STANLEY CUP Flames lose Nieminen for tonight's big game

The forward was suspended for his boarding penalty in Monday's game.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Darryl Sutter was already having a long day when his cell phone rang during his daily news conference.
Wednesday was the second of two consecutive days off during the Stanley Cup finals, and before the Calgary Flames coach boarded a flight to Florida he got the bad news he was already expecting.
Second-line forward Ville Nieminen was suspended for Game 5 tonight of the tied series for his boarding penalty against Tampa Bay Lightning forward Vincent Lecavalier.
So when the phone broke the silence in the hotel ballroom, Sutter sarcastically said that it was the NHL office in New York calling to talk to "Canada's team." He already knew about the suspension and expected it, as well.
"We know what we're up against," an angry Sutter said. "We're the little team that wasn't supposed to be here and a lot of people don't want us to be here and to make sure that we're not successful."
Penalized
Nieminen drilled Lecavalier into the boards late in Tampa Bay's 1-0 victory on Monday that tied the best-of-seven series 2-2. He was given a major penalty and a game misconduct, which wrecked any hopes the Flames had of scoring the tying goal.
Because the penalty assessed was severe to the Flames, league disciplinarian Colin Campbell felt a one-game ban was sufficient. It was the second suspension of the playoffs for Nieminen, who also missed a game in the second round after he ran over Detroit goalie Curtis Joseph.
"If we see the guy again, we'll say, 'Gee, how many times do we have to see this guy or is he going to learn to stay within the parameters of the game, and not venture outside?' " Campbell said. "It's always a factor."
Lecavalier is ready
Lecavalier sat out the final four-plus minutes, and his status for tonight's game was unknown until he pronounced himself fit before practice.
"Of course I was a little dizzy, but half an hour after the game I felt fine," Lecavalier said Wednesday. "No headaches, nothing. I feel great."
That is way more than Sutter could say.
He started out by joking about the loss of Nieminen for the pivotal Game 5. Maybe it's because he is confident in his team that has won three previous Game 5s in these playoffs, all on the road.
"One less Finn, fewer vowels," he said when asked what Nieminen's absence meant to the Flames.