In the flash of an eye, Ty Conklin went from an afterthought to a focal point of this year's Stanley Cup finals. Prior to last night, Conklin was a forgotten man. He and Jussi Markkanen were alternating as backups to Dwayne Roloson who was considered a leading candidate for the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP if the Oilers won the series.
With roughly six minutes left in the third period, that all changed. In one quick collision, Roloson was injured and lost for the rest of the playoffs. Conklin was thrust into a close game late in the third period. He made two solid saves before disaster struck.
With just over 30 seconds left and the game seemingly destined for overtime, Conklin went behind his goal to play a loose puck. He left the puck behind the goal for defenseman Jason Smith. Sometimes, the simplest plays are the toughest. Conklin, who had not appeared in the playoffs prior to last night, had a miscommunication with his defenseman. The puck deflected off of Smith's stick and was swooped up by the eager Rod Brind'Amour of Carolina. Brind'Amour grabbed the puck and quickly deposited it into the empty net. Game over. The Hurricanes, who trailed 3-0 late in the second period, had grabbed a 1-0 lead in the series.
'I think they had a little mix-up,' said Brind'Amour. 'I think this was a little mix-up who was going to get it and obviously the goalie is behind the net. (It's) just a matter of flipping it into the net. ( I) don't get too many of those, but I'll definitely take them.'
Conklin quickly went from potential hero to goat, joining Bill Buckner and Scott Norwood as players making mistakes in the glare of a championship game. In Oilers history, he joins defenseman Steve Smith (1986 vs. Calgary) as making a crucial playoff error. The eyes of millions of hockey fans were suddenly focused on Ty Conklin.
'It's a mistake I don't think I would normally make,' Conklin said. 'I'm sure that (not playing in so long) had something to do with it, but regardless of inactivity, you still have to make the right plays.'
Oilers coach Craig MacTavish tried to explain his goalie's mistake. 'Ty comes in, he makes a great pad save and then he gloves one and he's got his confidence,' MacTavish said. 'Then, he goes back to play the puck and a little bit too much confidence in a situation where obviously you just want to get rid of it at that point around the boards. He was confident, didn't see Brind'Amour coming in the back and Brind'Amour got another one.'
The key question now is can the Oilers bounce back without Roloson who has led their playoff charge thus far. MacTavish has to choose between Jussi Markkanen and Conklin. The fact that neither was playing consistently well throughout the season is what led the Oilers to acquire Roloson at the trade deadline in the first place.
Markkanen said he would be ready to play. 'I've haven't played in since ... forever,' Markkanen joked. 'But really, it doesn't matter. I have to be ready. If the coach calls your name, you have to be ready to go.'
MacTavish said he may alternate his two remaining goalies or ride the hot hand if one of them comes up big. Either way, the Oilers coach tried to remain optimistic and to raise the confidence of his team.
'We've got a resilient group in that locker room,' MacTavish said. 'It's a tight-knit group. We'll rally around either Jussi or Ty, whoever we start in the next game and we'll play a more intelligent game. I have no question whatsoever about how we'll react to this.'
Conklin may be down right now, but he has to remember that he can go from goat to hero almost as quickly as he went from afterthought to goat.
