OT: 2004 Stanley Cup Finals

[LightningStorm]

Lightning fan here. Just out of pure curiosity, I was wondering who all of you Oiler fans were rooting for in the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals. The who prospect of a team from Canada winning the cup was pretty hyped up, even on ABC. They made it appear that most of Canada wanted the Flames to win (Canadians have subsequently told me that it was just hype).

While that was the Flames narrative, the Lightning's narrative was Dave Andreychuk trying to win his first cup in his 22nd season (and ultimately succeeding).

Who did you cheer for in that series? Did you join in on the Flames being "Canada's team" aspect? Or was it just simply too hard to bring yourself to cheer for your biggest rival?

I've already conducted this poll on the Leafs, Habs, and Canucks boards.

Also, if you care, I wanted you guys to win in the 2006 SCF.

Click to read more...

 

[Valic]

Lightning. F Calgary. I liked Andreychuk, Fedetenko, and Khabibulin alot.

 

[Trafalgar Sadge Law]

Every vote for the Flames is from a Flames fan dropping by the Oilers thread.

 

[oilchamp99]

Majority of Oilers fans were rooting for TB. I'd say roughly 80%. I was with a passion. For 2011, I think 95% or even more were rooting for Boston over VAN. Wierdest thing was a lot of VAN fans I talked to were rooting for us in '06. But that could just be small sample size.

 

[Diamondillium]

Back then Lightning, although if that happened today I would probably root for Flames, due to my roommate being a Flames fan, and it's funner to root with a friend than to root against imo.

 

[Mr Forever]

I cheered for Tampa, not even because they played Calgary. I like the Bolts and still do.

 

[smokersarejokers]

Bolts all the way.

Couldn't bring myself to cheer for the Flames.

I actually liked a lot of players on the Bolts that year. Vinny, Marty, Richards, Khabibulin, Andreychuk, Sydor, Boyle, etc. It's hard not to like Torts either. Hell, I was a bit of a Freddy Modin fan throughout his career.

The whole "Canada's Team" doesn't apply out west. I did not cheer for the Flames or Canucks during their cup runs, just like most Flames and Canucks fans didn't cheer for the Oilers in '06.

 

[McDavidsLulaInMyBund]

Rooting for the Bolts

 

[Turrican*]

Tampa easy. Thank god for no goal Gelinas.

 

[Groucho]

I wasn't cheering for anybody, but the Lightning shouldn't have won that cup. Martin Gelinas scored in OT in game 6 to win and everybody just kind of pretended it didn't go in.

 

[Joey Moss]

Was cheering for Lightning but feel bad for CGY because they were the team that who won the cup, really.

 

[Angelus*]

I remember being really upset over being eliminated by Vancouver so I wasn't exactly sad to see Shelbyville upset them.

I also expected the Wings to run roughshod over them but everything that subsequently occured was the stuff of Oilers fans nightmares. I will be forever grateful that the Lightning stopped their little run, the fact that they did it so heartbreakingly (for Shelbyville) made it extra sweet.

Edmontonians who were cheering for Shelbyville to win that year should be ashamed. I saw a lot of Flames car flags that summer, it was a sickening sight. Especially June 2006 when there were "Oilers suck!" chants at a freaking Stampeders preseason game against the Lions. How pathetic is that?

 

[Mr Forever]

Was cheering for Lightning but feel bad for CGY because they were the team that who won the cup, really.

Agreed

Honestly, especially having us go on a run like that the season after, as much as I hate them, I felt for them.

 

[CanadianSuperPromise]

Tampa, I hate the flames and I could care less about the Canadian drought, so the choice was easy.

 

[Gord]

hate the flames. I bet big time on Tampa. wanted flames to lose every game.

 

[molsonmuscle360]

I was cheering for Tampa. The Flames could be playing the Ukrainian Women's National team, and I'd be cheering for the Flying Perogies.

 

[sepHF]

Tampa but I still thought Calgary got screwed over

 

[Alex87]

That was back in the day when the Flames were still my most hated team (the 'Nucks may have replaced them on the list). So I was definitely rooting for Tampa.

FWIW, I think a lot of people are lying in this poll. I remember being alarmed at the number of Oiler fans cheering for the Flames. There was a lot of nonsense about cheering for the province, and some of the more fair weather fans were really getting sucked into the party down on the Red Mile. Same thing happened down in Calgary when the Oilers almost won in '06.

Nearly a decade later though there might be some shame about it.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

I wasn't cheering for anybody, but the Lightning shouldn't have won that cup. Martin Gelinas scored in OT in game 6 to win and everybody just kind of pretended it didn't go in.

what? I've never seen a clear cut picture of the puck crossing the line...never

thus, no conclusive evidence of a goal

btw I was cheering for TB...when St. Louis scored in Game 6 double OT, I literally jumped off my couch in excitement

I knew TB would win Game 7 at home

plus, I was sick of all the bandwagon Flames fan during that spring...especially since they were irrelevant in Calgary 2 months prior to that run

 

[Matt Ryan]

Neither, but I would not have been mad if the Flames won (b/c Iggy mostly).

I cheered for VAN against Boston because I hate Thomas and Recchi, and I don't mind the Sedins and Luongo.

 

[Del Preston]

what? I've never seen a clear cut picture of the puck crossing the line...never

thus, no conclusive evidence of a goal

Agreed. Plus, the Gelinas goal/no goal happened about halfway through the third, not overtime.

 

[AlowlyMcOilersfan]

Not sure I was cheering for TBL as much as I was cheering against Calgary.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

I wasn't really a hockey fan in that day (I remember drunkenly watching a Wings/Flames game and then going downtown after they won) so I didn't really care all that much. But when I heard the Lightning won I wasn't too upset.

As for the Gelinas goal, the Flames still had plenty of time (and overtime) to score another.

And they came out flat in Game 7 and it cost them. There's always been an "aura" that the away team simply cannot win the Cup in Game 7 on the road (that Ward save on Pisani... Ugh.) but now that the Pens and Bruins have both done it... Can't help but wonder if the Flames/Bolts re-did Game 7 with the same rosters if the result wouldn't be different.

 

[Jepprey]

Was all Lightning during that playoffs. I was scared the Flames would win.

 

[Took a pill in Sbisa]

Not going to lie, I was cheering for the Flames. I'm an Edmontonian so my default team is the Oilers. I'm also an Albertan, so my next default team is the Flames. I'll always cheer for the Oilers and not cheer for any other team including the Flames so long as the Oilers are still playing. If the Oilers get eliminated, I cheer for the next closest Canadian team* for the same reason I cheered for the Oilers to begin with: location.

*Excluding Toronto, they are the last Canadian team I cheer for.