A new sport is born in North Carolina! NHL Hockey!

[Road Scholar]

[libnnc]

1. The first and only national championship any NC team has EVER won!

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

8. Professional maybe.. but I think the folks in Chapel Hill would say

differently.

[libnnc]

9. of course I meant professional

I tend to take Tobacco Road championships for granted ;)

[Road Scholar]

2. Professional, but a long list of College. Carolina supports her winners

[Lex]

3. It was a great game too!

:bounce:

[General Zod]

4. Let's Go Canes! Woo Hoo!

I've been a fan since the 1st year they played here in Greensboro. I'd never thought I'd see the Stanley Cup in Carolina.

[derby378]

5. Aw, man!

I was rooting for Edmonton - I just wanted to see Lord Stanley's Cup return to Canada for once.

But good on ya, Canes! You fought hard for the victory, so savor it.

[pokerfan]

10. Well, half their team is Canadian, if that helps

The other half is European.

[Road Scholar]

29. I don't reckon you're gonna tell me that all the Oiler players are

from Edmonton, or Canada, for that matter.:shrug: :shrug: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Lex]

6. w00t

[TheMightyFavog]

7. Keep in mind, you only the cup due to pure luck.

Had Rolloson not been hurt, you would have gotten your asses kicked.

Had the Sabres been Healthy, you wouldn't have made it to the finals at all.

That is all.

[Road Scholar]

11. Of all the sad, sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these

"it might have been".
If, if, if, shoulda, coulda woulda,well listen up; it wasn't a fluke.
Of course it is true as in any other great undertaking,some things have to fall in place. The point being, this was another case of preparedness meeting opportunity. The Canes had some key players injured for part of the season too. They will be a force to reckon with for years to come.:party: :party: :party: :party: :party: :party: :toast: :toast: :toast: :toast: :toast: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :party: :toast: :bounce: :bounce: :toast: :party: :party: :party: :party: :party: :toast: :toast: :toast: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke:

[Bassic]

24. They're a good team.

But it is still a fact that Andrew Ladd took Roloson out of the series. That was convenient for the Canes.

[auburngrad82]

26. Andrew Ladd didn't take Roloson out. Roloson's team mate took him out

when he pushed Ladd on top of him. It was an accident brought on by Roloson's own team mate. You make it sound like it was intentional. There are so many ifs involved in any pro sport that you could keep bitching for years and never be happy. Show a little grace and sportsmanship and appreciate the series for what it was- a great Stanley Cup.



Liberal bumper stickers

[auburngrad82]

12. Had Cole not been hurt, had Weight not been hurt, had Adams not been...

One man does not make a team. Markannen played his ass off. You have to give him a lot of credit.

As for the Sabres, keep in mind that 'Canes star Eric Cole missed the playoffs with a broken neck and didn't come back until the sixth game of the finals. When you get to the playoffs in the NHL, all teams are playing with injuries accrued over a long, hard season. The 'Canes were one of the best teams throughout the season. If they weren't they wouldn't have been in a position to win the Stanley Cup. They have twenty seven years of past history to prove that.

Both teams showed that you can play with injuries if you want it bad enough. Adams for the Hurricanes broke his hand and still finished the game. Michael Peca for the Oilers could barely stand but finished the game. Weight, with a serious shoulder dislocation, still wanted it bad enough to hoist the Cup over his head after the game. You could see the pain in his face, but he wasn't going to miss the chance to share in the celebration.

The Oilers nearly came back from three games down to make it a great series. They were as good in game six as any team I've seen. On the other hand, the Hurricanes did to the Oilers in game seven what the Oilers did to the 'Canes in game six, and that's shut their offense down. I was actually a bit surprised that the 'Canes didn't fold after the beating they took in game six. But they pulled it together and played a great game to win the Cup.

You also have to give the 'Canes credit for staying out of the penalty box. Penalties killed them in game six.

It was a great series and both teams deserved to be there.



Liberal bumper stickers

[Road Scholar]

13. Thank you. Well said. The Oilers were a formidable opponent.

If the Canes had stuttered, even once,the Oilers would be celebrating this morning.
When I watch an event like that, especially with the olympics,where they give their heart and soul, it is sad that there has to be a loser.The Oilers are winners in spite of the loss.:toast:

[Pool Hall Ace]

22. If ifs and buts were candies and nuts

we'd all have a Merry Christmas.

[mzteris]

23. Markannen did a great job.

I don't think Rolloson could have done any better. What are you whining about?

[tallahasseedem]

28. Really?

I didn't realize that Rolloson was such a high scorer. :sarcasm: There is nothing worse than sports fans who lay down the ol' coulda, woulda, shoulda.

[jakefrep]

14. And the best thing....

....the NHL isn't filled with God-bothering douchebags like Kurt Warner. There was not one mention of "God" or "my personal lord and savior, Jesus Christ" in any of the post-game interviews.

[Road Scholar]

15. Very true. Guts and balls won that game. Like you said, no

sideline freak circuses. :toast:

[LostinVA]

16. The minor league team used to do great in Greensboro

I loved going to those games....

[auburngrad82]

25. Raleigh had a decent minor league team before the 'Canes

We used to go to the Raleigh Ice Caps games all the time. It was good hockey and a fun night out. The only bad thing about them was when everyone would stand up and do the Chicken Dance. I almost spit my beer all over the guy in front of me the first time they did that.

Hey! That reminds me of the time I saw people in a country bar in Atlanta linedance to Michael Jackson Thriller. I was just in awe of it. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own two eyes.

Good times...



Liberal bumper stickers

[LostinVA]

17. Kristi Yamaguchi's husband plays for the 'Canes

She lives in the Raleigh area.

[Road Scholar]

18. They showed her at the game last night.

[LostinVA]

19. She's my third favorite US women's skater

After Michelle Kwan and Peggy Fleming.

[Road Scholar]

20. I know zero about women's skating, but I know Raleigh is proud

that she's a resident.:toast:

[LostinVA]

21. Some friends lived in the RTP area

Before they moved to Wilmington, and they used to see her at the grocery store alot.

I DO know about women's skating, and lived in NC until six years ago, so I think it's really cool, too!!!

GO 'CANES!!!

[tallahasseedem]

27. What a great series!

Carolina is a close second for me next to the Flyers. I like to call them "Flyer Light" since they have many former Flyers like Rod, Justin Williams, and Recchi. There was nothing better than to see Rod hold that cup.