WESTERN CONFERENCE

Empire Division

#1 Rochester Americans v. #4 Adirondack Red Wings

Game One: Wednesday, April 21 - Rochester 3, Adirondack 2 OT
Game Two: Friday, April 23 - Rochester 5, Adirondack 2
Game Three: Saturday, April 24 - Rochester 2, Adirondack 1

(Rochester in three) Nailed it.

Aren Miller by Meredith Martini

Game One
Give the Red Wings and Aren Miller credit - they're gonna hang in there. The Wings scored two goals in 24 seconds but let the Amerks tie it up, and Jason Holland scored on the power play shortly into overtime to give the Amerks the win. Rochester outshot Adirondack 40-15, hence the nod to Miller.

Game Two
Hoo boy. Rochester got a hat trick from Dean Sylvester and an assist hat trick from Mike Harder while generally dominating the Wings. The Amerks ran their power-play success to 5 for 13 in the two games. The Amerks left the first period with a 3-0 lead and didn't look back..

Game Three
The best defense and the worst offense just don't mix and the Amerks completed making short work of the Red Wings with a 2-1 win. Mike Hurlbut set up both Rochester goals and Craig Fisher scored the winner as Martin Biron frankly didn't have a lot to do here. Rochester trailed Adirondack for all of five minutes in the entire series, indicative of the lopsided nature of this matchup.

#2 Albany River Rats v. #3 Hamilton Bulldogs

Game One: Thursday, April 22 - Hamilton 4, Albany 3
Game Two: Saturday, April 24 - Albany 3, Hamilton 2
Game Three: Wednesday, April 28 at Hamilton
*Game Four: Friday, April 30 at Hamilton
*Game Five: Saturday, May 1 at Albany

(Albany in five)

Game One
Hamilton's Chris Ferraro scored a natural hat trick in 7:48, essentially all on the power play (one came one second after the power play ended), and the Rats couldn't quite scratch their way back into the game. The actual game-winner was scored by Daniel Lacroix as the Rats scored two goals in the last two minutes of the game.

John Madden by Meredith Martini

Game Two
The Rats got one back though when Steve Brule scored a late goal to even the series at one. John Madden scored again, giving him a point streak (regular season and playoffs) of 17 games. Chris Ferraro set up both Hamilton goals.

Mid-Atlantic Division

#1 Philadelphia Phantoms v. #4 Cincinnati Mighty Ducks

Game One: Thursday, April 22 - Philadelphia 4, Cincinnati 3
Game Two: Saturday, April 24 - Philadelphia 5, Cincinnati 2
Game Three: Sunday, April 25 - Philadelphia 5, Cincinnati 2

(Philadelphia in four) Philadelphia in three. Right team, close on the games.

Game One
The Phantoms scored three goals in the first period, including two from Peter White, but they needed an unassisted third period goal from Dennis Bonvie, of all people, to actually win the game. The Ducks closed within one but Philadelphia managed to make Bonvie's rare goal hold up.

Game Two
Peter White remained en fuego with another goal and two assists as the Phantoms spotted the Ducks two first period goals (scored 56 seconds apart) and then plucked feathers the remainder of the game with five unanswered goals. Dennis Bonvie scored again. Not your typical playoff performer, maybe he's going for a full image makeover here.

Game Three
Another day, three more points for Peter White. White racked up three assists as the Phantoms finished off the Ducks, who once again took a lead and then let the Phantoms do what they will. This time it was a mid-game five-on-three that allowed Philadelphia both the tying and winning goals and sent half of Cincinnati to Anaheim for additional annihilation.

A side note: the official game writeup on the AHL web site claimed the Philadelphia Phantoms 'have never lost a playoff series in their two year history.' Well, as those of us with brain cells know, this is the Phantoms' third year and I seem to recall they lost a seven gamer to eventual champs Hershey in 1997. Hello? Anybody awake up there?

#2 Kentucky Thoroughblades v. #3 Hershey Bears

Game One: Friday, April 23 - Hershey 3, Kentucky 2
Game Two: Saturday, April 24 - Kentucky 5, Hershey 3
Game Three: Wednesday, April 28 at Hershey
*Game Four: Friday, April 30 at Hershey
*Game Five: Sunday, May 2 at Kentucky

(Hershey in five)

Game One
They didn't need overtime, but they came darn close to needing it. With just 47.3 seconds left in regulation, Dan Hinote scored the game-winner for the Bears, his second goal of the period to boot. Kentucky came back to tie the game twice but had no answer for Hinote's late goal. It was Marc Denis' first win over Kentucky this season after seven tries. Mike Gaul returned to the Bears and scored the first goal.

Game Two
The Bears couldn't get it done on the penalty kill, allowing the T-Blades three power play goals and a rare playoff win. Blueliner Shawn Heins had a three point night for Kentucky after having only four points in the regular season. Marc Denis got the hook this time, not that anyone saw. Kentucky has posted the two smallest crowds in franchise history for this playoff series.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

New England Division

#1 Providence Bruins v. #4 Worcester IceCats

Game One: Friday, April 23 - Providence 4, Worcester 1
Game Two: Saturday, April 24 - Providence 3, Worcester 1
Game Three: Friday, April 30 at Worcester
*Game Four: Saturday, May 1 at Worcester
*Game Five: Wednesday, May 5 at Providence

(Providence in four)

Game One
On the one hand, is anyone surprised Providence won? But, would you believe the shots were even? The IceCats allowed the Bruins two goals in the first and the teams played even the rest of the way. Only Marquis Mathieu had more than one point; Eric Nickulas scored shorthanded, unassisted.

John Grahame by Meredith Martini

Game Two
Once again, closer than it appears. Providence needed the third period to take a lead on a goal from the recently-unretired Steven King and sealed things with an empty net goal. However, the IceCats didn't test John Grahame much with a paltry 18 shots. Randy Robitaille and Peter Ferraro had two assists each. Worcester for its part complained vehemently about the officiating in the game, and the minutes were in fact doled out in a lopsided manner, 60-16.

#2 Hartford WolfPack v. #3 Springfield Falcons

Game One: Friday, April 23 - Hartford 2, Springfield 1
Game Two: Saturday, April 24 - Hartford 5, Springfield 2
Game Three: Friday, April 30 at Springfield
*Game Four: Saturday, May 1 at Springfield
*Game Five: Monday, May 3 at Hartford

(Hartford in five)

Game One
Dan Cloutier didn't play, but Hobey Baker nominee Mike York did. He also scored with less than five minutes left to give the WolfPack the edge in Game One. Defenseman Chris O'Sullivan scored early, but Falcons' blueliner Robert Schnabel evened things up late in the third. York scored 37 seconds after Schnabel to finish the scoring.

Game Two
This time the WolfPack did get some help from the Rangers, as Marc Savard had four points and Derek Armstrong put in a natural hat trick. Armstrong's trick included the tying and winning goals, and JF Labbe stopped 20 shots.

Atlantic Division

#1 Lowell Lock Monsters v. #4 Saint John Flames

Game One: Friday, April 23 - Saint John 4, Lowell 2
Game Two: Saturday, April 24 - Saint John 4, Lowell 3 OT
Game Three: Wednesday, April 28 at Saint John
*Game Four: Friday, April 30 at Saint John
*Game Five: Tuesday, May 4 at Lowell

(Lowell in five)

Game One
Apparently when Saint John sends a message, they mean it. The Flames picked up where they left off last weekend with an opening victory over Lowell, with Travis Brigley notching the game-winner in the third period. Jean-Sebastien Giguere stopped 26 shots for the Flames.

Travis Brigley by Meredith Martini

Game Two
The Flames are apparently intent on proving the regular season was just a bad dream, as they received a dream tying goal from David Cooper with only six seconds left in regulation and went on to win the game in overtime compliments of Martin St. Louis. Cooper, who had three points overall, got the goal on the power play with Giguere pulled for an extra attacker. Lee Sorochan was involved in all four Saint John goals.

#2 St. John's Maple Leafs v. #3 Fredericton Canadiens

Game One: Friday, April 23 - Fredericton 7, St. John's 4
Game Two: Sunday, April 25 - Fredericton 4, St. John's 2
Game Three: Tuesday, April 27 at Fredericton
*Game Four: Thursday, April 29 at Fredericton
*Game Five: Saturday, May 1 at St. John's

(St. John's in five)

Game One
Uh, guys, this is the playoffs. You know, tight checking, low-scoring, that kind of stuff. Never mind. Fredericton captain Martin Gendron had a hat trick and J.F. Jomphe had four points as the baby Habs thumped the baby Leafs in an offense-fest. In fact, the Leafs also got a hat trick, from David Nemirovsky, and briefly held a lead.

Game Two
St. John's outshot Fredericton 48-24 and it did them no good whatsoever because Jose Theodore stopped 46 of those shots. Meanwhile, Jean-Francois Houle had a pair of points and JF Jomphe had three points as the baby Habs took a 2-0 lead home. St. John's did without Jeff Reese for the second time as he is apparently suffering from food poisoning.

[ issues | nhl archive | home | nhl history | about us | search | comments ]