Alumni In The Playoffs - 2011

[Trotsky]

During tonight's Philadelphia-Buffalo Game 3 the Versus color guy, maybe Darren Eliot, noted comments by the Sabres assistant coach, definitely Brian McCutcheon.

Edit: no, it was Darren Pang.  Eliot is doing some of the Cup games, however.

[Josh '99]

It was an eventful night for Cornell alumni, including a full AHL slate, but let's start with the most, um, eventful events:

NHL

Douglas Murray's Sharks made a historic comeback in their game in Los Angeles last night, rebounding from deficits of 4-0 and 5-3 to beat the Kings 6-5 in overtime.  The turnaround started 44 seconds into the second period, when starting goalie Antti Niemi was lifted after allowing 4 goals on just 10 shots.  The Sharks scored three goals over the next 13 minutes to cut their deficit to one goal, but looked to have had their comeback derailed when the Kings scored their fifth just 15 seconds after the Sharks' third.  San Jose seized back momentum with two goals in the last two minutes of the second period, capping a five-goal outburst (a team record for a single period) and knotting the game at 5.  The third period was a tight one, with no goals or penalties, but Devin Setoguchi finished things for the Sharks with a goal just 3:09 into overtime.  Murray had no points and an even plus/minus, logged 2:25 of shorthanded ice time for a Sharks penalty kill that successfully killed all three Kings power plays in the game, was third among Sharks defensemen with 20:10 of total ice time, blocked one shot, recorded five hits, and even put a few good shots on goal during the Sharks' comeback.  Game 4 will be played Thursday night in Los Angeles, but will not be televised nationally (unless you're lucky enough to get TSN) because Vs. is carrying game 5 of the Chicago-Vancouver series instead.

AHL

Raymond Sawada and the Texas Stars joined the Sharks on the comeback trail last night.  The Stars trailed the Milwaukee Admirals 2-0 late in the third period, but scored with 4:09 left and again with 21 seconds remaining to send the game to overtime; Travis Morin (MSU-Mankato), after assisting on the first two goals, scored for the Stars 8:44 into overtime to send the fans home happy.  Sawada assisted on the Stars' first goal, a power play marker by Philip Larsen, and was +1 with five shots on goal; he now has four assists in the first three games of the series.  The Stars now lead the series 2-1 and will look to extend that lead in game 4 tonight in Cedar Park (which is a suburb of Austin; don't worry, I didn't know until I just looked it up either).

Riley Nash and the Charlotte Checkers were unable to complete a similar comeback in front of their home crowd.  The Checkers trailed the Hershey Bears 3-0 after the first period, clawed back a goal in the second and another in the third, but weren't able to send the game to overtime.  Riley picked up his first playoff point with an assist on Zach Boychuk's goal early in the third period, and was +1 with one shot on goal.  The Bears now lead the series 2-1, with game 4 scheduled for tonight in Charlotte.

Brendon Nash and the Hamilton Bulldogs lost 2-0 on the road against the Oklahoma City Barons last night, but still lead their series 2-1.  Brendon was -1 on the night.  Game 4 will be played tonight in Oklahoma City.

Colin Greening and the Binghamton Senators lost to the Manchester Monarchs 6-3 in Binghamton last night, and now face a 3-1 series deficit.  The Senators came back from a 2-0 deficit to tie the game 2-2, and from a 3-2 deficit to tie at 3-3, but surrendered three goals in a span of 3:30 late in the third period, yielding the final margin of victory.  Ryan Potulny (Minnesota) scored all three goals for the Senators.  Greening was -1 with 4 shots on goal and an interference minor during which the Monarchs scored their sixth goal.  The Senators will look to stave off elimination and send the series back to Manchester with a win in game 5, tonight in Binghamton.  By the way, I don't think it was mentioned upthread, but the Monarchs are coached by Mark Morris; no word on whether he still beats his players.

ECHL

Evan Barlow and the Idaho Steelheads, who trail the Alaska Aces 2-0 in their conference semifinal, play at home tonight.

Ben Scrivens and the Reading Royals, who trail the Kalamazoo Wings 2-0 in their conference semifinal, play on the road tonight.

CHL

PC Drouin and the Fort Wayne Komets trail 2-0 in their best-of-five conference semifinal series against the Rapid City Rush; they will look to extend their season on home ice in game 3 tonight.

The Odessa Jackalopes lost to the Allen Americans 3-1 last night, but still lead 2-1 in their best-of-five conference semifinal series, and will have another chance to clinch on home ice tomorrow night.  David McKee again did not dress for the Jackalopes.

[RichH]

Not a CU alumnus, but related.  After seeing the headline: "Lake Placid trip evokes memories in Bruins' Thomas," I speedily clicked this article: http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=560300

Oh, huh. No mention of how well he did when he got the opportunity to actually PLAY in that building? Just how he remembers the 1980 USA team, eh? Sure you don't want to mention how it felt to dress up in that very building??  Or your record there? Hmm? No? Nothing? How your swaggering #1 seed UVM team choked it up against a #6 Harvard squad? Or how about all those other times that you made it to the conference final 4....oooooohhhhhh that's right.

[Scersk '97]

How he broke his stick over the goal after we beat them at Lynah in the fall of '96 made that win oh-so-satisfying.  Good ol' Timmie.

"Where is your team?  Clap-clap-clapclapclap."

"No, Cats, no!"

--heard at Placid in the spring of '97

[KeithK]

"No, Cats, no!"

--heard at Placid in the spring of '97

One of my fonder postseason hockey memories...

[RichH]

"No, Cats, no!"

--heard at Placid in the spring of '97

One of my fonder postseason hockey memories...

"Your attention, please. The time of the University of Vermont "Parade To The Arena" tomorrow afternoon has been changed from 5:30 to 1:30. Thank you."
--Actual PA announcement during the 1st intermission of the '96 Cornell-Clarkson semifinal.

I don't think I've heard such a large percentage of a hockey crowd that large simultaneously burst into laughter before or since.

[Robb]

"No, Cats, no!"

--heard at Placid in the spring of '97

One of my fonder postseason hockey memories...

My favorite was during the consolation game that year when Princeton was on its way to being destroyed by RPI 8-4 (and having lost their semifinal to Clarkson 5-1):

"Princeton beat Vermont!  Princeton Beat Vermont!"

[Josh '99]

NHL

The Sharks built on their big comeback win on Tuesday night with a 6-3 win in Los Angeles last night to take a 3-1 series lead and push the Kings to the brink of elimination.  Douglas Murray was +1 with three hits and three blocked shots; he also continued to be a major part of a penalty kill that kept the Kings' power play off the board for a second consecutive game, leading all Sharks skaters with 5:03 of shorthanded ice time.  The Sharks now have three chances to close the series out, starting tomorrow in San Jose.  Game 5 will be played at 10:30pm EDT and will be televised on Vs.  (NB for hockey fans, which I imagine is all of you:  Saturday's staggered start times mean those who are so inclined will be able to watch hockey straight through the day, from the noon EDT start of the Lightning-Pens game until the end of the Sharks-Kings game.)  

AHL

Raymond Sawada and the Texas Stars fell to the Milwaukee Admirals 3-2 at home on Wednesday night, and their series is now tied 2-2.  Sawada was held without a point for the first time in the series, but did register four shots on goal.  The Stars will have the chance to take the series lead back in a crucial game 5 in Texas tonight, with games 6 and (if necessary) 7 to be played back in Milwaukee.

Riley Nash and the Charlotte Checkers tied their series with the Hershey Bears at 2 games each with a 3-2 win in Charlotte on Wednesday night.  Nash had no points, two shots on goal and a hooking minor.  Goalie Mike Murphy was the hero of the night for the Checkers, stopping 35 of 37 shots the Bears sent his way.  The Checkers, like the Stars, will look to take a lead at home in game 5 tonight before going on the road for games 6 and (if necessary) 7.

Brendon Nash and the Hamilton Bulldogs are also tied 2-2 in their series with the Oklahoma City Barons, after losing 5-2 in Oklahoma City on Wednesday night.  Nash was -1 with one shot on goal.  Mark Arcobello (Yale) was the game's first star, scoring to give the Barons a 3-2 lead late in the second period and assisting on the first insurance goal midway through the third.  Game 5 will be played tonight in Oklahoma City, after which the series returns to Ontario for games 6 and (if necessary) 7.

Colin Greening and the Binghamton Senators survived to play another day with a 5-4 overtime win over the Manchester Monarchs in Binghamton on Wednesday night.  Greening was scoreless with six of the Senators' 42 shots on goal and a boarding minor in the first period.  Kaspars Daugavins scored 6:38 into overtime to send the Binghamton crowd home happy.  The Senators, however, still trail 3-2 in the series, with the remaining games to be played in Manchester, tonight and (if necessary) tomorrow night.

ECHL

Ben Scrivens and the Reading Royals are one loss away from being swept by the Kalamazoo Wings, after a 5-4 defeat in Kalamazoo on Wednesday night.  Scrivens started in goal for the Royals but was lifted 9:49 into the first period when the Wings scored their first goal on their 13th shot of the night; the game recap on the Royals' website says he "sustained an apparent injury on the play and had to come out."  I haven't been able to find any further information about his condition or whether he'll be able to play in the remainder of the series.  Matt Dalton (Bemidji) took the loss in relief, allowing 4 goals on 32 shots the rest of the way.  The Royals now face a steep uphill battle starting tonight in Kalamazoo; if you're interested, their games can be watched online at bctv.org.  

Evan Barlow and the Idaho Steelheads also trail 3-0 in their playoff series after losing to the Alaska Aces 3-1 in Idaho on Wednesday night.  Barlow had an assist on Mark Derlago's third-period goal, the only one of the night for the Steelheads, along with four shots on goal and a roughing minor.  Games 4 and (if necessary) 5 will be played in Idaho tonight and tomorrow night, after which the series would return to Alaska.

CHL

PC Drouin had a huge night for the Fort Wayne Komets in their 5-4 come-from-behind overtime win over the Rapid City Rush in Fort Wayne on Wednesday night.  The Komets trailed 3-0 after two periods but stormed back with four third-period goals (sandwiched around one for the Rush) to send the game to overtime.  Drouin had a hand in all four goals, assisting on the first three (two on the power play and one shorthanded) before scoring the fourth one himself, also on the power play, with 3:30 to play in the period; he took a slashing minor 8:43 into overtime but the ensuing Rapid City power play was nullified by an interference penalty 39 seconds in, and Mathieu Curadeau scored on the power play that ensued after Drouin returned to the ice to complete the comeback for the Komets.  However, the Rush still lead the best-of-five series 2-1 heading into game 4 tonight in Fort Wayne.

The Odessa Jackalopes lost a second consecutive game to the Allen Americans last night, falling 5-3 in Odessa, and their best-of-five series is now tied at two games each; the decisive game 5 will be played in Allen tonight.  David McKee was once again out of the lineup for the Jackalopes.

[KeithK]

(NB for hockey fans, which I imagine is all of you: ...

If there actually is anyone reading this thread who isn't a hockey fan please speak up.

[Jeff Hopkins '82]

(NB for hockey fans, which I imagine is all of you: ...

If there actually is anyone reading this thread who isn't a hockey fan please speak up.

More likely is someone who doesn't know what NB means ::whistle::

And given the typical tenor on this board, there's probably damn few of them, too.

[ftyuv]

(NB for hockey fans, which I imagine is all of you: ...

If there actually is anyone reading this thread who isn't a hockey fan please speak up.

More likely is someone who doesn't know what NB means ::whistle::

I think we all know what New Balance is, thankyouverymuch.

(I keeeed!)

[billhoward]

(NB for hockey fans, which I imagine is all of you: ...

If there actually is anyone reading this thread who isn't a hockey fan please speak up.

More likely is someone who doesn't know what NB means ::whistle::

I think we all know what New Balance is, thankyouverymuch.

(I keeeed!)

Tough crowd, tough crowd. Keeps posters on guard, though. Or should.

[Josh '99]

Updates from an eventful weekend, which saw mostly success in the NHL and the AHL, but disappointment in the lower minors...

NHL

Douglas Murray and the Sharks were unable to close out their series against the Los Angeles Kings in their first opportunity to do so; they lost 3-1 in San Jose on Sunday night.  Murray was -1 with 3 shots on goal, 2 blocked shots, and a hit in just 13:59 of ice time (perhaps fewer than in previous games because the Kings spent just 2:00 on the power play).  Goaltending was probably the biggest story of the night:  Jon Quick (UMass-Amherst) allowed just one goal on a whopping 52 shots in net for the Kings, while Antti Niemi was replaced by Antero Niittyymmaakkiiii after allowing three goals on the first four shots he faced in net for the Sharks.  Game 6 will be played tonight in Los Angeles, where the Sharks are 2-0 in the series; the game will be televised nationally on Vs.  If the Kings are able to knot the series, game 7 would be played in San Jose on Wednesday night.

AHL

Colin Greening and the Binghamton Senators completed an impressive comeback from a 3-1 series deficit, winning each of the last three games in overtime (including game 6 in double overtime) to send the Manchester Monarchs packing and advance to the Atlantic Division Finals against the Portland Pirates.  In Friday's game 6, a 2-1 win for the Senators, Greening was scoreless with six shots on goal; goalie Robin Lehner was the star for the Senators, stopping 51 of 52 shots including denying Bud Holloway on a penalty shot in double overtime, and Geoff Kinrade (Michigan Tech) won the game for the Senators after 90:01 of hockey.  In Saturday's game 7, Greening picked up his first two assists of the playoffs, and was +2 with three shots on goal.  Ryan Potulny (Minnesota) was the game's first star, scoring the series-clinching goal 3:07 into overtime (primary assist to Greening) and assisting on 4 others in a 6-5 Senators win.  The next series starts with games in Portland Wednesday and Thursday nights.

Riley Nash and the Charlotte Checkers also advanced with wins this weekend, topping the Hershey Bears 5-3 in Charlotte on Friday night and 2-1 in overtime yesterday afternoon to eliminate the defending Calder Cup champions.  Nash had one shot on goal and two minors on in game 5, and two shots on goal in the decisive game 6.  The Checkers will take on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (hereinafter to be abbreviated "WBS" because that's a lot of typing) Penguins in the East Division Finals, starting with road games Thursday and Saturday nights.

Brendon Nash and the Hamilton Bulldogs have also punched their ticket into the second round of the playoffs; they reclaimed the lead in their series against the Oklahoma City Barons with a 2-0 win in Oklahoma City on Friday night, and clinched with a 4-1 win in Hamilton yesterday.  Nash was +1 with one shot on goal in Friday's game, but also had some penalty trouble, taking cross-checking, hooking and slashing minors that handed the Barons three of their seven power play opportunities; yesterday's game was better in that regard, and Nash was again +1 with one shot on goal.  Drew Macintyre stopped 44 of 45 shots over the two games in goal for the Bulldogs, who will take on the winner of tomorrow night's game 7 between the Lake Erie Monsters and the Manitoba Moose in the North Division Finals; the starting date of that series is not yet set.

Raymond Sawada scored his first goal of the playoffs on Saturday, a power play marker that looked like it would be enough to send the Texas Stars to Milwaukee with a 3-2 series lead, right up until Gabriel Bourque's goal at 19:55 of the third period sent game 5 to overtime.  Ryan Thang (Notre Dame) won the game for the Milwaukee Admirals 16:29 into overtime, and the Stars now face a 3-2 deficit and must win in Milwaukee tonight and tomorrow night to advance to the West Division Finals.  

ECHL

The Reading Royals lost 5-4 to the Kalamazoo Wings on on Friday night and were swept out of the Kelly Cup playoffs.  Ben Scrivens was out of the lineup for the Royals after being injured in Wednesday's game 3, and Matt Dalton (Bemidji) allowed 5 goals on 43 shots in his absence.  Dean Strong (Vermont) had two goals and an assist for the Wings; Chris Blight (Clarkson) scored late in the first period to give the Royals a 2-1 lead, which they were unable to protect.

Also swept were Evan Barlow and the Idaho Steelheads; the Alaska Aces won 4-0 in Idaho on Friday night to close out the series.  Barlow was -2 with one shot on goal; Gerald Coleman allowed just two goals over the four games in goal for the Aces.

CHL

PC Drouin and the Fort Wayne Komets won 4-1 on home ice on Friday night to force a decisive game 5, but were eliminated by the Rapid City Rush in a 6-1 loss in Rapid City yesterday.  Drouin opened the scoring on Friday with a power play goal, one of his 7 shots on goal in the game; he also took a minor for holding the stick.  In yesterday's loss he was -1 with three shots on goal; Kevin Reiter (Alaska-Anchorage) was pulled early in the second period after allowing the first five Rush goals on just 13 shots, and was replaced by perennial favorite Nick Boucher (Dartmouth).  Konrad Reeder (St. Cloud) was the offensive star for the Rush, with two goals and two assists.

The Odessa Jackalopes were also eliminated from the CHL playoffs over the weekend, as the Allen Americans completed their comeback from a 2-0 series deficit with a 3-1 win in Friday's decisive game 5.  David McKee did not dress in any of the Jackalopes' playoff games.

[Josh '99]

The Texas Stars and Milwaukee Admirals are in double OT; you can listen for free on AHL live:

http://ahl.neulion.com/ahl/

Edit:  Never mind.  Stars are out.  :-/

[Josh '99]

Last night, in a pair of overtime games, one Cornellian went on but another, unfortunately, went home...

NHL

Douglas Murray and the San Jose Sharks advanced to the Western Conference semifinals, eliminating the Los Angeles Kings with a 4-3 overtime win and ending the series in six games; the Sharks were 3-0 in Los Angeles in the series.  Three times last night the Sharks took a lead, and three times the Kings came back to the the game, the latest time through a power play goal by Trevor Lewis with 8:21 remaining in the third period that would eventually send the game to overtime.  The Sharks started the extra period shorthanded at the tail end of a charging major taken by Jamie McGinn with 3:23 remaining but successfully killed the remaining power play time, and team captain Joe Thornton clinched the series with a goal 2:22 into overtime, 45 seconds after the expiration of the penalty.  Murray was even on the night with one shot on goal, one blocked shot, and three hits, but will presumably be upset to have been on the ice for two Kings goals, one on the power play and one at even strength.  Because the NHL re-seeds after each playoff round, the Sharks' opponent in the next round depends on the outcome of game 7 of the Vancouver-Chicago series, to be played in Vancouver tonight; if the top-seeded Canucks advance, they will play the Nashville Predators and the Sharks will play the Detroit Red Wings (whom the Sharks met and defeated in five games at the same stage of last season's playoffs), but if Vancouver is eliminated, the Sharks will be the highest remaining seed and play the eighth-seeded Blackhawks (who swept the Sharks in the conference finals a year ago).  It's unclear whether there will be national TV coverage of that game, or either of tonight's others; the schedule on the Vs. network website calls for NHL coverage in both the 7pm and 10pm EDT time slots, but the game schedule on Yahoo Sports, which tends to be correct, doesn't say any of tonight's games will be televised nationally in the USA.

AHL

Raymond Sawada and the Texas Stars came from behind twice last night, forcing sudden death in game 6 of their divisional semifinal series against the Milwaukee Admirals, but Mark Van Guilder (Notre Dame) beat Richard Bachman (Colorado College) 10:42 into the second overtime to win the game 3-2 and eliminate the Stars from the AHL playoffs.  Sawada assisted on both Stars goals, a power play goal by Colton Sceviour in the second and an even strength goal by Travis Morin (MSU-Mankato) in the third, and was even on the night (he was unfortunately one of the players on the ice for the overtime winner) with four shots on goal;  his seven points over the six games tied him with Morin for tops on the team.  Jeremy Smith stopped 52 of 54 shots in net for the Admirals, while Bachman stopped 47 of 50 for the Stars.