Hurricanes Go To Stanley Cup Finals

2002 Playoffs

"I saw it go in, but I had to double-look to make sure," Gelinas said. "But when I saw everybody jumping on the ice, and the building got a little silent, I knew."

The Hurricanes came to within 22 seconds of victory in regulation when Toronto's captain Mats Sundin tied the game and extended the Leaf's lease on life a bit longer.

"It's the hardest championship to win in sports. And I don't think the stars exactly lined up for us this year," Toronto goalie Curtis Joseph said. "A big credit to our team. We were hard to put out, and we were very resilient. I was proud of a lot of guys in here."

The Hurricanes, who moved to Raleigh from Hartford, Conn. following the 1996-97 season, will make their first trip to the finals in the franchise's 23-year history.

"It seemed like forever. And now it seems like just a short trip. Things work that way," Hurricanes owner Peter Karmanos Jr. said. "It's been a great team all year. They've fought adversity all year and they've always done very well."