And please pardon your not-so-fearless reporter's fear, but I'm still not gonna. This one was just too nervous, too tentative, too tight a Ranger effort, even on the road, for a team with so many veterans.
Game 4 of the Devils series was just frustrating; Game 5 of the Devils series was merely depressing. Here, the Cup was all but theirs. To lose the series now would be the ultimate in hockey-god laughers. This was the pain, all 54 years of it, all over again.
Jeff Brown starts it with a power-play goal at 9:42 straight off a Trevor Linden faceoff win; Brian Leetch had gone in the box at 9:39.
Geoff Courtnall makes it 2-0 midway through the second, but Alexei Kovalev's ninth of the playoffs cuts the lead to 2-1 on the power play at 14:42.
That's as close as the Rangers would get. Brown gets his second at 8:35 of the third, and at 18:28 of the third, Courtnall beats Richter -- but referee Bill McCreary isn't sure. Play goes on, and after about 45 more seconds elapse, the Rangers score. Replay, though, confirms Courtnall's shot went into the net and came back out; the time is put back on the board, but so is the Vancouver goal. It ends 4-1.
Vancouver is now 5-for-5 when fighting to prevent elimination this playoff season. It's not quite the 8-for-9 that the '75 Islanders were, but it's getting scary. Game 7 is Tuesday, June 14, 1994.
NYR 0 1 0--1
VAN 1 1 2--4
(Series tied, 3-3)
First period -- 1, Vancouver, Brown 5 (Linden), 9:42 (pp). Penalties --
Beukeboom, NY (elbowing), 3:02; Leetch, NY (interference), 9:39.
Second period -- 2, Vancouver, Courtnall 8 (Lumme, Bure), 12:29. 3, New
York, Kovalev 9 (Messier, Leetch), 14:42 (pp). Penalties -- Momesso, Van
(interference), 2:26; Diduck, Van (tripping), 7:27; McIntyre, Van (goalie
interference), 13:23.
Third period -- 4, Vancouver, Brown 6, 8:35. 5, Vancouver, Courtnall 9
(Lafayette, Diduck), 18:28. Penalties -- None.
Shots on goal -- New York 7-12-10 -- 29; Vancouver 16-8-7 -- 31.
Power-play opportunities -- New York 1 of 3; Vancouver 1 of 2.
Goalies -- New York, Richter, 15-7 (31 shots-27 saves); Vancouver,
McLean, 15-8 (29-28). Attendance -- 16,150.
Referee -- Bill McCreary. Linesmen -- Kevin Collins, Gerard Gauthier.
Mike (oh, and I'm told Candlewood Playhouse's performance of "West Side Story" was a little strangely executed, but sung well) Fornabaio -- mef17@oocities.com
Click here for the next date -- June 12 -- or, click here to return to the 5YA index
PS -- Chris -- A _monster_!?!?!?!
Now that's beautiful. :-)
Has 6+-yr-old Andrew heard this story yet?