Ducks celebrate Stanley Cup glory
ANAHEIM, California: Travis Moen scored on a deflection and was credited with another goal on an Ottawa defensive blunder as Anaheim beat the Senators 6-2 to capture the first Stanley Cup title in franchise history.
The 24-year-old Moen deflected a shot from the point past Ottawa goalie Ray Emery to give the Ducks a commanding 5-2 lead en route to a four-games-to-one series victory in front of a crowd of 17,372 at the Honda Center arena.
"Our line is considered more of a defensive line, so to score two goals is amazing," Moen said. "This is pure excitement. I have put in 25 years of hard work for this."
Anaheim benefitted from an Ottawa mistake in the second period as defenceman Chris Phillips got tangled up with his goalie at the side of the net before Emery mistakenly kicked the puck into his own net to give the Ducks a 3-1 lead.
The blunder was indicative of how the series has gone for the Ottawa players who looked nervous and out of sorts on Wednesday.
Moen was awarded the goal, which also proved to be the game winner, because he was the last Duck to touch the puck when he dumped it into the Ottawa zone from centre ice.
"I will take them any way I can get them," Moen said.
Anaheim Ducks' goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere holds the Stanley Cup after defeating the Ottawa Senators in Game 5 of the 2007 NHL Stanley Cup Finals hockey series in Anaheim, California on Wednesday. Reuters |
The Ducks mobbed goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere at the final buzzer then celebrated for about two hours out on the Honda Center ice and in the dressing room with teammates, friends and family members.
As part of the Stanley Cup tradition, the historic trophy was passed to each of the players and the coaching staff at centre ice for them to hold.
Rob Niedermayer, Andy McDonald, Corey Perry and Francois Beauchemin also scored for Anaheim which was perfect on home ice (4-0) throughout the series.
"I can't describe the feeling," Rob Niedermayer said. "This is something I dreamed about my whole career. I have been close a couple of times."
Moen was the scoring hero of game five but captain Scott Niedermayer was named the most valuable player of the showcase series.
This was the fourth Stanley Cup ring for Niedermayer, who along with brother Rob, becomes the first set of brothers to win the Stanley Cup together since Brent and Duane Sutter did it with the New York Islanders in 1983.
"I feel lucky. I feel more than lucky," Scott said. "This is the way it should be (winning with Rob). We will be able to talk about this forever. It is perfect."
Goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere put in another solid performance making 11 saves for the Ducks who became the first California team and the first west coast National Hockey League team of the modern era to win the Stanley Cup.
Anaheim made it to the finals in 2003 but this was the first Stanley Cup in their 13-year history.
"This everything I worked hard for," said the 22-year-old Perry, who won a Canadian junior championship with the London Knights two years ago. "It has been a long year. The last couple of years have been pretty special for me."
The game also featured a rare penalty shot as Giguere stopped Senators Antoine Vermette who was awarded the penalty shot after he was hooked from behind by Todd Marchant.
Vermette tried to deke Giguere but the puck rolled off his blade before he could get the shot away.
Anaheim came out with more spark in the opening period of game five as McDonald scored the first goal on a lucky bounce in front of the net. He curled around to the front of the net and his soft shot deflected in off the skate of Emery.
Rob Niedermayer put them ahead 2-0 when he drove down the right side then fought off a Senator defenceman before lifting a backhand over Emery's shoulder.
Perry made a key play on the goal by bumping an Ottawa player off from puck at the Senator blueline to spring Niedermayer free.
Daniel Alfredsson scored two goals for Ottawa in the second period and was their best player.
Alfredsson scored on a wrist shot from the slot at 11:27 and then from in close six minutes later to cut the Anaheim lead to 3-2.
But that was as close as the Senators would get as Moen and Perry put the game away with goals in the third.
AFP
(China Daily 06/08/2007 page24)
