Toronto gave Long Island a scare, jumping to a 2-1 series
lead. But unlike the Choppers, the Concordes found their game again in time to
win the tougher-than-expected series in seven games. Montreal also won their
series with Detroit in seven, while Boston and Nova Scotia went to a game seven
as well, where the Claymores gave up a 3-1 lead in the third period as the
Bulldogs won in overtime to advance. Pittsburgh faced Philadelphia in a hard-fought
rivalry matchup that would turn out to be Danny Stevenson’s final series as a
PHL player. Stevenson’s last goal turned out to be the winner in game four, as
Philadelphia won the series in six games. At the conclusion of game six, the
Pittsburgh crowd gave Stevenson a standing ovation as he skated several laps,
waving goodbye.
In the second round, Long Island faced their old nemesis,
the Boston Bulldogs. This time, rather than attempt to out-grit the Bulldogs,
the Concordes forced Boston to play a more wide-open game. Boston managed a win
in game two, but simply could not match Long Island’s speed and ultimately succumbed
to the Concordes in five games. Montreal continued to roll as well, winning a
tough, six game series with Philadelphia thanks in large part to a eight-goal
effort from Vincent Ducharme, including a hat-trick in game three. Seattle
goaltender Brian Westin turned in one of his best performances ever against
Edmonton, as the Grey Wolves defeated the Northern Lights in five games.
After taking out the two-time defending champions in round
one, the Minnesota Lumberjacks now had to be taken seriously. Still, entering
their second-round matchup with David Appleby and the Spirits, the Jacks were
still the overwhelming underdog amongst fans and the media. “We’re just having
a lot of fun right now” said Jason Crowley. “We know our job is just to go out
and play hockey, while all the pressure is on them, just like the last series.”
Crowley’s confidence took the form of a two-goal, three-point performance in
game one, as the ‘Jacks won 6-4. By game five, the series was tied 2-2. Appleby
scored twice as St. Louis nursed a 3-2 lead throughout most of the game, when
Minnesota responded with three fast goals in the third period to take the win
and a 3-2 series lead. In game six, the Spirits were only seconds away from
forcing game seven with another 3-2 lead, when Vana scored to tie the game.
Just nineteen seconds later, rookie Greg Willis scored to give Minnesota a 4-3
lead. The Lumberjacks would hold on to pull off their second major upset of the
year, their flair for the dramatic earning them the nickname; “Cardiac ‘Jacks”.
There would be one last challenge the Lumberjacks would need
to face to reach their first Lewis Cup final in eleven years, the Seattle Grey
Wolves, a team that had only lost one game throughout the post-season. After
big wins in games one and two in Seattle, Minnesota headed home with a 2-0
lead. The Grey Wolves were in trouble. In game three, captain Pete Holloway put
the Wolves on his back with a four-point performance including a goal and three
assists in a 5-2 win. Seattle would then win game four, also by a score of 5-2
to tie the series. Game five would be critical for both teams. Seattle held a
3-1 lead entering the third period when Ted Lovell was called for an elbow.
Hindrik Hjertsson scored on the powerplay to pull Minnesota within one. With
just seconds left in the third period, Crowley delivered the tying goal to send
it to OT, the Cardiac ‘Jacks had struck again. Just 45 seconds into the
overtime, Greg Willis scored the first
overtime goal of his career to give the Lumberjacks the win and an opportunity
to advance to the Lewis Cup Finals at home. Game six was a tight, but
high-scoring contest all the way through, with the teams knotted at 4-4 by the
third period. Late in the third, Jake Fairbanks had a golden opportunity to put
Seattle ahead when he beat Jeff Brackley on a breakaway. Unfortunately, the
puck hit the post and the game remained tied. With less than four minutes
remaining, Marcus Renberg’s point shot finally found the back of the net to
give the Lumberjacks a 5-4 lead. After withstanding a late push from Seattle,
the Lumberjacks poured off the bench, Minnesota was headed to the Lewis Cup
Finals.
The Eastern Conference Finals would pit the Long Island
Concordes, the league’s top team during the regular season, against the
Montreal Royale, a talented young team on the rise. The Royale would manage to
steal home ice advantage with a 3-1 win in game two, but they were unable to
get back into the series after that. Long Island won the next two in Montreal,
before decisively ending the series with a 7-0 victory in game five. Stuart
Burns finished the series with an incredible 9 points, nearly two points per
game, while Pascal Renaud never game the Royale a chance in net. It would be
Long Island’s third trip to the Spring Classic, and facing the Cinderella Minnesota
Lumberjacks, the Concordes hoped the third time would be the charm.
Round One
Round Two
Round Three
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