Sports Illustrated article
Jun 22, 1998
by Michael Farber
Led by the stellar all-around play of their captain, Steve Yzerman, the Detroit Red Wings were flashing their championship form against the overmatched Washington Capitals…
STEVE YZERMAN grabbed the puck and rushed down the left wing, carrying Washington Capitals center Esa Tikkanen on his back for the last 30 feet the same way he had carried the Detroit Red Wings for 15 seasons. Whether it’s the weight of a franchise or 200 pounds of fractious Finn, Yzerman, the Detroit captain, never has been afraid of heavy lifting. When Yzerman and his chaperone fell in a heap and rammed into Capitals goalie Olaf Kolzig, the puck squirted free. Red Wings forward Tomas Holmstrom swooped in unattended and put the puck home, just 35 seconds into Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals. That’s Washington: first in war, first in peace, lousy in the first minute.
