Fans should warm to this series

TAMPA -- They're both small-market teams, they are led by hard-nosed coaches, and they boast outstanding forwards who, as talented as they are, could walk around most major cities and not be recognized. They are the Tampa Bay Lightning and Calgary Flames, and tonight they'll kick off the Stanley Cup finals.

They may not be the best-known teams in the NHL, but no one can argue that they don't belong where they are. Flames coach Darryl Sutter and Lightning bench boss John Tortorella are like great jockeys: They know when to use the whip and when to let the horse run.

The Flames' ride to the finals was through three division winners: Vancouver, Detroit, and San Jose. The only other club to do that in one playoff year was the 1999-2000 New Jersey Devils, who knocked off Toronto, Philadelphia, and Dallas.

The Lightning, who were the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, took care of business by eliminating the Islanders, Canadiens, and Flyers.

Sutter, who will coach his 88th postseason contest tonight (the 759th playoff game played or coached by a member of the Sutter family), said the teams are excellent representatives of their conferences and called the Lightning worthy conference champions.

"A lot of times, a team will advance because somebody else beats somebody else," said Sutter. "We beat the top three seeds so we're fitting champions, too."

When a reporter suggested that the Flames were unknown in these parts, Sutter quipped, "Likewise, I'm sure."

Chances are, as the series goes along, even casual fans are going to appreciate the subplots:

1. Dave Andreychuk. The former Bruin forward, who is now the Lightning captain, has played in more regular-season and postseason games (1,752) than any other player who hasn't won a Cup. The classy veteran is in his 22d NHL season and has been an ambassador for the sport in every city. "He respects the game," said Tortorella. "He studies the game. He lives the game. It's not a job for him, coming to the rink for a couple of hours a day and then leaving. He thinks about it. I think that's why he's going to be a Hall of Famer. I knew David back when I was an assistant coach in Buffalo when he was a very young player. He couldn't check his hat. He didn't understand the defensive part, didn't want anything to do with the defensive part of the game. He wanted to score goals. That's what he's going to be remembered for -- as a goal scorer -- but I think the greatest thing about Andy right now is how he's transformed himself."

2. Jarome Iginla. The Flames right wing is one of the most talented as well as charismatic young forwards in the game. In true star fashion, the Calgary captain strapped his team to his back and helped carry it through the first three rounds. Coaches often say your best players have to be your best players when the game is on the line, and Iginla -- with his 17 points (10 goals) in 19 games -- has been just that.

3. The goaltending duel. Calgary's Miikka Kiprusoff and Tampa's Nikolai Khabibulin have stood tall. Kiprusoff, a third-stringer in San Jose before Sutter brought him to Calgary, has a 1.90 goals-against average and .930 save percentage in the playoffs with four shutouts. Khabibulin goes in with a 1.65 GAA, .939 save percentage, and four shutouts.

4. The Martin Gelinas factor. The veteran, who turns 34 June 5, is playing in his fourth Cup final. He won a title with Edmonton in 1990, lost one to the Rangers when he was with Vancouver in 1994, and lost again to Detroit when he was with Carolina in 2002. Gelinas had the series-clinching goal against each of the Flames' first three opponents.

5. The Martin St. Louis factor. The compact winger, a former standout at the University of Vermont, played for the Flames from 1998-2000 but it didn't work out. He was placed on waivers, and the Lightning took a chance on him, signing him as a free agent in July 2000. He's a leading candidate for the Hart Trophy as the NHL's Most Valuable Player and also has a shot at the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

Tortorella said he sees more similarities than differences between the teams.

"They win as a team," said Tortorella. "I think that's very important. I think that's how we have gone about our business, understanding you don't get to this situation as individuals, but as a team they have beaten three division winners to get where they are. So they are certainly no fluke."

Neither are the Lightning. Even if people are just starting to learn who these teams are.