TAMPA, Florida, 8 June 2004 — Nine months after both clubs began preseason training, the quest for the Stanley Cup and National Hockey League supremacy has come down to one game for the Calgary Flames and Tampa Bay Lightning.

The regular-season champions Lightning host the deciding game in the best-of-seven championship here, with Calgary trying to become the first Canadian team in 11 years to claim the trophy.

“One game. Winner takes all. I don’t think you could write a better script,” Lightning left wing Chris Dingman said. “It’s one game in our building. That’s what we played all year for, home ice. We just have to take advantage of it.” Tampa Bay won 3-2 in double-overtime Saturday in Calgary, leveling the series at three victories each on Martin St. Louis’ goal 33 seconds into the second extra period to keep alive Lightning’s hopes for a first-ever NHL crown.

No Canadian team has captured the Cup since Montreal in 1993. The Flames, who won their only NHL title 15 years ago, are the first Canadian team in the final since Vancouver in 1994.

“Both teams are here for a reason and I think both teams have showed that,” Tampa Bay coach John Tortorella said. “I think it’s only fitting that now we have a game seven.”

This will be the second year in a row and 13th time in NHL history that a seventh game will decide the Cup winner. New Jersey beat Anaheim 3-0 at home in last year’s deciding game. Home teams have a 10-2 edge in Stanley Cup final game sevens, but the only two road teams to claim victory were from Canada, the 1945 Toronto Maple Leafs at Detroit and the 1971 Montreal Canadiens at Chicago.

And the Flames are the hottest road team in NHL history, their 10 triumphs away from the Saddledome matching the NHL record for one playoff year. New Jersey won 10 road games on the way to the Cup in 1995 and 2000.

“We haven’t made it easy on ourselves all year,” said Calgary captain Jarome Iginla, whose team also lost Game Six at home to Vancouver in the first round before winning game seven on the road to advance.

Also, only one team in the past 33 years has blown a 3-2 lead in the Stanley Cup final. That came in 2001 when Colorado rallied to defeat New Jersey, giving veteran defenseman Ray Borque a title in his final game before retirement.

There is a similar sympathy story this year but it belongs to Tampa Bay. Lightning captain Dave Andreychuk’s 1,758 NHL games are the most of any player who has never had his name inscribed upon the Stanley Cup.

Calgary coach Darryl Sutter claimed there was a conspiracy to keep the small-market Flames from winning the Cup and seemed to have a case after NHL officials waved off what could have been a Cup-winning goal Saturday.

Flames winger Martin Gelinas sped to the net with 6:55 to play in the third period and Oleg Saprykin’s centering pass hit his right skate. At least one television replay showed the puck crossed the goal line, but play continued.

NHL executive vice president and director of hockey operations Colin Campbell declared that no replay showed conclusively that the puck crossed the line. Sutter also said he did not believe there was proof a goal was scored.