames are about to play one heck of a Stanley Cup finals. |
Frei: Southern survival skills A Stanley Cup is good for any small-market team -- even if the city it's in doesn't own a snowplow. |
Cox: Keepers of the Cup Not all Canadians are fans of the Flames, and their concerns extend further south than Calgary. |
Breakdown: Flames vs. Lightning Calgary may be well-rested, but Tampa Bay's special teams should lead the Lightning to the Stanley Cup. |
Sunday, May 23 |
![]() After a seven-year playoff drought, the Flames were turned over to Darryl Sutter, who changed their way of thinking. |
How they were built: Calgary Flames A player-by-player look at how the 2004 Western Conference champions were assembled. |
How they were built: Tampa Bay Lightning A player-by-player look at how the 2004 Eastern Conference champions were assembled. |