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GAME 1:
With Toronto missing eight players due to injuries, the Leafs went up against an intensely physical Carolina team in the Eastern Conference finals. Jeff O'Neill was credited with Carolina's first goal, a deflection of Cory Cross' clearing attempt that went off of O'Neill's glove to sail past Curtis Joseph for a 1-0 lead. But Alexander Mogilny stepped up to tie the game, and Jonas Hoglund's power-play deflection at 12:45 of the second period sealed the win for Toronto as the team locked up to weather the storm as the Hurricanes were unable to score another. THe Maple Leafs played perfect defense, blocking shots left and right, to come away with a 2-1 lead and the first win of their series against Carolina.
GAME 2:
Game two marked the return of four injured Maple Leaf regulars, including grinder Tie Domi and defenceman Jyrki Lumme. Darcy Tucker was the third, with a surprisingly quick recovery from the injury he sustained late in the Ottawa series. And captain Mats Sundin was the fourth and final to return, to the overwhelming delight of the home crowd fans, as he had not played in the playoffs for the last 12 games since breaking his wrist in the first round. Bret Hedican scored the first goal at 7:31 of the third period, finally taking what many thought was the game-winning lead. But Gary Roberts and Alyn McCauley would not let the Canes get off so soon. In a last ditch effort to force overtime, Sundin and Roberts fed the puck to McCauley as he scored the tying goal with 7.4 seconds on the clock. With the Leafs forcing the extra period, Niclas Wallin dealt the final blow for his Carolina team at 13:42 with a speeding slapper to even up the series at 1-1.
GAME 3:
With head coach Pat Quinn hospitalized with chest pains, Toronto travelled to Carolina to battle for another lead in the series. Hurricanes captain Ron Francis knocked in the first goal, giving his team the lead that would last until Bryan McCabe's cannon shot tied it up with 33.5 seconds left in the second period. No more goals were scored and the teams once again went to an overtime battle. This time it was Jeff O'Neill who won the game, putting a puck past Curtis Joseph at 6:01 of the extra period, taking a 2-1 win and lead in the series.
GAME 4:
Pat Quinn's surprising return marked Arturs Irbe's first ever playoff shutout as the Carolina Hurricanes moved up 3-1 against the Toronto Maple Leafs in front of a stunned Toronto crowd with a 3-0 victory. The game-winner was put away by Jaroslav Svoboda at 19:32 of the first period on a power-play goal. Sami Kapanen scored another goal late in the game, and Ron Francis capped the game with another power-play goal. Toronto would face elimination in Carolina in the next game of the series.
GAME 5:
Pat Quinn was once again absent for hospitalization as Curtis Joseph made 27 saves for a 2nd-place tie with Hall-of-Famer Clint Benedict for 15 career playoff shutouts. Toronto's only goal of the game came at 18:32 of the first period when a power-play goal deflected off of Maple Leaf Darcy Tucker's foot to sneak past Arturs Irbe. Toronto moved up to trail at 3-2 in the series and would head back home for the next game to face down elimination for the fifth time in the playoffs.
GAME 6:
Game six was a familiar site for both teams as Jeff O'Neill scored first for Carolina in the third period, only to be tied by Mats Sundin's third goal of the playoffs with 22 seconds to go in the game. They were headed to overtime for the final occasion of the series as Martin Gelinas scored the series-winner at 8:05 of the extra time and sent the Maple Leafs packing. Carolina's 4-2 capture of the Eastern Conference championship title would send them on to battle the flaming hot Detroit Red Wings.
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