Prior to the game, the end-of-the-season Player Awards were presented at center ice. The awards went to: Jamie Rivers (Rookie of the Year), Shaun Kane (Best Defensive Defenseman), Craig Darby (Best Defensive Forward), Darby/ Terry Virtue (+/- Leaders), Jason Widmer ("Seven Hills Seventh Player"), Virtue (Best Overall Defenseman), Fred Knipscheer (Most Valuable Player), and IceCats Captain Roy Mitchell (Roy Boe Community Service Award).
Also scoring for the 'Cats were forwards Chris Kenady, Harry York, and recent addition Allan Sirois, who scored his first professional goal on a line with fellow IceCat newcomers Stephane Roy and Bob Lachance. Although Sirois and Roy will not likely play during the post-season, it's good to see some young talent waiting in wings of the Worcester locker room.
After the 'Cats' dominating play in their season finale, everyone-including the players-seemed to think they could easily control the opening series against Portland in the same way. Unfortunately, the Pirates disagreed-and showed they had a pretty convincing argument, too! In Worcester's first ever playoff game on Friday (the 19th), the 'Cats found themselves on the wrong side of an embarrassing 5-0 loss before a home crowd of over 4000 fans. The IceCats could do no right, and just couldn't solve the Pirate defense, missing on the mere handful of quality shots they put on Portland goalie Martin Brochu. Poor defense throughout and lackluster goaltending by McLennan allowed three Pirate goals in the first period and two more early in the second, putting the game out of reach of the struggling IceCats.
Thankfully, the 'Cats came back the next night (Saturday the 20th) with something to prove. Returning to Worcester for the post season, goalie Eric Fichaud manned the crease for the IceCats for the first time in almost three months. Through the entire game, Fichaud proved to everyone why it was that he spent the entire spring playing for the Islanders in the NHL, stopping 25 of 26 Pirate shots and earning Worcester's first-ever playoff victory with a score of 2-1. As for the offense, the 'Cats scoring was done by the Europeans of the team: Russian Sergei Kharin and Ukrainian Alex Vasilevskii. Vasilevskii scored the IceCats' first playoff goal in history, knocking in a rebound off of Lindsay Vallis' slapshot from the right circle at 4:19 of the first period. The goal tied the game at one apiece, and boosted the 'Cats confidence noticeably. Kharin deflected the puck off Brochu's left pad and into the goal on a snap pass from behind the net to clinch the game at 14:59 of the second period and earn the first star of the game honors.
"It's a good feeling to be back [in goal] in Worcester," said Fichaud after the game, "especially for a game like this!"
The IceCats get some time to practice early this week before traveling up to Portland for games three and four of the series on Friday and Saturday (the 26th and 27th). If a fifth game is necessary, the 'Cats will return home to Centrum ice on the following Tuesday (the 30th).
Newspeak Staff Photo / Andy Marsella
IceCats defenseman Jason Strudwick (#44) introduces the Pirates Sean Selmser (#29) to the boards during Worcester's 2-1 win over Portland on Saturday night (the 20th). The victory was the IceCats first ever playoff win.
Newspeak Staff Photo / Andy Marsella
IceCats forward Alex Vasilevskii attempts to set up a teammate in the Pirates zone on Saturday night. In the first period, Vasilevskii scored the first IceCats goal in playoff history to tie the game at 1 apiece.
Newspeak Staff Photo / Ed Cameron
Pirate sniper Darren McAusland (#16) looks on as IceCats goalie Jamie McLennan blocks a Portland shot during Worcester's regular season finale on Tuesday night (the 16th). The 'Cats went on to trounce the Pirates 6-3 and McLennan set a new record for the most wins by an IceCats goalie in a single season (14).
