RALEIGH, North Carolina, 16 June 2006 — Fernando Pisani scored a shorthanded goal 3:31 into overtime as the Edmonton Oilers weathered a Game Five storm to edge the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 on Wednesday to keep their Stanley Cup hopes alive.
With the Stanley Cup in the RBC Center, the Oilers spoiled the Hurricanes party by sending the best-of-seven final back to Edmonton for Game Six on Saturday.
The Hurricanes continue to lead the series 3-2 but could not put away the feisty Oilers, who are bidding to become just the second team after the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs to overcome a 3-1 deficit since the best-of-seven format was introduced in 1939. Pisani, who scored the game’s first goal just 16 seconds into the opening period, notched the last when he picked off a pass near the blue line and beat Carolina netminder Cam Ward in the top corner to stun the capacity crowd.
“I haven’t scored a bigger goal then that,” Pisani told reporters after scoring the first shorthanded overtime goal in Stanley Cup finals history.
Ominously there were storm warnings and dark menacing clouds hovering over Raleigh before the game as the remnants of Tropical Storm Alberto rolled through the area flooding sections of the city.
But around seven inches of rain did little to spoil the party as Hurricanes supporters arrived early ready to celebrate the franchise’s first Stanley Cup. The Oilers, however, were not about to wave the white flag.
Needing a victory to extend the series, Edmonton stormed onto the attack scoring just 16 seconds into the opening period when Pisani tipped in Pronger’s low shot from the point. The Hurricanes did not panic and answered with a pair of power-play goals from Eric Staal and Ray Whitney to shift the party back into high gear Trailing 2-1 and fighting for survival, Edmonton continued to come forward, Ales Hemsky one-timing bullet over Ward’s right shoulder to give Edmonton just their second power-play goal of the finals.
Michael Peca then flipped a loose puck over Ward with just 18 seconds left in the period to take a 3-2 lead into the intermission.
The Hurricanes were also in the mood for a party, Staal bringing the capacity crowd to its feet when he scored the second period’s only goal poking home puck from the side of the Edmonton net to deadlock the contest at 3-3. The loss overshadowed another brilliant effort by Staal, who has had a hand in every Carolina goal in the last two games.
