The Anaheim Mighty Ducks' comeback was impressive enough. Paul Kariya's was one for the storybooks.
Kariya, leveled by a hit from Scott Stevens that was so hard it appeared he might be seriously hurt, returned to score his first goal of the series, and the Mighty Ducks evened the Stanley Cup finals by beating New Jersey 5-2 in Game 6 Saturday night.
"That's unbelievable," Steve Rucchin said. "What a great goal. He's a great leader."
Kariya was invisible for much of the series, as he couldn't escape the Devils' trapping defense. But he set up two of the Ducks' three first-period with the breakthrough game coach Mike Babcock said was necessary from him to force a Game 7.
Rucchin scored the Ducks' first two goals about 4 minutes apart in a fast-paced, all-offense first period that mimicked that of the Devils' 6-3 victory in Game 5, when each team scored twice.
For New Jersey, which looked flat and uninspired at the start for a team in position to win the Stanley Cup finals, it's a familiar story. This is the second time in three years the Devils couldn't close out the finals in Game 6; they lost 4-0 in Game 6 to Colorado in 2001, then lost Game 7, too.
"We had a great opportunity to finish a series and let it slip away," Devils defenseman Scott Niedermayer said. "We just didn't play our game again. We weren't playing as a team, and that's how we have to be play in order to be successful."
Added Devils coach Pat Burns: ``I was surprised we did that.''
In what is threatening to become the first finals since 1965 in which the home team wins every game, Game 7 will be Monday night in the New Jersey swamp. The Devils have outscored the Ducks 12-3 there in three wins all decided by three goals apiece. Anaheim outscored New Jersey 9-4 in the three games at the Pond.
If Anaheim can somehow find a way to win Monday, the Ducks will be the first team since 1971 to rally from a 2-0 deficit to win the Stanley Cup.
That Colorado comeback in 2001 also marked the only time since Montreal rallied past Chicago in 1971 that a team leading the finals hasn't held a 3-2 lead. If the Mighty Ducks go from last place a year ago to one of the most unlikely Stanley Cup champions ever, it will be Kariya's comeback that will be remembered.
The Ducks, playing with the desperation expected of a team possibly playing in its last game, led 3-1 in the second period when Stevens leveled Kariya with a violent hit only a moment after the Anaheim captain had passed the puck.
Kariya was in open ice and was vulnerable, but clearly never saw Stevens coming.
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