Gretzky Conf - Game 7 - Panthers vs Rangers - Play by Play - Page 4 - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

notoepik · 04-18-2006, 06:54 PM

WHAT WHAT WHAT HAPPENED!!!!

Cheese · 04-18-2006, 06:57 PM

Rod Brind'Amour's misconduct expired and both teams had their full compliment of players.

Coach and GM MJK now started experiments withhis lines to see if he could manage a spark...anything that might get the teams even and into overtime where it was anyones game.

Three minutes left in the third period.....the Panthers with the puck deep in the Rangers zone. Coach MJK had instructed his dmen to pinch now at any good opportunity.
Handzuz had the puck behind the Rangers net...watching for the players to sort themselves out.....to wait for that one mistake to happen springing a Panther player free....Sergei Gonchar jumped into the high slot looking for a quick pass when Zus noticed the swift skating dman move into the slot. Zus deked right and quickly moved left behind the net...and dumped the puck into the slot area.
Ray Whitney stretched his stick out...barely touching the puck...moving it slightly off its course...but easily within reach of the on-charging Gonch man. Robert Lang witnessing Gonchar approach the slot moved hard to his left...trying to cut the pass off before it reached the defenceman.
The sweat was dripping down Gonchars face...he knew that if he missed this chance he might never play in Florida again. He strained for the puck....his every muscle aching with the movements of his large frame....his stick reaching for the puck...seeing the hole at the top of Rolosons shoulder appear...yawning...waiting for the puck and the celebration that would ensue.
Lang reached the puck faster....Jason Chimera noting that Gonchar had moved from his post streaked down the defencemans side of the rink as Langs pass made its way from deep within the Rangers slot.
Chimera had a clear breakaway.
Mike Rathje skated hard after the swift Rangers forward....he knew if jhe kept his angle that he had a chance....a chance to either strip him of the puck...or to physically remove him from it...a chance he would clearly take at this point of the game.
Chimera reached the blueline at full speed....Rathje skating hard on a 30 degree angle from the opposite side seemed to have a chance. Chimera heard the skate blades approaching...he heard the scream from behind him...all 19 people in the crowd were on their feet, beer spilled, nachos dropped.
One shot..thats all he needed...Rathje decided this was it...he launched himself at Chimera arms staright in front...stick extended beyond. A reach of at least 10 feet with stick extended...he knew he could do it.
Chimera stopped....put the brakes on so hard that Rathje flew by him..and right into the far corner.
It was Chimera and Nabakov....face to face...

Cheese · 04-18-2006, 07:11 PM

Chimera had been having problems as of late....he couldnt figure out why he kept getting these zits. He tried different creams, lotions and prescriptions yet the damned things kept growing on his face. Today was no different...a zit had started to grow on his nose...and not just any zit, a huge mofo that had its roots deep into Chimnera's nasal cavity. Jason was worried hed end up on a close up television shot and all the chicks in New York would be laffing theor asses off.
Jason skated closer to the net....12 feet now.....he could clearly see Evgeni's eyes....he thought...wow they are blue!
There was no noise...just his mind and the goalkeeper...

Cheese · 04-18-2006, 07:17 PM

Evgeni watched the play unfold....he watched as Gonchar missed his chance in the Rangers end...watched as Lang intercepted the pass and threw it up the boards to this hard charging player....he didnt know who it was, but it didnt matter. He watched his own dumb defenceman screw up and lay watching in the corner...struggling to get up and get back into the play....he knew there was no help....it was just Nabby and the kid...this Rangers kid...this Rangers kid with a huge mofo of a zit on his nose.
As Nabby looked up at that zit, Chimera knew this was his shot...he let go a wrister from 8 feet out aimed at the stick side...shoulder high.
Nine goals all year....a minus nine on a playoff team. He knew that didnt sit well with his coach and GM...the same GM who had now abandoned his team and took his family to Disneyland. All these thoughts and the puck was still sailing as if in slow motion....

Cheese · 04-18-2006, 07:20 PM

Nabakovs last thought was...."I hope they dont get that zit on camera"..as the puck flew by his right shoulder and hit the twine at the back of the net...all 19 people in the crowd sighed...you could almost hear them.

The Ranger bench erupted as Chimera had staked the team to a 4-2 lead at 17:18 of the 3rd period.
Was it enough? The Rangers had felt defeat so many times...and there was still time left on the clock.

Period 3

6. RANGERS, CHIMERA 4 (LANG, WHITNEY), 17:18

HelloHockeyFans · 04-18-2006, 07:22 PM

Done! It's over!

Cheese · 04-18-2006, 07:26 PM

Van Hellemond called the teams to centre ice....Panthers coach MJK knew it was all or nothing now and pulled Nabakov from the nets for an extra attacker. He knew his Powerplay was strong...and he knew it was time for it to click.
The puck dropped..the Panthers immediately flipped the puck into the Rangers end....play was furious as the Cats put two men on every loose puck....shots were fired from every angle...and the Rangers were once again feeling the searing pain in their legs...the pain caused by chasing, yet never getting the puck.
The Announcer came on over the loudspeakers...

ONE MINUTE LEFT IN THE 3RD PERIOD....

Cheese · 04-18-2006, 07:28 PM

Rathje held the puck in at the point....a quick pass to Handzus...a shot and Rolson blocked it again...Brind'Amour charging from the side of the net picked up the rebound and SCORED...making it 4-3 with 44 seconds left in the game...

a hope?

Period 3

7. PANTHERS, BRIND'AMOUR 7 (HANDZUS, RATHJE), 19:16

Cheese · 04-18-2006, 07:38 PM

The puck dropped on the faceoff circle...MJK decided to leave Nabby in the net until his team recovered the puck...a fatal mistake.
The Rangers grabbed the disk and played keep away for the final 40 seconds frustrating the Cats at every turn.....and then it happened...

The Final Horn...

Final score 4-3 Rangers....and moving to the Gretzky Conference final vs the Atlanta Thrashers.

Scoring Summary
Period 1
1. RANGERS, STILLMAN 5 (DRURY, REINPRECHT), 00:54
2. RANGERS, LANG 2 (WHITNEY, CHIMERA), 03:50
3. RANGERS, ZUBRUS 3 (REASONER, KHAVANOV), 08:41

PENALTIES: C. DRURY RAN (ELBOWING, Minor) 12:12

Period 2
4. PANTHERS, JACKMAN 2 (KOROLYUK, JOKINEN), 02:50

PENALTIES: B. HOLIK PAN (GOALIE INTERERENCE, Minor) 18:14

Period 3
5. PANTHERS, BRIND'AMOUR 6 (RATHJE, SAVARD), 00:46
6. RANGERS, CHIMERA 4 (LANG, WHITNEY), 17:18
7. PANTHERS, BRIND'AMOUR 7 (HANDZUS, RATHJE), 19:16

PENALTIES: R. BRIND'AMOUR PAN (ROUGHING, Minor, Misconduct) 03:07

Goalie Statistics
Dwayne Roloson (RAN), 31 saves out of 34 shots, W, 8-5-0
Evgeni Nabokov (PAN), 20 saves out of 24 shots, L, 6-3-0

Power Play Conversions
RANGERS 0 for 2
PANTHERS 0 for 1

Game Stars
1 - Rod Brind'Amour (PAN)
2 - Jason Chimera (RAN)
3 - Ray Whitney (RAN)

MJK · 04-18-2006, 07:39 PM

Well thats 12 hours of my life I'll never get back again.

JiriHrdina · 04-18-2006, 07:42 PM

Wow. Goaltending proved to be the difference in that one.

Good season Florida - tough break.

Well done Jeff.

notoepik · 04-18-2006, 07:45 PM

OH MAN Brindy played his heart out!!

Good game by Rolo, the Rangers would have been toast without his stellar play!

I hope Nabby plays in the NHL playoffs like he did this game

MJK · 04-18-2006, 07:47 PM

It was nice meeting you all...

Sylvanfan · 04-18-2006, 07:52 PM

HA HA STUPID PANTHERS.....No, congrats on a great season, and a tough break from the cooky SIM.

Also good job by the Rangers to get the right guys and have it going for the playoffs. Looks like the CPHL still stands for Commisioners win the championshp hockey league.

Hopefully NHL Roloson didn't see this and think he's suddenly good......gulp.

Young Guns · 04-18-2006, 08:00 PM

Good luck to the Rangers in the next round and great season to Dave. And to Cheese.....damn that was the best game thread ever. Wish I had a computer at work.

MJK · 04-18-2006, 08:00 PM

GAME REPORT:

Old man Roloston won the series for the Rangers and Nabby couldn't match him. The Panthers as a team were stronger than the Rangers but it came down to goaltending as it often does.

It was clear after the game that some big names will be heading out of Florida...stay tuned.

Mango · 04-18-2006, 08:05 PM

Great thread, Cheese! That was a lot of fun to read

What a great series. Two very strong teams who were neck and neck take it to the brink. Well done Jeff and congrats to Dave on a strong season.

flambers · 04-18-2006, 09:38 PM

Oh yah.....Rangers off to the third round!!!!!!!!!

Beerfund · 04-19-2006, 09:22 AM

Wow, I worked late last night - didn't get to read this as it developed. I did however, read it through in order, Great job Cheese.

Congrats to the Rangers for moving on. Congrats to the Panthers for an excellent season. Big turnaround from last season, showing that a GM can completely rebuild a team and be in the hunt in less than a seson later.

Radically Red · 04-19-2006, 10:09 AM

Congrats to the Rangers for moving on. Now can you take out the Thrashers......

Great season for the Panthers.