Man, I am never being generous again. I let every team have at least one win and by golly most of them didn't deserve even that one (and yes, Kentucky, that means you.) And while granted I was out on a limb with my upset picks, at least Rochester won a game. What the heck happened to New Haven? Clearly I am all- knowing about the Atlantic Division and an idiot when it comes to New England. Then again, I did go four for eight, which would be good for about 20 mil a year if I played baseball. Would be pretty good in Atlantic City, too. Hmmm.

Northern Conference

ATLANTIC DIVISION

Saint John Flames v. St. John's Maple Leafs

Game One, April 16: Saint John 4, St. John's 3
Game Two, April 18: Saint John 2, St. John's 1, OT
Game Three, April 21: St. John's 3, Saint John 1
Game Four, April 23: Saint John 3, St. John's 1

Saint John in four. Nailed it.

You can't make mistakes in the playoffs. This the Maple Leafs learned, when they turned over the puck to the Flames and watched a four-on-two break turn into the game- winning goal for Ladislav Kohn. St. John's had already come back from two-goal deficits twice and killed a five-on-three, but one oops cost them. Todd Hlushko scored twice for the Flames in the first period on the power play and short- handed, and J-S Giguere stopped 41 shots, including one with one second remaining in the game.

Todd Hlushko by Tricia McMillan

Then again, Saint John took a penalty for a very oddball mistake in Game 2 but didn't pay for it. The Flames' equipment manager, Jamie Druet, drew a bench minor for crawling under the stands to the Leafs' bench to retrieve a Flames stick. The Flames successfully killed the penalty, however, and Eric Landry bounced a puck off a Leafs defenseman to score late in the first overtime and give the Flames a 2-1 win and 2-0 advantage in the series. Marcel Cousineau was named first star of the game after stopping 46 of 48 shots, while the Flames killed all Leafs power plays in the game. The first period saw 66 penalty minutes and four misconduct called, but there were no calls in overtime.

The Flames picked up five players from parent Calgary, but the reinforcements were too pooped to pop and the Leafs squeaked out a 3-1 victory on home ice to keep the series going. The Leafs took charge with two goals in 19 seconds, first from Shawn Carter and then from Zdenek Nedved. The Flames sealed their own fate in the third when Jim Dowd knocked the puck into his own net on a clearing attempt. Only Ladislav Kohn scored for the Flames, too little too late. St. John's defenseman Jeff Ware left the game - he was hit in the throat by a puck. He appears OK.

The Saint John Flames were waiting for the extra troops to finish off the Leafs and by golly that's what they did in Game Four, as Rocky Thompson scored the first Flames goal and Hnat Domenichelli potted both the game-winner and the insurance goals, both on the power play. The Flames also made a goaltending change, getting Tyler Moss into his first game and seeing him stop 29 of 30 shots. Domenichelli scored his second goal 34 seconds into the second period and that was it for the entire game, despite the Flames receiving a penalty shot - Todd Hlushko couldn't control the puck enough to score. Marcel Cousineau stopped 32 shots in what is almost certainly his last game for the Maple Leafs, for whom he has played the last five years.

Portland Pirates v. Fredericton Canadiens

Game One, April 17: Portland 4, Fredericton 3
Game Two, April 19: Portland 4, Fredericton 2          
Game Three, April 23: Fredericton 6, Portland 3         
Game Four, April 24: Portland 3, Fredericton 1

Portland in four. Another perfect pick.

First, a miracle - a referee admitted he was wrong. Mike Leggo admitted he didn't actually know if Mark Major instigated a fight against Hershey, so Major's one- game suspension was rescinded and he played. So did the Pirates. The young Habs didn't, except for Eric Houde, who had a hat trick. The Pirates were down 2-0 and needed all of 18 seconds to tie it on goals from Kent Hulst and Kevin Kaminski, then Rick Kowalsky scored short-handed in the third period when Jose Theodore made an ill-advised attempt to play the puck and Brad Church scored 63 seconds later for the win.

Game 2 was different only in that the Pirates took the early 2-0 lead before the Canadiens even had a shot on goal and unlike Fredericton Portland held onto the lead until the end. Portland goalie Martin Brochu stopped 33 shots to win his fifth consecutive game in the Aitken Centre while four players not noted for scoring - Brad Church, Rick Kowalsky, Mark Major and Trevor Halvorson - each had a goal. Fredericton retrieved Eric Houde and Terry Ryan from the parent Habs, but neither of them figured in the scoring.

Andrew Brunette by Tricia McMillan

Portland took a 2-0 lead on power-play goals, but then the Canadiens turned out five unanswered goals and went on to cruise to victory. Five different Fredericton players had a goal and an assist, Miroslav Guren and Eric Belanger scored goals 11 seconds apart to tie the game up, and Eric Houde was credited with the game- winning goal, while Jose Theodore played much better and made 34 saves to temporarily stave off goaltending controversy. Andrew Brunette set up all three goals for Portland. After stonewalling the Canadiens for two games, Martin Brochu found himself yanked in favor of Mike O'Neill for the third period. The game was marked with the returns from injury of Gratton and Ryan Mulhern for Portland, and Martin Gendron for Fredericton - but Gendron was knocked right back out again early in the game. And oh yeah - 150 penalty minutes and an all- out brawl at the end of the game which earned Mark Major and Kevin Kaminski double game misconducts. These teams have concluded they really don't like each other.

The Pirates went with Mike O'Neill for Game Four and that was a good idea, as O'Neill came with 41 seconds of a shutout and ensured the Pirates advanced to meet Saint John. Rick Kowalsky and Steve Poapst both had a goal and an assist, and Andrew Brunette had a pair of assists as all three Portland goals were scored in the second period. Only Eric Houde got on the board for Fredericton and the game was already decided by then. Or was it? The Canadiens believed Mark Major and Kevin Kaminski should have been suspended from participating in the game, but as of game time the AHL hadn't advised one way or another and Portland played them. Fredericton filed a protest of the game, hoping to have it wiped from the books. The AHL ruled that in fact suspensions were not called for by the rules and the game stands.

NEW ENGLAND DIVISION

Springfield Falcons v. Worcester IceCats

Game One, April 14: Worcester 5, Springfield 3       
Game Two, April 19: Worcester 3, Springfield 2, OT       
Game Three, April 21: Springfield 5, Worcester 2
Game Four, April 24: Worcester 5, Springfield 2

Worcester in four. Right length, wrong team.

Worcester won exactly one game in Springfield this season, so now they decide to play well there. Bob Lachance scored short-handed early and the IceCats weathered serious storming by the Falcons to hold on for the victory. Cassivi showed he'd like to keep the number one job after Brent Johnson comes back, stopping 39 shots, while counterpart Scott Langkow was yanked in the second period. Springfield coach Dave Farrish didn't last the game either, being ejected late in the second.

Worcester not only won Game 2, but it was the same players who came up large again. Bob Lachance scored the game-winner just 30 seconds into overtime, while Frederic Cassivi stopped 38 of 40 shots against the suddenly hopeless Falcons. Shayne Toporowski also scored for the IceCats, giving him three goals (plus an assist) in two games. Due to the unavailability of the Springfield Civic Center, the game was played at the Worcester Centrum instead.

The IceCats outshot the Falcons but failed to outscore them, letting Springfield back in with a 5-2 victory. Scott Levins had two power-play goals for the Falcons, including the game-winner, and Jocelyn Lemieux also had a pair. With five minutes left in the game the score was 3-2 and Worcester made a bid to tie the game up short-handed, but Scott Langkow made a great save and as often happens, his team returned the favor by promptly scoring an insurance goal at the other end.

Ricard Persson by Tricia McMillan

The Worcester IceCats may want to keep Bob Lachance around, as he had another goal and an assist and once again the IceCats defeated Springfield, this time to move on to face Hartford. Robert Petrovicky and Shayne Toporowski also had a goal and an assist. Lachance's goal came just 47 seconds into the game and the IceCats retook the lead late in the first compliments of Toporowski, then picked up a short-handed goal from Jamal Mayers and goals seconds apart late in the third to keep Springfield out of contention. Furthermore, Worcester did it sans captain Ricard Persson, who was boarded early in the game and spent the night in the hospital with head and neck injuries. It was also the first time Worcester had ever won a playoff series, having been eliminated in the first round the last couple of years. Last but not least, the AHL opted not to suspend Springfield coach Dave Farrish for his actions in Game One, but did fine him considerably. Considering Farrish grabbed an opposing player, made a choke sign at the referee and also made an obscene gesture towards the ref, perhaps a suspension might have been a very good idea.

Hartford WolfPack v. Beast of New Haven

Game One, April 17: Hartford 7, New Haven 4
Game Two, April 18: Hartford 6, New Haven 4 
Game Three, April 22: Hartford 3, New Haven 2

Hartford in three. I'm so embarrassed.

New Haven took a 3-0 lead into the second period, all the more remarkable considering it was the first time in seven game the Beast had a lead in the Hartford Civic Center. They also had a 4-2 lead to start the third period. Neither lasted. Pierre Sevigny hadn't played in over a month but had two goals for the WolfPack, and just-returned Marc Savard also had a pair of goals and three assists as Hartford bombed the Beast with 50 shots. Sevigny picked up the game-winner with just 2:40 left in the game and the remaining goals were scored into an empty net.

Marc Savard by Kevin Fischer

Savard wasn't through with the Beast, picking up another pair of goals and an assist in Game 2 to bring his season total points against the Beast to 26 points in just ten games. Peter Ferraro had a pair of goals and Vladimir Vorobiev picked up three assists, beneficiaries of being on Savard's line. Unlike Game 1, the Beast never had a lead and didn't particular threaten the Wolfpack other than Steve Washburn's boarding major for crushing Savard into a wall.

New Haven reacquired five players from Florida and Carolina for Game 3 and it didn't matter one whit, as it turned out. Marc Savard completed a three-goal comeback and scored the game-winner with less than three minutes in the game after the Beast had taken a 2-0 lead. Ian MacNeill and David Nemirovsky scored for the Beast early, but Brad Smyth scored in the second and set up PJ Stock for the tying goal late in the third. Then Savard did his thing and that was it for the Beast. Dan Cloutier returned from New York to get the win and probably has the net to himself the rest of the way. Savard finished the series with nine points in three games. Ow.

Southern Conference

EMPIRE DIVISION

Albany River Rats v. Adirondack Red Wings

Game One, April 17: Albany 6, Adirondack 3    
Game Two, April 18: Albany 2, Adirondack 0    
Game Three, April 21: Albany 3, Adirondack 2, OT

Albany wins in three. No fight in the Wings.

Three-point nights for Steve Brule and Sasha Lakovic as the River Rats slapped around the Red Wings to open their ever-chippy rivalry. One fight in the game involved every player on the ice, but Albany beat back Adirondack on the scoreboard with a 58 shot barrage on Norm Maracle. Stacey Roest picked up a pair of goals for the Wings, who stirred controversy after the game when coach Glenn Merkosky appeared to concede the series after just one loss.

Albany goaltender Rich Shulmistra is not exactly a normal person to begin with and he decided to mark the playoffs by doing an Albert Belle impression and refusing to speak to the media. Then he gave them something to talk about, shutting out the Wings 2-0 with 27 saves. John Madden and Jeff Williams scored the goals for the Rats, a few minutes apart in the second period and both set up by Jiri Bicek. Then the Rats made like the Devils and trapped the rest of the game, killing off ten Red Wing power plays and sending Adirondack home facing elimination.

John Madden by Tricia McMillan

Adirondack finally put up a fight in Game Three with elimination staring them in the face. The teams ended regulation in a 2-2 tie, but the Rats needed only 1:27 of overtime and Jeff Williams to finish the sweep. The Rats threw 47 shots at Norm Maracle, who likely played his last game for Adirondack. Pavel Kubina scored first to give the Wings their first lead of the series, but Albany got a lead in the second period on a short-handed goal from Steve Brule. Paul Brousseau tied the game in the third, but by the end of regulation the Wings had only four defensemen and nothing left in the tank.

Hamilton Bulldogs v. Syracuse Crunch

Game One, April 17: Syracuse 5, Hamilton 2 
Game Two, April 19: Hamilton 2, Syracuse 1  
Game Three, April 22: Syracuse 3, Hamilton 0          
Game Four, April 23: Hamilton 4, Syracuse 3
Game Five, April 25: Hamilton 2, Syracuse 1

Hamilton in five. Right number, wrong team, but it was darn close.

When JF Labbe and Steve Passmore faced off against each other in last year's Calder Cup final, it was Labbe who came out on top. Apparently Hamilton coach Lorne Molleken didn't notice that, because he started Passmore in Game one and Syracuse scored on two of their first three shots against him en route to a first game rout. David Roberts and Alek Stojanov jumped on the board 31 seconds apart and despite a goalie change, the Crunch scored three more goals on their way to victory. Jan Hrdina and Brent Sopel both had three-point nights, while Corey Hirsch had 31 saves.

Having learned his lesson, Molleken started Labbe in Game 2 and the result was a classic playoff duel, which Hamilton won 2-1 courtesy of special teams. The Bulldogs converted two power plays in the second period and killed all penalties against them to even up the series.

Corey Hirsch by Tricia McMillan

But Corey Hirsch remained at his top form to stop 29 shots in Game 3 and shutout the Bulldogs, 3-0. Brian Bonin set up Bobby House late in the first period and that goal would stand as the game-winner; Bonin scored again later, and Dave Roche completed the scoring. JF Labbe did stop 33 shots, but not enough. Through three playoff games, Hirsch has allowed only four goals.

That's how many he allowed in the fourth game, as Hamilton's Doug Friedman scored twice and Labbe stopped 39 shots for a 4-3 win. The teams traded goals until midway through the third, when Dan Lacouture scored the eventual game- winner to give the Bulldogs their first two-goal lead of the series. Sven Butenschon brought it close with another goal for the Crunch, but not enough. Three of the Bulldogs' goals were on the power play, in fact, Lacouture's goal was Hamilton's first even-strength goal since the first game. Friedman's first goal came on a five-on-three, the second was unassisted.

There really were only two minutes to Game Five, as all three goals were scored in 101 seconds. Hamilton's Jeff Daw scored at 8:23 of the first, and Syracuse's Dave Roche tied the game up 11 seconds later. Another 90 seconds and Daw assisted as Hamilton's Mike Watt scored what turned out to be the game- and series-winner for the Bulldogs. Labbe stopped 31 of 32 shots while Corey Hirsch stopped 27 of 29 in what was likely the best goaltending matchup of the first round. Chris McAllister left the game after being boarded by Georges Laraque, but Syracuse was unable to do anything with the power play.

MID-ATLANTIC DIVISION

Philadelphia Phantoms v. Rochester Americans

Game One, April 14: Philadelphia 5, Rochester 2          
Game Two, April 16: Rochester 5, Philadelphia 2          
Game Three, April 18: Philadelphia 5, Rochester 2          
Game Four, April 19: Philadelphia 6, Rochester 3

Philadelphia wins in four. Underdog ain't in the building.

Apparently Peter White really wasn't happy about not getting any recognition for a 105-point season because he took it out on the Amerks. White set up a short- handed goal to open the game's scoring and later added another assist and a goal as the Phantoms took down Rochester. Rochester's second goal wasn't scored until the game was down to its final seconds.

But turnabout is such fair play the Amerks did precisely that in game 2, winning their third game in Philadelphia this year. The Amerks were bolstered by the early return of captain Dane Jackson from his badly broken right ankle, and indeed Jackson scored. Five different players tallied for the Amerks, who were trailing to start the second period before scoring four unanswered goals, two in each period. Philadelphia goaltender Neil Little didn't finish the game, yanked after allowing five goals on 23 shots, the last two just 23 seconds apart. Rochester goaltender Martin Biron almost didn't make it to the game; he was recalled as an emergency when Dominik Hasek missed a Sabres game with an ear infection.

Jim Montgomery by Tricia McMillan

When the Phantoms were still the Hershey Bears, Jim Montgomery was a frequent gamebreaker for the team. After a year in Germany and a lackluster season in Philly this year, Montgomery has decided to break some more games. He had a hat trick as the Phantoms held off the late-charging Amerks to win 5-2, the third straight game with that score. The Phantoms took an early 3-0 lead, but suddenly found the Amerks within one goal midway through the third period. Then Montgomery took over with two more goals on top of his game-winner to cement the win for the Phantoms.

The score changed slightly in Game Four, but nothing else did. Heck, Jim Montgomery repeated his performance and notched his second hat trick in two nights. The Amerks repeated their performances from the first three games and gave the Phantoms an early lead, allowing rarely used Phantom Martin Cerven a goal just 46 seconds into the game. Then referee Scott Zelkin called five consecutive minors on the Amerks, giving the Phantoms nearly eight minutes of power play time in nine-and-a-half minutes and three separate five-on-threes. The Phantoms picked up two more goals in the power play time and that was it for the Amerks. Montgomery scored the eventual game-winner in the second period and an insurance goal in the third.

Hershey Bears v. Kentucky Thoroughblades

Game One, April 15: Hershey 2, Kentucky 1          
Game Two, April 17:  Hershey 2, Kentucky 1        
Game Three, April 22: Hershey 10, Kentucky 3          

Hershey in three. Easier than I thought.

Marc Denis was less than two minutes away from a shutout but the Bears held on nonetheless to take the first game of the series. The Bears scored, on the power play natch, in both the first period (from Pascal Trepanier) and second (Eric Veilleux) and withstood a furious extra attacker rush which saw Jarrod Skalde score at 18:20 to pull out the victory. The Bears outshot Kentucky 22-1 in the second period, but the T-Blades did the outshooting in the third, 12-1.

Game 2 looked a lot like Game 1, except this time the T-Blades scored first, as Jarrod Skalde knocked in a rebound when the Bears just couldn't clear Denis' crease. It was the only shot to beat the rookie, as Yves Sarault tied the game early in the second period and Patrick Traverse found a loose puck on a power play and put it past Jason Muzzatti. The game was a little chippy, with 15 power plays resulting, but no major antics.

Serge Aubin by Tricia McMillan

The fans at Rupp Arena in Kentucky apparently knew what was coming, because they didn't come. The smallest crowd ever for a T-Blades game watched their team implode and allow the Hershey Bears four goals on their first six shots, five consecutive goals in the second period, seven power-play goals including three five-on-three goals, and a 10-3 deconstruction to finish their season. It was the most goals allowed, most power-play goals allowed and biggest differential in Kentucky's brief history. Alexei Yegorov gave it his best shot with two goals; but Brad Larsen and Eric Veilleux had a pair each and old-timer Mitch Lamoreaux had a four-point night. You know things might be going wrong when Serge Aubin has a three-point night - in the first period. And things are definitely wrong when the other team's power play unit is clicking at a modest 70%. Holy mackerel. Look for Kentucky's Ray Schultz, presently ticketed for Lowell next season, to be sitting out the first several games next year after a match penalty for slashing late in the game.

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