Moen strikes late to lift Ducks
ANAHEIM, California: Travis Moen scored the winning goal with 2:51 remaining in the third period to give the Anaheim Ducks a 3-2 victory over Ottawa on Monday in game one of the Stanley Cup Finals.
The Ducks, who lost their only prior National Hockey League championship appearance to New Jersey in 2003, took a 1-0 lead over Ottawa, trying to become the first Canadian Cup winners since 1993, in the best-of-seven title series.
With overtime looming, the Ducks grabbed their first lead on what left wing Moen described as the biggest goal of his career. Moen took a pass from Rob Niedermayer and scored his fifth goal of the playoffs.
"That's a pretty big goal," Moen said. "I don't think I've ever scored one bigger than this. It was a pretty big win. We played hard."
Ottawa Senators' Jason Spezza (left) and Mike Comrie (center) kick up a shower of snow on Anaheim Ducks goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere as they stop in the crease in the second period during Game 1 of the 2007 NHL Stanley Cup Finals hockey series in Anaheim, California on Monday. Reuters |
Ottawa's Mike Fisher opened the scoring just 98 seconds into the game with a power play goal but Andy McDonald equalized for the Ducks 10:55 into the first period off a pass from Finnish star Teemu Selanne.
"We did some good things. We were physical," McDonald said. "As the game went on we wore their defense down and I think that was a factor."
Wade Redden's power play goal 4:36 into the second period put the Senators ahead 2-1.
"We had a so-so first period but the second period wasn't bad. We came on strong and got some chances, got a couple of big power-play goals," Fisher said.
A loose puck in the middle of the ice and a lost stick by Ducks goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere contributed to the Ottawa tally, which was also aided by the Ducks being whistled for a penalty.
"It was a tough game. We took too many penalties. We have to tighten up there and come game two we will be ready," Moen said. "We played the way we wanted to, physical. We just took a few penalties we can't take.
"We shore that up and we will be all right."
The Ducks pressed the attack in the third period and leveled the score once more 5:44 into the session on a backhander by Ryan Getzlaf, who credit the hard hitting of teammates Shawn Thornton, Brad May and Todd Marchant for sparking Anaheim.
"I don't think we came out with an excellent effort," Getzlaf said. "Thornton and Mayday and Marchant went out with that one shift and they hit everything in sight and kept the puck in (Ottawa's) zone for about 2 1/2 minutes.
"You've got to give all the credit to those guys for sparking our group, and I don't think we looked back after that."
After Moen's goal, the Senators had one last chance when a hooking penalty on Chris Pronger with 44 seconds remaining in the third period gave them a power play.
But Giguere made the last of his 19 saves and the Ducks denied another chance in the final seconds to secure the triumph.
"We wanted to make sure we played conservative defense shift after shift and not get too complicated on offense," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said.
Ottawa netminder Ray Emery made 29 saves and the Ducks went 0-for-4 on the power play.
The Senators, playing after a nine-day layoff, were 2-for-7 with the extra-man advantage, an area that will be just as crucial in game two here Wednesday.
"They are going to come hard," Moen said. "They are going to come out and forecheck. We just have to keep going and keep playing our game."
AFP
(China Daily 05/30/2007 page24)
