1ST ROUND: 
North Bay Warriors (1) vs. (8) Manhattan Supermen 
Lack of offense dooms Manhattan; North Bay focuses on second round
March 21st, 2011
North Bay’s home ice arena was shaking as the fans united in a thunderous ovation after the Warriors defeated the Supermen 7-2 last night to advance to the second round of the AFHL Playoffs. Hats, shirts, and even a burning Superman jersey littered the ice.
“I guess the burning jersey is understandable,” said Superman defenseman Travis Hamonic on a series that was marred by 11 fights, including three bouts in the first four seconds of the first game. “We knew we didn’t have a chance to compete on offense so we wanted to be physical and we played with our fists. It wasn’t necessarily supposed to be fights, but it happened that way.”
Despite being ousted in the first round of the playoffs, the Supermen proved that the words “pride” and passion” are a big part of their vocabulary.
They came very close to pulling off an upset late in the series on Saturday night, when they tied it up 5-5 after getting a shorthanded point from Frans Nielsen. It wound up being a wake up call for the Warriors, but for the Supermen, it provided a glimpse of what the future holds.
“I think we made some big changes this year and we came close to beating the first place team so it’s definitely exciting for next season,” forward Bobby Ryan said. “We will be better because our young guys will be a year better.”
As for the Warriors, they’re ready to move on and get back to business, which is not surprising. Since the regular season started, and even more so since the playoffs began, this team has been all business.
“We want to enjoy it, but at the same time we know that our ultimate goal is ahead of us,” Warriors’ forward Alex Ovechkin said. “We’re going for the ultimate prize.”
Ovechkin was one of five Warriors to finish the series with four points. Ryan Getzlaf, Jeff Carter, Chris Kunitz, and James Wisniewski were the others.
Manhattan didn’t have a single player with four or more points.
“This offense is really the best I’ve ever played with. We know how to move on from a goal and not get too high or too low,” Ovechkin said. “It’s a team effort and we know why you play this game and what the ultimate goal is. We do a great job of keeping that in perspective and that is huge in the playoffs. We never get too high or too low.”
“I know you guys hate those cliches, but we do believe in what we’re saying and we also do a good job at following it on the ice,” forward Vincent Lecavalier said. “This is a great dressing room, we have our fun, but when it’s time to play, yeah, we really are all business.”
Goaltender Pekka Rinne, who won a Stanley Cup with the London Mustangs last year, is ready for the second round.
“I’m excited, but I’m really looking forward to the next round and playing more playoff hockey,” Rinne said. “I helped London do it last year, I think I can help them [Warriors] do it this year. So really, I just want to keep playing and keep winning.”
North Bay Coach/GM Mike Brunetta appreciates that his team can practice what they preach.
“It’s the type of team where I really don’t have to say much to make them play better or correct their mistakes,” Brunetta said. “This team is always focused and they really are good at moving from one game to the next. That is probably one of our greatest strengths.”
Following the game, Brunetta was asked how long he would savor his first playoff victory since being hired last summer.
“Here today, gone tomorrow,” Brunetta said emphatically. “It’s back to business on Monday night vs. the Heroes. I want our guys focused and sharp so we’re going to have a light skate in the morning. But this is something that if we want it to last, we can’t let our guard down too long.”
1ST ROUND: 
Washington Power (2) vs. (7) Fort Drum Killers 
Power GM Irwin adept at changing on the fly; leaves Killers stunned, disappointed
March 21st, 2011
An uneasy silence pierced the Fort Drum Killers’ dressing room Sunday night after an 8-1 playoff defeat put another premature end to their season.
It’s a feeling that is becoming all too common for the Killers, who only added another layer to their reputation as a great regular season team that can’t get it done in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
“We can go into the details, who and what, but the bottom line is that they were a better team than us,” said Fort Drum goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff, who was outplayed by Washington’s Roberto Luongo and Dwayne Roloson in the series. “It’s unfortunate. It’s not like we played badly. We battled, we fought, but that’s what happens when you get off to a slow start against a team like the Power. It’s a hard mountain to climb.”
“They’ve got you by the throat and they keep you down. We were never able to get a lead.”
Outside of a fight between Chris Stewart and the Power’s Mike Knuble right after the opening faceoff, the Killers’ two biggest stars, Stewart and Ilya Kovalchuk, fell into a series slumber and neither was a factor on offense vs. the Power.
“It’s just opportunities we let slip away,” Kovalchuk said. “We didn’t rise to the forefront when those opportunities came up to make the most of them.”
Fort Drum Coach/GM Steve Stryska will look to see what changes have to be made after the team’s latest playoff disappointment.
“The lesson has to be learned that you can’t give games away,” Stryska said. “My recollection is that may be history here a little bit. We’ll have to look at how we can change that in the offseason.”
Washington Power GM Ray Irwin said it’s been a good challenge for him and his team and he’s happy about winning his first AFHL playoffs series.
“It’s been good. All of the guys on our team have stepped up their games, including the new guys that we brought in at the deadline” said Irwin.
Throughout the year, Irwin steadily reworked his club on the fly and built it into the elite team that it is today. But it was Irwin’s work at the AFHL Trade Deadline, and on that fast-paced day itself that helped re-energize the slumping Power players and put Washington in position to win their first playoff series matchup.
Newly acquired Danny Briere, Teemu Selanne, and Scott Gomez combined for nine points (three goals and six assists) in the first round win vs. Fort Drum.
“To bring in some guys like that who have been in the league a bit and have some of that experience, it’s helped us a lot for sure.” said Power forward Dany Heatley.
More than contributing points in the first round win, the talkative trio has been credited with livening up a dressing room that had grown a little quiet over time.
“I think that’s our personalities,” Briere said. “You can ask any of the North Bay guys. I like to have fun in the room and I probably take more heat than anybody. It’s all in good fun. I just like hanging out with people. I like my teammates and I enjoy hanging out with them.”
After scoring 46 total points on offense vs. Fort Drum in the first round, Washington looks comfortable and poised going into the next round to face the defending Stanley Cup champion London Mustangs. But the team insists they’re not taking anything for granted.
“I think the confidence is key,” Selanne said. “That’s everything pretty much. When you have confidence as a team, usually good things happen. But you can’t be overconfident. We know what we have to do and we have to find a way to do it against the Mustangs.”
1ST ROUND: St. John’s Red Wings (3) vs. London Mustangs (6)
Heart-breaker ending numbs Wings; defending champs move on
Rick Nash scored four points on Saturday to help the Mustangs’ advance to the second round. |
March 21st, 2011
The sights and sounds — or lack of them — told the story of the 7-2 first round loss to the Mustangs, one of the most painful losses in the history of the St. John’s Red Wings franchise.
Just when the Wings were within striking distance of the goals category, Mustangs’ forward Rick Nash returned from a minor injury on Saturday, to slam home a one-timer from a bad angle as the Wings scrambled to clear the zone. Then, a few minutes later, Nash picked up a head of speed in the neutral zone and came barreling down the right wing, firing a seeing-eye shot that beat Marc Andre Fleury between his blocker and his leg pad. Nash finished that game with two goals, and two assists.
“The dreaded 7-hole,” Fleury said after the game in a dejected Wings dressing room.
A four point performance from Rick Nash turned a rocking St. John’s home ice arena into flat-line silence.
Towel-waving fans that threatened to raise the roof off the building as Fleury turned aside several shots early on were suddenly rendered by the meltdown in the second half.
Afterward, the Wings’ players couldn’t even process what had happened, how after acquiring several top line players at the trade deadline for a chance to win the Cup evaporated in a sickening blink of the eye.
“It’s going to hurt for a long time; I’ll tell you that much,” said forward Henrik Zetterberg who was brilliant in scoring the two goals for the Wings and shutting down London’s top line line for most of the matchup, but was on the ice Nash’s second goal.
“This one will definitely stick with me for a while, only because we had plenty of opportunities to get the lead,” said Alexander Semin who sat motionless for several minutes after the dressing room opened, a Gatorade towel draped over his head as he stared straight ahead, seeing nothing. “To gear up for the playoffs and bring in almost twice as much talent only to lose in the first round… crazy.”
Andrei Kostitsyn, who had a monster series, but was on the ice for both of Nash’s goals, was still sitting in his locker as the media left the dressing room, at least 25 minutes after the game’s final buzzer ending a year that just two weeks earlier had been a postseason full of promise for the Wings.
It won’t be an easy task, said Wings’ Coach/GM Barry Hickey. A hockey lifer, Hickey has absorbed some gut-punch losses during his many years in the game. But, Sunday night might just be the worst of all.
“I really don’t know what to say… shocked and stunned,” Hickey said, pinching the bridge of his nose with his left hand as he spoke at the post-game press conference. “It’s the toughest loss I have ever been a part of. It’s impossible to put into words the disappointment I am feeling and everyone in the room is feeling.”
“It’s not the way you want to end your season,” Wings’ defenseman Duncan Keith mumbled as he drifted off into the shower to begin facing a summer that arrived so suddenly Sunday night.
“I still don’t know what it’s like to lose in the playoffs,” London Coach/GM Blake Wilson said in the winning dressing room Sunday night as the sellout, raucous and celebratory Mustangs’ fans filed out of the building onto the streets of London. “The key for us is not to think about it. We believed we could win the series and we did it.”
“Everybody knows they are a great team,” Wilson said. “But our guys were positive all weeks and never lost focus.”
Rick Nash credited Jamie Benn to save the Mustangs’ season.
“This series came down to those little bounces, and Benn did a great job of keeping that puck in the zone and it always comes down to small things like that that make a difference,” Nash said. “He was on his knees and two guys came at him and he made a great pass to me and that first goal was all him.”
“I’m not the only guy on this team,” Benn said. “There are a lot of guys who make a difference on this team, and it needs to be that way for us to beat Washington in the second round.”
1ST ROUND: Calgary Hitmen (4) vs. Vancouver Heroes (5)
Inconsistency ends Calgary’s season; Heroes know they need more in second round
March 21st, 2011
The Vancouver Heroes are the first AFHL team to win a playoff round the spring after losing in the Stanley Cup Final.
“It’s nice but we can and we’re going to have to (raise our game) for the Warriors,” Heroes forward Daniel Sedin said.
The Heroes did a lot of things right in getting past the Calgary Hitmen in the first round of this year’s playoffs. But the one glaring problem is the Heroes’ power play, which mustered up only five points against Calgary, which is less than each of London, Washington, and North Bay’s PPP totals.
That’s not what you expect from a team that can trot out two of the league’s top scorers, one of the elite offensive-minded defensemen of his generation and a dominant net-front presence on its first power-play unit.
“Certainly (power play) is going to be a huge difference in games for us if we want to keep winning,” Henrik Sedin said. “We’ve got to figure it out. We did some good things; it’s a matter of executing and putting it in.”
Hitmen forward Jarret Stoll said his team still has a lot to be proud of after the first round loss.
“In our room we feel like we’re stronger. Just the fact that we made the playoffs this year speaks volumes about how far we’ve come and how much better we are.”
In front of 20,072 roaring fans midway through the matchup, the Hitmen came close to grabbing a lead in the series, but pucks kept bouncing the Heroes’ way as first Brandon Prust and then Antti Miettinen batted pucks out of midair and past Jonathan Quick to increase their lead. Then on Saturday, the Hitmen were caught on a line change when Henrik Sedin dashed into the Calgary end and dropped a pass for Ryan Callahan, and his wrister from the right circle got past Quick and effectively ended the Hitmen’s season. Callahan scored his third goal late in the matchup to secure the 7-3 victory.
It was a tough, bitter, abrupt end to the season.
“We had ourselves where we needed to be,” said Calgary Coach/GM Pat McKenna. “If it wasn’t for injuries, we could have won this series. But things happens and we’re not going to dwell on it. There were some positives to emerge this season. We had some great balance on offense, goaltending has been stellar, puck movement out of the defensive zone has improved, and there was great development from young players like Matt Calvert, Ryan Shannon, and Dustin Byfuglien.
McKenna said there will be changes this summer, however.
“This team does not need major changes,” McKenna said. “We will tweak it where we have to. We will analyze where we need a little improvement and we’ll work hard to try and get it.”
“They do have a good, young team,” Heroes’ Coach/GM Kyle Kebert said. “They made some nice plays out there and beat us a couple times along the boards.”
Kebert said it was a good test for him after getting his first taste of the AFHL playoffs since replacing former Heroes’ Coach Ben Rauscher six months ago.
“You have to get tested,” Kebert said. “The Stanley Cup Playoffs are not a breeze, it’s not a walk-through. A team is not going to make it all the way to the Finals without a test. We were tested by a good team and we responded well with great goaltending and whether it’s the power play and being more consistent in how we make plays or sticking to our game plan no matter what the score or situation is. We passed the test.”
The Heroes’ will face the first place Warriors in second round, and Kebert said he’s not too worried.
“North Bay is obviously stacked on offense, rolling three lines deep so they are certainly going to push us to areas where we may deviate a little bit, but if we battle hard and get great goaltending from Ryan Miller and Ilya Bryzgalov, then we should have success.”
2ND RD: North Bay Warriors (1) vs. (5) Vancouver Heroes 
Sedins lead Heroes in colossal comeback, Vancouver returns to Finals
March 27th, 2011
Hockey sometimes demands a terrible price be paid for glory.
The Vancouver Heroes paid that exorbitant toll in countless ways Sunday night as they punched their ticket for a return trip to the AFHL Stanley Cup Finals with a historic comeback win over the North Bay Warriors.
The 5-4 victory came about because the Heroes were willing to pay any price to assure a date with the second-seeded Washington Power in the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, a series that begins tomorrow night.
“You put your body on the line, whether it’s finishing hits, blocking shots, and we’ve done a great job of that so far in this playoffs, and I think it’s shown with the victories,” Heroes forward Henrik Sedin said during Sunday’s post game celebration in the Vancouver dressing room.
Henrik Sedin, more than anyone, threw his body into harm’s way all night; but never more so than on the game winning goal that tied the GWG and goals categories, and erased the North Bay lead created by the Warriors’ talented offense — an offense that threatened to put Vancouver back on its heels for a demoralizing second round elimination.
Henrik refused to let that happen, with his team’s power play at work, Sedin was hit hard in the corner of the offensive zone. Somehow he picked himself up, and skated to an open area in front of the net. His brother Daniel fed him the puck for a backhand flick past the Warriors’ goalie before anyone else on the ice could react. It was a game winning goal that knocked out the first place Warriors 5-4 on Sunday night.
“Well, that’s why he’s our leader,” said Heroes’ defenseman Tomas Kaberle, who played more than 25 minutes and blocked three shots on Sunday to pay his part of the dues. “It’s that determination and that grit. I’ve played with great players and he’s got that in him — greatness.”
Vancouver coach Kyle Kebert bumped into North Bay coach Mike Brunetta in the hallway as he was making his way to the postgame press conference. He stopped, shook hands with Brunetta and said, “It wasn’t a week long matchup… it was a week long battle.”
Brunetta had to hold back the tears. He had literally turned a last place team into a first place team in less than 12 months since taking over the franchise last summer. “I wasn’t ready for this to end. I don’t care how many more consecutive games we would have had to play. I wasn’t ready for this to end.”
You could feel the sorrow in Brunetta’s voice. You could see the disappointment in the dressing room.
“It was a pretty down group in the dressing room there,” Brunetta said. “For about 15 minutes, there wasn’t a word said. Everybody just kind of sat there. They really invested a lot. We talked earlier in January that if you want to get a return in life, you’ve got to be prepared to invest a lot, and these guys invested a lot in our team and putting this franchise on the map. We let it slip away… I’m disappointed right now.”
Until Sunday night.
“It’s tough,” a quiet Ryan Getzlaf said. “We were without Alex Ovechkin and Mike Green and I think that’s what really costed us the series. I’m taking nothing away from the Heroes, they played really well. But we probably would have won the goals category if we had OV or Green.”
While the end was ugly, the Warriors got a standing, towel-twirling ovation from fans at game’s end in recognition of their incredible first season under the reigns of coach Brunetta.
“We came a long way this year, but this wasn’t our ultimate goal,” said Warriors’ defenseman Brent Seabrook, who was doubled over on the ice at game’s end. “We did make some progress. We put a lot of work into this and want to do it again. This will make us hungrier.”
So for a second straight year, it’s the Heroes’ goaltending duo of Ryan Miller and Ilyz Bryzgalov that gets Vancouver into the Finals.
“We were close last year and as disappointing as last year was, it was a great learning experience for everyone young and old on this team,” said Heroes’ coach Kyle Kebert, who took over the franchise a couple of months into this season. “It’s a huge thrill for me to help them get back there and hopefully the end result will be different this time around.”
Kebert offered a scary thought for the Washington Power whom they will face in the Finals: there’s room for improvement.
“We know we can still be better,” he said. “We’re going to keep pushing ourselves. This is a great opportunity, a great chance. Nothing’s holding us back. No reason we can’t go out there and win it all this time.”
2ND RD: Washington Power (2) v. (6) London Mustangs
Washington marches into Finals after shutting out defending champs
March 27th, 2011
In the end, the Washington Power had an answer for every question the London Mustangs posed in the second round of the AFHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. As a result, the Power finished off a stunningly savage shutout Sunday night with an efficient 10-0 victory over the Mustangs.
The Power will meet the Heroes in the Finals beginning on Monday night.
London, which showed an unwavering ability to withstand the best punches offered by the St. John’s Red Wings in the first round, was knocked down repeatedly throughout this series by the Power, who outscored London in all stat categories in the matchup.
“There are no flukes in a playoff matchup,” London coach Blake Wilson said. “(Washington) deserved to win.”
The Power deserved to win because they were the team that dictated play throughout this series, even when the Cardiac Mustangs showed some inkling of the magic that carried them through the first round upset over third-seeded St. John’s. Washington never buckled, never wavered in its mission on those rare occasions when London dominated play.
“We forced them to play our way,” Washington defensemen Kris Letang said. “We played the Killers in the first round and the Mustangs in thew second round and to me it was two different styles of teams, but we didn’t do much adjusting I don’t think. We made those teams play the way we wanted to play.”
Washington did that again Sunday night.
London’s Bryan Little and Nathan Horton scored goals in the final game of the matchup to get the London crowd in full throat, a din designed to make opponents buckle. But Washington just stayed the course to seal the win.
“We battled them in every game, went at them in every game, and we never quit,” said Washington coach Ray Irwin.
The Mustangs could never find the answers for the red-hot Power, who have put up spectacular numbers in each of their first two rounds of playoff hockey. Halfway through the series, they did a good job at containing Mike Richards and Dany Heatley, who are two of the most skilled forwards for the Power — but Marleau, Gagne, and Selanne combined for 11 goals by Sunday’s game with Roberto Luongo and Tim Thomas having already won all goaltending stat categories.
When the domination was complete, after the handshakes had been exchanged and after the Power had a party with champagne in their team lockerroom, London’s Rick Nash was still shaking his head at what had happened to his team — and his hopes of winning a second AFHL Stanley Cup trophy.
“Give the Power credit; they’re a great team that is resilient and plays with a lot of fire,” Nash said. “I wouldn’t want to be facing them if I was the Heroes.”
“They’re playing at a high level right now and their star studded roster is definitely something that gives them confidence. They’re playing well.”
April 11th, 2011
Goaltenders Roberto Luongo and Tim Thomas stopped just about everything in the Stanley Cup playoffs. With thousands of jubilant fans celebrating the Power’s title last Thursday, they couldn’t stop their emotions.
“I’ve had to wipe away a few tears,” Tim Thomas said. “This is why I play in Washington.”
Three days after Washington raised the hallowed trophy, spectators jammed downtown to join the party.
Patrick Marleau, who led the Power on offense during their playoff run, said now he was ready to enjoy more of the spoils.
“It’s a special feeling,” Marleau said as fans chanted his name. “I couldn’t be prouder right now. I’m a little bit taken aback by it.”
Defenseman Kris Letang, a candidate for this year’s Norris Trophy, called the accomplishment a high honor and looks forward to bringing the Cup to his roots.
“I think everybody in my hometown is proud,” he said. “I’m proud. I can’t wait to bring the Cup home.”
Roberto Luongo hoisted the Conn Smythe Trophy above his head. The playoff MVP said he was happy to share the Cup win with fans.
“Time of my life right now,” Luongo said. “This is unbelievable.”
The last vehicle in the parade carried forwards Teemu Selanne, Dany Heatley, Mike Richards, and Coach/GM Ray Irwin, with Selanne holding the Cup aloft to the delight of the crowd.
Under sunny skies and with temperatures around 60 degrees, the crowd was filled with Power fans bedecked in jerseys and other red-and-blue gear.
These are good times for the Power. The team was at the top of standings all year long, and finished the regular season with a record of 128-79. They steamrolled through all of their opponents in the playoffs, with final scores of 8-1, 10-0, and 9-1 to win their first Stanley Cup.
The Power’s win gave fans the chance to temporarily put aside the economic doldrums that have dominated the news for months.
“There’s been so much doom and gloom about the current state of the economy with so many people losing their jobs,” said a spectator. “This brings people together.”
Coach/GM Ray Irwin, now known as “The Architect”, said he was surprised by the turnout of the parade.
“Lots of incredibly happy people out there,” Irwin said. “I’ve seen a woman faint, several people vomit, and an old man had to be escorted away” said Irwin, referring to the fact that there were many drinking at the parade.
At the end of the parade, Irwin gave a victory speech and thanked all of the fans for coming out.
“I didn’t know there were so many people in Washington,” Irwin told the screaming crowd. “It’s great to have the Stanley Cup here in Washington, and we’re going to do our best to have it again next year.”