Two, Two, Two Games in One

OK, let's see if this works...listening to Hershey with one ear, watching the Stanley Cup with the other eye...

It's 7:30, and the anthems are being sung in Hamilton...one hopes it's the only thing they have to sing about tonight.



Hamilton buzzing, and a score...not a good start. Cassivi needs more help in front of him.

3 of 29 on the power play?...if that doesn't change...

...3 for 30. Well, it's a round number percentage, anyway.

Coach Don Lever has no intention of returning to Hershey? Really . . .

Hamilton is 6 for 24 with the man advantage...

...7 for 25...2-0 'Dogs. Hershey sounds like they just woke up.

Another penalty against Hershey. This could be over early...

Meanwhile....Brett Hull is over on NBC almost claiming credit for the Ducks' success. Hey, guys, just 'cuz Hull will say anything doesn't mean he'll say anything actually worth listening to.

Chris Pronger..."the biggest thing is to stay disciplined"...uh, ok.

Well, the Bears stopped the bleeding, but they need to show a lot more urgency. 2-0 after one.

A minute-ten in..the first reference to "there's no tomorrow." Guess I'll put away the checkbook and not pay those bills.

Nice pink tie, Pierre...

There was allegedly a penalty. What, did Preissing sneeze on the guy?...and what was that crap on Volchenkov? . . . and Anaheim gets the Bettman . . . I mean, uh, goal on the 5-on-3. Two weak calls. This is going to be a long night. (edit...5-on-4; the first penalty barely expired).

Spezza centering Neil and Vermette??? Well, that's a way to go.

Ottawa had a wide open net to shoot at..deNIED! By Beauchemin???

Meanwhile....Hershey let a power play go by the boards....can't be letting opportunities slip by.

Isn't it about time for a payback 5-on-3 for Ottawa??

3-0, Hamilton. Freddie's having a tough night, and he's not getting a lot of help.

And in Anaheim, another penalty (to Ottawa), another goal (for Anaheim, just after the penalty expired) and a virtual duplicate of one Getzlaf scored earlier in the series...Rob Niedermayer pulling it to his backhand to change the attack angle and Emery unable to adjust.

Six minors called in the first period...somewhere, Gary beams.

First period....Heatley, Spezza, Alfredsson....no shots on goal.

End of the second...Bears let another power play opportunity pass by late. 3-0.

The Anaheim-Ottawa game looks less like a Stanley Cup elimination game and more like a game you'd see on a Tuesday in January. That's not meant as a compliment.

Ottawa looks like they want to make a flight...their hearts just aren't in this. Even Doc seems to agree...he's giving us the rules for who is eligible to have their name engraved on the Cup.

Somebody want to wake Giguere up?

Ottawa actually scored a goal...on their sixth shot of the game (in more than 31 minutes) . . . and off a Duck to boot.

4-0 Bulldogs. That's a mighty deep hole being dug, and only 24-hours to start climbing out of it, there being a game tomorrow night.

Jakub Klepis finaly puts the Bears on the board...he's got six shots in the game...

And there is your Trojan "Boner of the Playoffs" goal...Chris Phillips stuffs the puck under his own goalie. Somewhere, Steve Smith shakes his head and smiles.

Well, two shots, two goals for Daniel Alfredsson. If Heatley and Spezza are paying attention, this might be a game, yet.

OK, so much for that....Beauchemin banks a shot from the point off Volchenkov and off the far post. 4-2.

Heatley and Spezza...no shots, no hits, no takeaways, no nothing.

Fleischmann cuts the Hamilton lead to two on a delayed penalty...4-2 with a little more than five minutes left...

Power play to the Bears with 2:24...well, they're sure making it interesting, at least.

And there is it....an empty-netter for the Bulldogs. Good night, Shirley . . . 5-2.

...and the Bulldogs aren't done...6-2

The men with the gloves are in the building...and they brought a Cup with them.

This one looks to be in the can, too...5-2, Ducks.

Penalty shot....Vermette gags and lets the puck roll off his stick without getting it to the net. He did get good wood on it when he fired it up the boards in frustration, though.

It's over....Perry scores...6-2. The only mystery now is the Smythe voting. Volchenkov has played in bad luck tonight...a bank shot off his leg, and on this one, he tipped the puck just enough to put it on Perry's stick.

Congratulations, Ducks...as for the Smythe, Scott Niedermayer wins it, but I'd give it to Samuel Pahlsson.