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Hemsky Leads Oilers Into Second Round
2006-05-02
Steve Yzerman and the Detroit Red Wings are headed back home after yet another early collapse in the playoffs. This one might have been the most surprising. For the third straight postseason, the Red Wings were knocked out of the postseason much sooner than anticipated. Ales Hemsky scored twice, including the winning goal with 1:06 remaining, to help the Edmonton Oilers beat the Red Wings 4-3 in Game 6 Monday night and advance to the second round of the NHL playoffs for the first time since 1998. "A wild, wild game," said Oilers coach Craig MacTavish as Edmonton clinched a playoff series at home for the first time in 14 years. "And now we move on." In the last two seasons, Detroit lost in either the first or second round. This year was supposed to be different for the Red Wings, who had the best record in the league with 124 points -- 11 more than the next closest, and 29 ahead of the Oilers. "It is such a fun game to play," said Yzerman, who turns 41 in a week and is considering retirement. "That building tonight, the more times you are in situations like that, the more you come to enjoy it. I don't know that I'm ever not going to want to play. But I'll have a decision soon." While one of the NHL's greats contemplates his future, the Oilers prepare for the next series, a rarity in Edmonton. Hemsky got the winner by working a give-and-go with Sergei Samsonov after skating in from center ice. "I just told myself to stay with it," Hemsky said. "It's amazing, a great feeling." In the other game Monday night, Anaheim edged Calgary 2-1 to force a Game 7 on Wednesday in Calgary. On Tuesday night, Philadelphia hosts Buffalo, with the Sabres ahead 3-2; and Carolina, leading 3-2, is at Montreal. Fernando Pisani also scored twice for the Oilers in their four-goal third period. "I haven't seen anything like that," Edmonton goalie Dwayne Roloson said. "The place erupted. It was unbelievable." Roloson, who was a trade-deadline pickup from Minnesota, is now an Edmonton hero after finishing the series with 211 saves. Johan Franzen, Henrik Zetterberg and Robert Lang scored for the Red Wings. The Oilers tied it 3-3 on a power play, when the puck deflected off Edmonton's Shawn Horcoff to Hemsky at the side of the net, where he whacked away. Detroit defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom pushed Hemsky into net, and the puck went in with it. The play went under video review to determine if the puck was kicked in. After a lengthy delay, officials eventually awarded Hemsky the goal with 3:53 remaining. "I literally thought the roof was going to blow off Rexall (Place)," MacTavish said. "My head is still ringing." "I am shocked we're in this situation," said Detroit's first-year coach Mike Babcock, who added neither the work of the forwards nor the goaltending of Manny Legace was good enough. "They found a way to win and we're going home." For Yzerman, it might be a final trip home as a Red Wing. "He's been a courageous competitor," Babcock said of the team captain, who missed the last two games with a back injury. "He probably shouldn't have played tonight, but he perceives this as his team and he wanted to lead them." Detroit becomes the seventh No. 1 playoff seed to be bounced by a No. 8 team since the NHL's current playoff format was instituted in 1994. The Red Wings controlled the second period, outshooting the Oilers 17-2. Yzerman set up Robert Lang's power-play goal to make it 2-0. His point moved him ahead of Bryan Trottier into eighth with 185 career playoff points. Mighty Ducks 2, Flames 1 At Anaheim, defenseman Scott Niedermayer's power-play goal with 5:37 remaining lifted the Mighty Ducks. Anaheim's Ilya Bryzgalov, who got the start in goal over Jean-Sebastien Giguere, stopped 21 shots, allowing only Stephane Yelle's first-period goal. Niedermayer picked up a rebound of a shot by Corey Perry, sliced to his left behind the net, then slid the puck toward the crease, where it hit Rhett Warrener and skittered past Kiprusoff and into the net.
Yzerman, Pronger departures highlight big day of dealing (2006-07-04)Yzerman hangs up skates after 22 seasons with Red Wings (2006-07-03)Hemsky Leads Oilers Into Second Round (2006-05-02)Goalies Make a Difference in Playoffs (2002-04-24)NHL: Red Wings 2, Sabres 1 (1999-03-25)
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