DETROIT, June 5 (UPI) -- The heavily-favored Detroit Red Wings find themselves in an unexpected position one game deep into the Stanley Cup Finals.
The team with eight probable Hall of Famers and legendary coach Scotty Bowman will seek to draw even with the surprising Carolina Hurricanes when the finals resume with Game 2 Thursday night.
The Hurricanes have a probable Hall of Famer of their own in Ron Francis and he scored the overtime goal in Carolina's series-opening 3-2 win Tuesday night.
The 39-year-old Francis has recorded 514 goals and 1,187 assists in a 21-year career and was a member of two Stanley Cup-winning teams with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
But now Francis, who started his career with the Hartford Whalers-turned-Hurricanes, is back with his original franchise and leading Carolina on an improbable run.
The goal was Francis' fifth in three finals appearances and second game-winning tally. Francis scored the deciding goal in Game 4 of the 1992 Finals, giving the Penguins their second straight championship. Coincidentally, that goal was scored against current Detroit goaltender Dominik Hasek, who then was the backup goalie for Chicago.
"It's certainly up there (among the biggest goals)," Francis said. "I think anytime you score a goal, especially at this point in the season, it's special. When it comes in a situation like that, where it gives your team a win, obviously, it's even more special."
Tuesday's victory improved Carolina's playoff overtime record to 7-1 and removed doubts that the Southeast Division champions could not compete with the Red Wings, who captured the Presidents' Trophy as the league's best team during the regular season.
No coach has won as many Stanley Cups as the eight captured by Bowman. Oonly his idol, Toe Blake, has as many.
At 68, Bowman is the NHL's oldest coach. Behind the Hurricanes' bench is 35-year-old Paul Maurice, the league's youngest coach, although he ranks just behind Bowman in terms of tenure with his current team.
A championship would be the first for either starting goaltender -- Hasek of the Red Wings via the Czech Republic or Arturs Irbe of the Hurricanes via Latvia. One will become the first European-born and trained goalie to capture the Stanley Cup.
Hasek came close, carrying the Buffalo Sabres to the finals in 1999 only to lose to the Dallas Stars -- and current teammate Brett Hull. Until this year, Irbe had not gotten past the second round. In 1994, however, he backstopped the San Jose Sharks to a stunning seven-game triumph over heavily favored Detroit in the conference quarterfinals.
