HYANNIS, MA — A late 1970’s film by super band Led Zeppelin entitled The Song Remains the Same immediately comes to mind in regard to the season-long match-up between the New Jersey Outlaws and the Cape Cod Bluefins.
Wednesday night in their home arena, the sixth seeded Fins’ dropped a 5-3 decision to the Outlaws in game three of their best of five playoff series, abruptly ending their season. Facing long odds in the minds of many observers given the Blue Fins 0-10-0-1 slate during the regular season and 0-2 deficit in the postseason against their opponents, the hosts nevertheless kept things interesting by staying within a goal midway through the final period.
“It’s hard when you see a team that many times eventually Lady Luck runs out and they’re bound to get you,” Outlaws coach Chris Firriolo said following the win. “I have to give them credit, they worked really hard. They played us tough in the first two games and this again was a tight game, they worked hard and gave us a good run. They’re a good club. Mike (Bluefins coach Nugnes) has done a phenomenal job with the program.”
Not wanting to stay any longer than necessary in the Massachusetts resort area, Firriolo was concerned with complacency coming in.
“Like anything else, sometimes you get comfortable because we’ve been so successful against them all year long and that can sometimes come back to hurt you. But we got through it and we’re now looking toward the finals now,” he said.
Despite a disparity in shots (19-9) in the opening period in favor of the visitors, the Bluefins were buoyed by the gusty play of goaltender Adam Roy who kept play on an even keel. Outlaws center John Goffredo got the festivities started for the visitors at 8:46 of the period when he tapped a shot past Roy from the low slot. Roy, who was coming off a solid effort in a 3-0 road defeat in Game 2, registered 18 saves in the first period.
But Roy, and in some measure, New Jersey goalie Dan McWhinney seemed to be intent on making it a text book, low scoring playoff game. Roy shut off forward Kevin Cooper with less than three minutes remaining in the stanza when the veteran forward cruised in alone and failed in his bid to double the visitors advantage. Less than two minutes later, Bluefins defenseman Corey Bellamy lifted a backhander from just inside the circle to the right of McWhinney that the Sault Ste. Marie native gobbled up in the midst of significant traffic in front.
In the middle period however, a well-worn scenario began to play out as the Outlaws offense began to show signs of their usual quick paced nature. Outlaws blue liner Craig Cole upped the New Jersey lead to 2-0 at 4:31 of the period but instead of succumbing to a healthy dose of puck possession by the Outlaws, the Bluefins inched to within one when Dan Gordon bested McWhinney mid-point in the period.
‘He made some pretty big saves here and there and we scored at opportune times and that was the difference in the game,” Outlaws veteran Anthony Battaglia, who was chosen first star of the contest, said of Roy.
New Jersey’s Lawne Snyder upped the tally while bridging his club closer to the FHL Finals when his blast from the point during an Outlaws man advantage, due to a holding minor to the Fins’ Andrew Hutton, connected. Advantage New Jersey 3-1. The score was Snyder’s first point of the post season.
Both teams struck early in the third, but Battaglia’s marker, just 26 ticks after the Cape’s Justin Barr tally which closed the margin to 3-2, proved to be the game and series decider. Battaglia while Roy was selected as the third star.
“We wanted to play the soundest game we could (tonight) especially since we were one game from the finals.” Battaglia said.
Now the Outlaws wait to see who their opponents in the finals will be.
“We’ve got our work ahead of us now to get ready for the finals because it’s going to be a different story. We’re still one step away from our goal,” Firriolo said.
Contact the author at ken.castro@prohockeynews.com
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