If a goal is scored, and nobody's around to see it...

Forgive me for the riddle of a beginning, because the sound is obviously still made, and the goal is still good. The Stanley Cup Finals between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Edmonton Oilers began tonight in the rowdy city of Raleigh, North Carolina.

The display was amazing. Professional sports at its finest. After missing the first period, I turned the television on with the second period beginning and Edmonton up one to nothing. After a myriad of chances were steered aside by Edmonton goaltender Dwayne Roloson, the Oilers buried a couple of chances of their own (one of which was a penalty shot goal scored by Conn Smythe candidate Chris Pronger) to go up 3-0 with just over three and a half minutes to go. The game seemed like business as usual for a team that had won 8 of its last 9 hockey games: Show up in a hostile environment, set the physical tone early, go ahead and shut the crowd up. However, this game showed why NHL hockey can still matter in American sports.

Less than a minute after Ethan Moreau gave Edmonton a three goal lead, Carolina's captain Rod Brind'Amour punched in a rebound to make it 3-1 after 40 minutes of hockey. Carolina continued that momentum early in the third period, as trade deadline acquisition Doug Weight set up Ray Whitney perfectly for a one timer at the left wing faceoff circle just a minute forty in to cut the lead to one. Whitney scored again on a power play to tie it up. Just over five minutes into the third period, a game Edmonton dominated was tied. Five minutes later, Justin Williams beats Dwayne Roloson shorthanded on a breakaway, putting Carolina up 4-3 with about 10 minutes remaining. Undeterred, the resilient Oilers fired a barage of shots at rookie goalie Cam Ward. The youngster was equal to the task and made some spectacular saves he had no business making. The Oilers eventually would tie the game off a phenomenal play by Ales Hemsky.

Then came the scary moment, as Edmonton goalie Dwayne Roloson left the game after a collision knocked the net off its moorings. The man who has helped key the Oilers improbable run will miss the rest of the series with a knee injury. In came Ty Conklin, a man who played a mere 18 games in the regular season. The last of which came on April 17th, in the most important game of his life. Stanley Cup Finals game 1, tied at 4, with less than 7 minutes remaining.

The game appeared destined for overtime with less than a minute left and neither team taking any chances offensively. The Hurricanes dumped the puck into the Edmonton zone, and Conklin came out on what looked to be a routine play. A routine play, until he got crossed up with defenseman Jason Smith, passed the puck off his stick, and it came right in front of an empty net for Brind'Amour, who easily tapped it in with over 30 seconds to go. Carolina seemed to be on cruise control for a backdoor game 1 win, but with the way this game went, anything was possible. So of course, Edmonton put on a flurry of shots in the last half minute with a tremendous opportunity that Cam Ward miraculously denied with 3.8 seconds remaining. The Hurricanes held on for a 5-4 game 1 victory. This was a showcase game for the new, post-lockout National Hockey League. As exciting a Stanley Cup Finals game as anyone could have asked for.

*sigh* But then I realize that this exciting contest took place on OLN. The Outdoor Life Network (soon to become Versus). What really grinds my gears is the total lack of coverage it has been getting in the mainstream media. ESPN has their random segments of Barry Melrose on Sportscenter, and that is about it. OLN is becoming more available to cable plans, so that is a start. Also, the network has done a great job of promoting what it sees as its baby and ticket to larger scale competition with ESPN.

However, with the championship matchup ranking as somewhere between sexy and deplorable, very few people in America (outside of the Raleigh area) are actually aware that the NHL Playoffs are still going on. And that is a shame. This sport used to be one of the cult sports in America. It may not have been the NFL or NBA, but following their strike it was at least as appealing as Major League Baseball. After falling ratings, an economic system that was crumbling, a dreadful product highlighted by trap heavy 1-0 games, a lockout that cost us the entire 2004-2005 season proved to be the final straw to both the casual fan and the mainstream media.

It didn't used to be this way. I was one of the few people outside of the competing cities who actually witnessed the spectacle that was Game 1 of the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals and have watched even after my Red Wings got eliminated. The game is as entertaining as ever. We now have a system where teams in these regions can compete for a championship instead of being dead weight to the wealthier teams. It's amazing. That game was one that could have drawn the casual observer back into the game. The series will switch to network television (NBC) from game 3 on. Unfortunately, given what happened to Dwayne Roloson tonight, this series could get really lopsided really fast unless Ty Conklin gets his head together and keeps Edmonton competitive. Tonight's game could be the lone compelling game of the series if he doesn't. It's hard to believe, but the actual immediate future of the NHL may rest on the pads of Ty Conklin keeping the underdog Oilers fighting. Whatever happens the rest of the series, take note right now. The NHL is back as an entertaining product. Watch these games, even if your team isn't there. These are two fantastic hockey teams who have paid their dues in so many ways. For if a goal is scored, and nobody is around to see it, the league will die. Watch the games, watch the goals, and embrace hockey at its finest.

Stanley Cup Finals Schedule
Game 1: CAR wins 5-4
Game 2: Wednesday, June 7th, 8 PM, OLN
Game 3: Saturday, June 10th, 8 PM, NBC
Game 4: Monday, June 12th, 8 PM, NBC
*Game 5: Wednesday, June 14th, 8 PM, NBC
*Game 6: Saturday, June 17th, 8 PM, NBC
*Game 7: Monday, June 19th, 8 PM, NBC

*if necessary

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