Oslo Vikings Advance to Continental Cup Finals
Oslo - Though it was their first series that didn't go the distance, the World Conference Final against St. Louis was anything but a cakewalk for the Oslo Vikings. After coming back from a surprising deficit against the plucky Reykjavik Riders in round one, and almost squandering a two game lead over the Las Vegas Aces in the second, the explosive St. Louis Spartans figured to be a greater challenge than any that Oslo had faced to this point in the playoffs. When the dust settles from their final victory, a 4-3 win, the series was over in 5 gams.
"You guys were expecting us to be planning on the return trip to St. Louis, I know," quipped an elated coach Bruce Boudreau. "The two series before were both very different, despite both going the distance," he added, quickly sobering up in his assessment of his team's play. "We almost let the Aces back into it, and after losing game three on the road, the players called a team meeting. And the next night we win 7-2, going home with a chance to go to the finals. I think the guys have learned a thing or two in the course of this run, and it paid dividends tonight."
The result was particularly bitter for longtime Vikings standout Andy McDonald, who was on the wrong side of the handshake line, now a Spartan after an offseason trade. "We feel for Mac, and every one of us told him so," said former teammate and captain Patrick Marleau. "We all know how much he's meant to this franchise, and he definitely left it all on the ice." The former Viking had recorded goals in the first four games of the series before going scoreless in the elimination game, but he could not will his team to victory against a higher powered Oslo offence. In a gesture to the former franchise points leader, his image was shown onscreen during the handshake, and he raised his stick to acknowledge the standing ovation from the Oslo faithful.
Having exorcised fans' memories of playoff failures past, the Vikings are watching with anticipation to determine which of the Winnipeg Jets or the Fredericton Express will be their challenger from the Canadian Conference. "That's a pretty tough series over there," commented Alex Ovechkin. "We've played a lot in these playoffs. Honestly, I hope Winnipeg wins so we don't have to wait as long to play again," said the typically cocky league scoring championship winner, who leads the playoffs with 17 goals and 32 points.
Either way, the Vikings can expect to come up against the toughest defence of all the teams they've faced thus far. Winnipeg relies on solid veterans like Mark Streit, Roman Hamrlik, Toni Lydman, and Philippe Boucher, but they're backstopped by the best keeper of the playoffs, the stingy Henrik Lundqvist, who is backed up by a talented former Viking farmhand in Erik Ersberg. And Fredericton's super rookie Pekka Rinne has an all-star mix of both puck-moving and stalwart blueliners in front of him in the form of Jay Bouwmeester, Dan Boyle, Niklas Kronwall and Anton Volchenkov, not to mention ex-Viking Wade Redden.
While coach Boudreau wasn't tipping his hand, fans can expect there to be some changes in the works, as players have shuffled in and out of the lineup throughout the playoffs, and things could change once again for the final. Rookie Blake Wheeler has of late been the odd one out, though he could return to push out another bottom six forward, or one of the bottom pairing of powerplay QB Christian Ehrhoff or defensive vet Brad Stuart.
For Aftenposten, this is J. Bjorgaard with the inside scoop on your Continental Cup finalist Oslo Vikings!
"You guys were expecting us to be planning on the return trip to St. Louis, I know," quipped an elated coach Bruce Boudreau. "The two series before were both very different, despite both going the distance," he added, quickly sobering up in his assessment of his team's play. "We almost let the Aces back into it, and after losing game three on the road, the players called a team meeting. And the next night we win 7-2, going home with a chance to go to the finals. I think the guys have learned a thing or two in the course of this run, and it paid dividends tonight."
The result was particularly bitter for longtime Vikings standout Andy McDonald, who was on the wrong side of the handshake line, now a Spartan after an offseason trade. "We feel for Mac, and every one of us told him so," said former teammate and captain Patrick Marleau. "We all know how much he's meant to this franchise, and he definitely left it all on the ice." The former Viking had recorded goals in the first four games of the series before going scoreless in the elimination game, but he could not will his team to victory against a higher powered Oslo offence. In a gesture to the former franchise points leader, his image was shown onscreen during the handshake, and he raised his stick to acknowledge the standing ovation from the Oslo faithful.
Having exorcised fans' memories of playoff failures past, the Vikings are watching with anticipation to determine which of the Winnipeg Jets or the Fredericton Express will be their challenger from the Canadian Conference. "That's a pretty tough series over there," commented Alex Ovechkin. "We've played a lot in these playoffs. Honestly, I hope Winnipeg wins so we don't have to wait as long to play again," said the typically cocky league scoring championship winner, who leads the playoffs with 17 goals and 32 points.
Either way, the Vikings can expect to come up against the toughest defence of all the teams they've faced thus far. Winnipeg relies on solid veterans like Mark Streit, Roman Hamrlik, Toni Lydman, and Philippe Boucher, but they're backstopped by the best keeper of the playoffs, the stingy Henrik Lundqvist, who is backed up by a talented former Viking farmhand in Erik Ersberg. And Fredericton's super rookie Pekka Rinne has an all-star mix of both puck-moving and stalwart blueliners in front of him in the form of Jay Bouwmeester, Dan Boyle, Niklas Kronwall and Anton Volchenkov, not to mention ex-Viking Wade Redden.
While coach Boudreau wasn't tipping his hand, fans can expect there to be some changes in the works, as players have shuffled in and out of the lineup throughout the playoffs, and things could change once again for the final. Rookie Blake Wheeler has of late been the odd one out, though he could return to push out another bottom six forward, or one of the bottom pairing of powerplay QB Christian Ehrhoff or defensive vet Brad Stuart.
For Aftenposten, this is J. Bjorgaard with the inside scoop on your Continental Cup finalist Oslo Vikings!
Oslo Vikings