| Rookie goaltenders have had success in the Stanley | | | | series. In doing so, Bryzgalov set a rookie |
| Cup Playoffs before – most notably with Ken | | | | playoff record, holding opponents scoreless for 249 |
| Dryden in 1971 and Patrick Roy in 1986, both leading | | | | minutes, 15 seconds. Only Montreal’s |
| the Montreal Canadiens to the Cup – but never | | | | George Hainsworth, 270:08 in 1930, has had a longer |
| before has a crop of rookie goalies dominated | | | | playoff scoreless streak. |
| the playoffs like they have this season. | | | | The Final Four |
| Of the five remaining teams in this year’s | | | | San Jose’s Toskala is hoping to join his fellow |
| playoffs, three are led by rookie goalies and another | | | | first-year netminders in the conference finals. |
| by a first-year starter. Carolina’s Cam | | | | After an excellent series against Nashville in Round 1, |
| Ward, Buffalo’s Ryan Miller, Anaheim’s | | | | including a shutout in Game 2, and two 2-1 victories to |
| Ilya Bryzgalov, and San Jose’s Vesa Toskala | | | | open the Edmonton series, Toskala and the Sharks |
| have all enjoyed incredible playoff success thus far. | | | | find themselves on the ropes as the Oilers have |
| Seven-year veteran Dwayne Roloson of the | | | | stormed back to take a 3-2 series lead. |
| Edmonton Oilers, who was acquired in a mid-season | | | | Edmonton will try to close it out at home on |
| trade with the Minnesota Wild, is the only experienced | | | | Wednesday night. |
| goaltender left. I don’t think anyone | | | | San Jose’s offense is led by Patrick Marleau, |
| would have predicted that, especially with the | | | | who leads all playoff goal scorers with nine. |
| presence of such big-name goalies as Martin Brodeur | | | | The Sharks will need to get an early lead and help |
| and Miikka Kiprusoff, and other veteran backstops or | | | | Toskala protect it to force a Game 7 at home on |
| Â NHL powerhouses like Detroit’s Manny | | | | Friday. |
| Legace, Dallas’s Marty Turco, and | | | | The Finals |
| Colorado’s Jose Theodore, among the | | | | The matchup between Ward and Miller should be as |
| contenders. | | | | entertaining as it gets. Both are capable of |
| The New Favorite | | | | stealing a game or two for their respective |
| Thanks to a surprisingly easy 4 games to 1 victory | | | | teams. Carolina is the favorite, but Buffalo has |
| over the New Jersey Devils, and a dominating | | | | a lot of momentum and Miller has shown he can win |
| performance winning four straight games over | | | | the close games with four one-goal victories against |
| Montreal after losing the first two in Round 1, the | | | | Ottawa. Look for the Sabres to get to the |
| Carolina Hurricanes have emerged as the new | | | | Finals. |
| favorite to win Lord Stanley’s Cup. | | | | The Ducks have had a long time off after |
| Despite finishing the regular season with 112 points, just | | | | unexpectedly sweeping the Avalanche. |
| 1 behind Eastern Conference leader Ottawa, the | | | | Anaheim may be a little rusty to start the conference |
| Hurricanes’ odds of winning the Cup entering | | | | finals, but the Ducks have good veteran leadership in |
| the playoffs were posted at 10-1. That was | | | | Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne and will ride |
| before the oddsmakers had seen Ward turn away | | | | the stellar play of Bryzgalov past either the Oilers or |
| almost every shot he’s faced. | | | | the Sharks to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. |
| In 10 playoff games, the 22-year-old rookie has | | | | Cialis Western Open |
| allowed just 17 goals while posting a 1.77 goals against | | | | July 6th- 9th |
| average (GAA). Ward let in just five goals in | | | | Cog Hill G&CC, Lemont, Illinois |
| Carolina’s four victories over New Jersey as he | | | | Live on XM 146/USA/ABC |
| outplayed his boyhood idol Brodeur. With his | | | | Purse: $5,000,000 |
| stellar play, and the Hurricanes’ opportunistic | | | | Last Champion: Jim Furyk |
| offense, led by 100-point scorer Eric Staal, Carolina will | | | | The Cialis Western Open, conducted by the Western |
| be tough to beat. | | | | Golf Association, has a history unparalleled by all but |
| The Upstart Challenger | | | | one golf championship in the United States. First held in |
| The Sabres’ Miller is the only U.S.-born goalie | | | | 1899, the Western Open is the oldest championship on |
| among the Fab Four. He hopes to duplicate the | | | | the PGA TOUR and the second oldest professional |
| feat of another rookie American goalie, Ron Hextall, | | | | golf championship in the nation. Only the U.S. Open, first |
| who led the Philadelphia Flyers to the Stanley Cup | | | | conducted in 1895 by the United States Golf |
| Finals in 1987. After a shaky start in Game 1 | | | | Association, is older. |
| against Ottawa, Buffalo’s defense and Miller | | | | When the PGA TOUR professionals come to Chicago |
| shut down the Senators the rest of the way, allowing | | | | each year to compete in the Cialis Western Open, |
| two or fewer goals in each of the last four | | | | they are following in the hallowed footsteps of golf's |
| games. The Michigan native has a 2.25 GAA | | | | all-time greats. Past champions include golf's greatest |
| and a .921 save percentage in the first two rounds of | | | | legends, including Chick Evans, Walter Hagen, Gene |
| the playoffs. | | | | Sarazen, Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, |
| Buffalo’s defense has been stellar in front of | | | | Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. The past two |
| Miller. Defensemen Toni Lydman and Henrik Tallinder | | | | decades have seen Tom Watson, Hale Irwin, Tom |
| lead all playoff performers in plus/minus at | | | | Weiskopf, Ben Crenshaw, Nick Price and Tiger Woods |
| plus-13. The Sabres’ offense has been | | | | add their names to the Western Open's J. K. Wadley |
| scoring in bunches. Buffalo has a team-leading | | | | Cup's impressive roster of champions. |
| 43 goals scored in 11 games and is riding high after | | | | Today, the Western Open is considered the founding |
| winger Jason Pominville’s shorthanded, overtime | | | | event of the PGA TOUR. Much has changed since |
| goal clinched the series against Ottawa. | | | | 1899, including the prize money. This year's 102nd |
| Mr. Perfect – Almost | | | | Western Open purse totals $5 million, with the winner |
| Anaheim’s Bryzgalov has been the most | | | | earning $900,000. In the Western Open's initial year, the |
| surprising and impressive of all the rookies. | | | | total purse was $150, with the winner earning $50. |
| Bryzgalov didn’t even enter the playoffs as the | | | | On last year's tournament Furyk , after finishing second |
| Ducks’ No. 1 goalie. That honor went to | | | | three times last year, including a devastating loss the |
| Jean-Sebastian Giguere, who led Anaheim to the | | | | previous weekend, Furyk against all Sportsbook odds |
| Stanley Cup Finals in 2003, his second year in the | | | | answered Woods' charge with three straight birdies |
| league, and was named the Conn Smythe winner as | | | | and hung on to win the Cialis Western Open. It was his |
| the MVP of the playoffs that season. | | | | 10th PGA TOUR victory and the first since the 2003 |
| After splitting their first four games against Calgary in | | | | Buick Open. |
| Round 1, the Ducks made the switch to Bryzgalov and | | | | After tapping in for a birdie, Furyk took off his cap and |
| they haven’t regretted it. The | | | | shook hands with third round co-leader Ben Curtis. |
| 24-year-old Russian has practically stood on his head | | | | Furyk then turned and pumped his fists to the cheering |
| as he is sporting a ridiculous 0.87 GAA and .967 save | | | | crowd before sharing a long hug with caddie Fluff |
| percentage. He recorded three straight | | | | Cowan. |
| shutouts, including Game 7 at Calgary to clinch that | | | | |