The Times-Tribune from Scranton, Pennsylvania • 17

POETS SCRANTON, PA MONDAY, MAY 7, 2001 PAGE 17 http:www.nepanews.com She Scranton uflmca Lighting the Lamp First Key for Pens Calder Cup gl I' Semifinals JIM LUKE BY scon WALSH THE SCRANTON TIMES Through the first two rounds of the AHL Calder Cup playoffs, the Hershey Bears had a simple formula for success: Get an early goal, then have goalie Frederic Cassivi and a stingy defense protect the lead. When Mike Craig broke a scoreless tie early in the third period of Game 1 of the best-of-7 semifinal series Saturday night against the Wilkes-BarreScran-ton Penguins, it appeared as if the equation would work again. After all, the Bears were 6-0 when scoring first. This time, however, the Penguins rallied to tie the game, then won it, 2-1, on Billy Tibbetts goal at 4:04 of sudden-death overtime. It was a big step for us, winning the first game of the series," Penguins forward Toby Petersen said.

It showed them that we can play any style. Syracuse was pretty freewheeling, as was Philly; there were a lot more shots. Were really going to have to take advantage of all our opportunities against these guys because theres not going to be a whole lot. One thing the Penguins would like to do differently in Game 2 tonight at 7:35 at First Union Arena at Casey Plaza is to take the lead. The Bears have not allowed a first-period goal in nine playoff games.

By scoring early, the Penguins would force Hershey to play catch-up and possibly get away from its defensive-minded game plan. The first goal has been so important for us, Hershey forward Steffon Walby told the York Daily Record. That allows us to settle in and get all the jitters out If they come out and score Please see PENOUINS, Page 21 Not All Good, But Its Better Hershey vs. Penguins (best-of-7 series) Game 1 Penguins, 2-1 (OT) Tonight at Penguins, 7 35 m. Wednesday at Hershey, 7 30 Saturday at Hershey, 7pm May 13 at Penguins, 7 05 m.

May 1 5 at Hershey, 7 30 m. May 17 at Penguins, 7 35 if necessary "gnat Los Angeles gets to Patrick Roy in double overtime to force a deciding seventh game against Colorado. BY KEN PETERS ASSOCIATED PRESS LOS ANGELES The Colorado Avalanche couldnt have picked a worse time to have a scoring drought. Colorado, the NHLs best team during the regular season, has gone eight-plus periods without a goal, including Sunday nights 1-0 loss to Los Angeles in double overtime, forcing a Game 7 in their playoff series with the Kings. Glen Murray beat the Avalanches Patrick Roy with a 50-foot slap shot 2:41 into the second extra period, and Felix Pot-vin recorded his second consecutive shutout.

Coming back from a 3-1 deficit in the Western Conference semifinal, the underdog Kings go to Denver to try to complete the upset. The winner of Wednesday nights Game 7 will face the St. Louis Blues. In the Conference, the Maple Leafs will try to eliminate the defending Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils tonight at Toronto. The Buffalo Sabres will try to advance with a victory in Game 6 against the Penguins at Pittsburgh on Tuesday night.

Weve got to find a way to score, Colorados Dave Reid said. I think everybody is working hard and playing hard. Its just not happening. Weve got to tweak some things. Coach Bob Hartley will try to do just that.

We have to put the puck on the net more. If we have more good chances, we should be able to take advantage of some of them, Hartley said. It was a real tight game. Now we move on to Game 7. It certainly was a tight game, a goaltending duel between Pot-vin, a Vancouver castoff acquired by the Kings in February, and Roy, the best goalie of his generation.

Potvin, playing in his 34th consecutive game, stopped 33 shots to earn his seventh career playoff shutout. He and Roy have two apiece through the first six games of the series. Roy faced 32 shots. KEVORK DJANSEZIANASSOCIATED PRESS It may not be all good, as the latest round of ads attempting to resuscitate the NBA proclaims. But there is certainly no arguing with some of it.

This might be one of the most cluttered stretches on the sports calendar. A gray colt named Monarchos provided the best two minutes of the weekend actually, 1:59 45 with a pounding upset at the Kentucky Derby. For sheer improbability, theres still the Twins and Cubs turning baseballs standings on its head. Even hockey managed to elbow its way into the picture briefly, when hard-core Maple Leafs goon Tie Domi gave new meaning to the term senseless violence with a blindside knockout of New Jerseys Scott Nieder-mayer in the closing seconds of a game his team had already won. But if youre going to invest any time in games at this time of year, do it with the NBA.

The leagues Its All Good campaign might be stretching things when applied to the Charlotte-Milwau-kee and Dallas-San Antonio conference semifinals. SHOULD BE GOOD But after seeing Shaquille ONeal and Kobe Bryant carve their way through Sacramento and the Vince Carter-Alien Iverson shoot-em-up in the opening games of the other two semis, its hard to imagine a finals that doesnt meet the truth-in-adver-tising standard. After years spent wandering in the post-Michael Jordan wilderness searching for stars, the NBA might have enough to fill up the small screen again. There was the sense, even before the Lakers beat Sacramento 108-105 in Game 1 Sunday for their 12th straight win, that Los Angeles will be tougher to stop this year than last. The reason behind it was the vicious whack Dallas Juwan Howard laid on San Antonios Derek Anderson a day earlier, separating Andersons shoulder in the bargain.

The way ONeal feasted Sunday on the Kings not only made that matchup likely; it proved he hardly needs to rely on anybody else for muscle. Theyre going to change next year, but obviously not this year, Vlade Divac said. Just give us a chance. Call three seconds or something. You cant stop him.

Hes going to score every time down there. ENOUGH SAID That last sentiment could have been said by somebody on either side in the Raptors 96-93 win over the 76ers. In the middle of Torontos opening playoff series against the Knicks, teammate Charles Oakley dared Carter to provide more than the occasional highlight-reel moment. Carters mother, Michelle, rushed to his defense and that was the last time in these playoffs that defense and her son have appeared in the same sentence. Carter scored 35 points Sunday night, 10 in the final quarter, including a tip-in of his own miss with 12 8 seconds left to seal the win.

Just as important, he added seven assists, a telling number in light of the fact that the supporting casts on both sides decided the outcome. Conspiracy theorists will argue the league will be angry ith Carter for taking the Knicks, the No. 1 TV market in the land, out of the picture. But if Carter continues to put on the kind of show he has lately, all ill be forgiven. Besides, if he and Toronto do get eclipsed, it will be because of Iverson He answered Carters effort with 36 points of his own, and after an MVP season, the prospect of seeing the little man try to topple O'Neal and the Lakers instead of Carter would be more than good enough.

BUTCH COMEGYS SCRANTON TIMES Kevin Orle circles the bases after hitting a home run Sunday. Clippers Complete Sweep Red Barons manager Marc Bombard, meanwhile, will serve as the Phillies third base coach fora week. BY STEVE BENNETT TIMES-SHAMROCK NEWSPAPERS MOOSIC They wore their mesh batting practice jerseys and even had a managerial change, but not even that could change the luck for the Red Barons. Columbus completed a four-game sweep of the Red Barons on Sunday afternoon with a 5-2 victory at Lackawanna County Stadium. Red Barons manager Marc Bombard was summoned to Philadelphia on Sunday morning to take the place of Phillies third base coach John Vukovich.

Bombard will accompany the team on its road trip to Houston and Arizona and take Vukovichs place as the third base coach. Before coming to the Red Barons, Bombard was the third base coach with the Cincinnati Reds in 1996. I was shocked, Bombard said as he collected his belongings before Sundays game and headed to Philadelphia. When Ed (Phillies GM Ed Wade) called I thought he was joking. I think they could get by without me but its a nice gesture.

Red Barons hitting instructor Jerry Martin will be the interim manager until Bombard returns. He will be assisted by roving instructor Milt Thompson and pitching coach Goose Gregson. I was surprised and Bomby was surprised, said Martin. Im just going to do this until Bomby gets back or they bring in somebody else to help us out Columbus scored a run in the first off Red Barons starter Brandon Duckworth, who did a good job of minimizing the damage. Kary Bridges singled to start the game and scored two batters later when Robert Perez singled off Duckworths left knee with the ball ending up in right field.

Duckworth proved to be fine. Please see SWEEP, Page 20 Colorado Avalanche goalie Patrick Roy watches as the puck rolls Into the net for the game-ending goal In double overtime Sunday night In the Kings 1-0 victory. Leafs Go for Clincher Tonight BY JOHN WAWROW ASSOCIATED PRESS TORONTO Even though the New Jersey Devils are on the brink of elimination, the Toronto Maple Leafs say theyre the team thats feeling pressure. As good as the Maple Leafs felt on the flight back to Toronto early Sunday after taking a 3-2 lead in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series with the Devils on Saturday night, there was still cause for concern. The Devils, the defending Stanley Cup champions, are dangerous when facing elimination.

They're a veteran bunch, Maple Leafs forward Garry Valk said Sunday as the team prepared for tonights Game 6 in Toronto. They came back from being down 3-1 to Philly last year. Theyve been on the verge of being eliminated before, and theyve come through. We expect a strong game from them. The Devils probably will not have defenseman Scott Nieder-mayer in the lineup for the second straight game because of a concussion sustained late in Game 4 when he was hit with an elbow by Tie Domi.

I dont know if hes ready, Devils captain Scott Stevens said of Niedermayer, who accompanied the team to Toronto but was listed as doubtful for the game. He looked a little tired when I saw him. Its nice to see him. Domi was suspended for the rest of the series because of the hit, but he skated with the team Sunday. In this time of the year, you dont need motivation, Valk said.

Obviously, hes (Domi) a huge part of our team, and we want to win for him, but this time of the year you dont need the motivation. This is going to the final four if we win this series, and thats whats its all about. Thats what makes Game 6 so important. If New Jersey comes back and forces a Game 7 at the Continental Airlines Arena on Wednesday, the momentum shifts. We have to play this like a Game 7, Toronto goaltender Curtis Joseph said.

We dont want to go back to New Jersey. We know how (hard) it is to win a Game 7, especially in their building. Dixon Brightens PacWests Day BY DICK BRINSTER ASSOCIATED PRESS NAZARETH The PacWest team was down, hardly surprising under the circumstances. The top driver was at home to bury a son, and the other car was being driven by a 20-year-old kid from New Zealand making his third career start from far back in the field. But Scott Dixon made history Sunday, becoming the youngest driver to win a major open-wheel race I don't know how it'll affect the team, Dixon said.

But I do know its just the lift they needed. His victory at NazamfrSpeef way ended a losing streak that began after Mark Blundell gave PacWest a victory in the final race of 1997. Heaped on the emotion of that was a feeling of sorrow for Mauricio Gugelmin, whose 6-year-old son, Giuliano, died Thursday after spendmg his short life as a quadriplegic with a form of cerebral palsy. With Mauricio not being here, it was very tough on the team," Dixon said. But he made it better by breaking the late Greg Moore's record as the youngest winner in CART history.

Moore was 22 hen he won for the first time, in 1997. The win Sunday at Nazareth Speedway came less than two months after 21 -year-old IRL driv er Sam Hornish Jr. became the world's youngest winner. Dixon seemed unmoved. It really hasn't sunk in yet, he said.

He qualified 23rd, and didnt figure to have much of a chance. But he passed some slower cars, had some good pit strategy, saved fuel like a veteran and had plenty of pop at the end. Were so thrilled, car owner Bruce McCaw said. It's been a long weekend, but it's a great way to come out of it." Kenny Brack didnt think so. He finished second, unable to pass Dixons Reynard Toyota in the waning laps.

In the end, I was half a second to a second quicker than Scott, but if youre fast in the right places nobody can pass you," Brack said. The problem is that you cant drive through people. I can't believe where we ended up. SWEPT AWAY SCORE: Columbus 5, Red Barons 2 WINNER: Bren Jodie (3-2) LOSER: Brandon Duckworth (3-2) SAVE: Domingo Jean (2) ATTENDANCE: 5.421 ON DECK: Saturday afternoon's shutout loss was the sixth time the Red Barons have been held scoreless this season. They were shut out just six times in 2000.

ASSoCiAItU HKEbb CART drivers race down the. Trent stretch br the first lap of Sundays Lehigh Valley Grand Prlx at Nazareth Speedway. -JIM LfTKE a sports columnist for The Associated Press. BUCKS, LAKERS, RAPTORS OPEN SERIES WITH VICTORIES SEE PAGE 19 i.