SCF - Game 5

Congrats to the Oilers on a great, desperate game last night. The Hurricanes were flat and out of sorts all night, a fact obscured by the fact that Eric Staal was the only person who showed up for the Canes and he had two of the three power play goals. That game never should have gone into overtime. The Canes were lucky to have the game in the position to win at all and it didn't surprise me in the slightest that they lost it.

At the opening faceoff in overtime I locked my eyes on Pisani and had a bad feeling. It was justified when he picked off Stillman's weak pass to Staal and buried it. Let me tell you, that goal felt like a punch to the gut. I thought I was going to throw up right there in my seat.

I can't speak for the rest of the Hurricanes fan base. I've found over a long period of time that I generally am different enough from most of my neighbors that I have no business speaking for any group outside of myself.

The opportunity to win the Cup is rare. The opportunity to see it live, at home, is even more rare. It might not happen ever again. Even though I don't necessarily agree with them, I understand why fans from Toronto, Buffalo, etc. say the Canes fans have not suffered enough to win the Cup. It's not a valid argument, but I understand the feeling. It's like the proverbial rookie who loses and thinks "Well, I'll have plenty more chances to do so." It doesn't work like that.

The fact that the Canes blew the chance to do so tonight fills me with so much emptiness that I truly can't express it. It's possible a large portion of the fanbase (the so-called "bandwagon fans") don't realize what they missed. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that - they are enjoying the run and the good feelings that come from winning. With luck, a percentage of them will stick around and become hockey fans. That's the point, in the end.

For me, though, last night hurt. After a regular season loss, I don't read the various message boards for at least 12 hours, maybe even 24. Last night I turned off the radio post-game show and drove home in silence. I didn't want to listen to the interviews, the excuses, the ravings of angry fans. I had serious trouble reading the paper this morning - I didn't really read the sports section at all. I glanced at it for a few seconds. I had on the Morning Mojo this morning and I still had trouble listening to it. It's too painful to listen or read anything about last night's game right now. Maybe by Saturday, but I'm not holding my breath.

I want the win more than anything else and it'll count at Rexall just as much as it would here, but no one on the team or in the stands wants a game 7. Anything can happen in a game 7. One unlucky bounce or poor defensive zone coverage (I'm talking to you, Wallin) can cost the game and the series. I know what we, as fans, had the chance to experience tonight. That chance, a once in a lifetime opportunity, may be gone. If for some reason Edmonton claws their way back into game 7 and wins it all, a true possibility, tonight will stick with me for a long time. I just have to believe in the Canes, believe in their ability to rebound, to come together and put 60 solid minutes of hockey together and end this series.

I updated the post on my interview with CBC, for those of you interested. I'm still trying to get a copy of the clip.