While the New Jersey Devils were still smarting last summer from a rare early playoff exit, the Anaheim Mighty Ducks were looking to change their losing image.
A bi-coastal trade did so much for both teams, they will meet for the Stanley Cup.
The Devils had finished the previous two seasons in the Stanley Cup finals -- winning once -- before being knocked out in the first round in 2002. The Mighty Ducks were coming off their third straight last-place finish.
Neither club was happy, so they got together on July 6 and made a deal.
New Jersey sent Petr Sykora and three others to Anaheim for forward Jeff Friesen and Ukrainian defenseman Oleg Tverdovsky. The departure of Sykora was a clear signal that major changes were necessary to build the Devils back into a champion.
"It feels very special to play against the team you got traded from," Sykora said Monday, the day before Game 1. "It's a weird feeling. If anybody told me before the season started we're going to be sitting here right now, I wouldn't believe him."
Sykora was the second part of the "A" line, the key to New Jersey's championship three years ago, to be traded. Jason Arnott was sent to Dallas, leaving only Patrik Elias.
Sykora wasn't just any player to put on a Devils sweater, he was part of the fabric that made them winners.
In Game 6 of the 2000 finals, Sykora was felled by a hit from Dallas' Derian Hatcher and removed on a stretcher. He was taken to the hospital, and wasn't on the ice to celebrate when Arnott's goal in double overtime returned the Cup to New Jersey.
When the trophy was given to Elias, he had the jersey of his Czech linemate and close friend draped over his shoulder. They still talk about once a week.
Bryan Murray was only two months into his job as general manager of the Mighty Ducks when he pried away Sykora. It was his third major move to upgrade the club, following the hiring of coach Mike Babcock and the signing of center Adam Oates.
"We knew what kind of player Petr was," Anaheim forward Steve Rucchin said. "He scored a lot of big goals and he's been a huge part of this team.
"From their end of the deal, they've gotten some good things out of their players, too. It's good to see that it's worked out good for both teams."
Ducks captain Paul Kariya said Sykora fit in right away.
"He's fantastic in the locker room and great to hang out with," Kariya said. "It took him probably a month or so to get used to the travel on the West Coast and to get used to our style of play.
"Once he adjusted, down the stretch, he was just incredible for our hockey club."
Friesen said he went through a bit of an adjustment period once he joined the Devils. But it was smoothed by playing on a line with Joe Nieuwendyk, another outsider who came to New Jersey for Arnott. Friesen scored 23 goals in the regular season and has added five in the playoffs. His goal with 2:14 left in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals on Friday night was his third game-winner of the series.
Tverdovsky was plagued by injuries that limited him to 50 games in the regular season. He was scratched for the final six games of the conference finals.
New Jersey
The Devils almost didn't make it to their third finals in four years, but they held on to beat Ottawa in seven games after taking a 3-1 lead in the East finals. They have given up more than three goals just twice in 17 playoff games this year.
This series will focus largely on defense and goaltending. Martin Brodeur gave up an early shaky goal in Game 7 and then allowed only one more the rest of the way. Jamie Langenbrunner paced New Jersey through its first two rounds, scoring seven goals. He was held without one by Ottawa until he scored twice within 1:54 of the second period of Game 7. As much as they enjoy the production from Langenbrunner, defensive specialist John Madden (6 playoff goals), and former Duck Jeff Friesen (5 goals), they want to see more from Patrik Elias. He led the club with 28 goals and 57 points in the regular season, but has only two goals and six points in the playoffs.
The Devils will probably be without Joe Nieuwendyk, who injured himself against Ottawa in Game 6 and then was limited to three shifts in the series clincher. Nieuwendyk was looking to make his fourth finals appearance. The status of fellow forward Turner Stevenson is uncertain. He has been plagued by a groin injury that is expected to keep him out at least until the series shifts to Anaheim.
Anaheim
One name: Jean-Sebastien Giguere. Without that wall in the nets, the Mighty Ducks would not be here.
He set the tone early against Detroit, and carried through in the next two rounds. Giguere posted a 1.22 goals-against average in going 12-2 in his first appearance in the playoffs, and has stopped 476 of 496 shots. As was the case in the first three rounds, the upstart Ducks will be on the road for the first two games.
It hasn't mattered so far, as they became the first team to grab 2-0 leads on the road in three straight series. For the second time, Anaheim will be dealing with a long layoff. The Ducks will have had 11 days off when they finally get back on the ice for Game 1. Paul Kariya is the team leader with five goals. Former Devil Petr Sykora led with 34 regular-season goals, but like his good friend Elias, he has just two in the playoffs. Both, however, were game-winners.
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