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Canucks beat Toronto in second OT to make Stanley Cup finals

VANCOUVER (Reuter) - Greg Adams' second goal of the game 14 seconds into the second overtime lifted the Vancouver Canucks to a 4-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday and a berth in the Stanley Cup Finals.

"I'm so tired I don't feel anything. I'm kind of numb right now," said Adams.

Adams took the rebound of a shot by Trevor Linden and backhanded the puck over the right shoulder of Toronto goaltender Felix Potvin for the winning goal.

"I should have scored a couple times in the third period and I didn't put it away but I'm just glad I got the opportunity again," Adams said.

The Canucks, who rallied from a 3-0 deficit to tie the game in the second period, beat the Leafs four games to one in the Western Conference championship series, and will play the winner of the Eastern Conference final between New Jersey and the New York Rangers in the Stanley Cup Final.

Vancouver won four straight games after losing the opening game of the series at Toronto to earn its first trip to the Stanley Cup Final since 1982.

The Canucks tied the game on second-period goals by Murray Craven, Nathan Lafayette and Adams.

After being shut out in Games Three and Four by Vancouver's Kirk McLean, the Maple Leafs exploded for three first-period goals to take a 3-0 lead.

Mike Eastwood scored Toronto's first goal on a two-on-one break at 7:54 of the period. Eastwood flipped a shot from the right side of the crease past McLean's short side for his third goal of the playoffs.

Doug Gilmour scored a power-play goal at 11:37 and Wendel Clark scored his ninth goal of the playoffs 42 seconds later to open a 3-0 lead. Gilmour converted a centering pass from defenceman Dave Ellett and Clark blasted a slapshot from the left circle over the left shoulder of McLean.

Craven scored off a rebound of a shot by Geoff Courtnall at 1:34 of the second period to start Vancouver's comeback.

Lafayette's goal at 9:37 of the second period off a pass by Craven pulled the Canucks within 3-2.

Adams' power-play goal with 2:03 left in the second period tied the game at 3-3. Adams jammed a shot from the left of the net through Potvin's pads.

Pavel Bure, who leads all playoff scorers with 13 goals, assisted on Adams' tying goal to extend his point-scoring streak to 14 games.

The Canucks were swept by the New York Islanders in four straight games in their only previous Stanley Cup Final appearance 12 years ago.

Result Eastern Conference finals Vancouver 4 Toronto 3 (OT2) (Vancouver wins best-of-seven series 4-1)