Sens vs. Ads Playoff Articles: After waiting and worrying, the Admirals’ wish comes true
April 13, 2004

Posted by: Bob Howard
Credit: Tris Wykes of The Virginian-Pilot

After waiting and worrying, the Admirals’ wish comes true

By TRIS WYKES, The Virginian-Pilot

© April 13, 2004

At the Oceanfront apartment of Norfolk Admirals wing Shawn Thornton on Sunday evening, five players and their wives sat around the dinner table, anxiously awaiting news from Pennsylvania.

In Greenbrier, Admirals broadcaster Pete Michaud clicked his computer on and off the Internet, listening to the Webcast call of his Hershey Bears’ counterpart, John Walton, during the final game of the AHL season.

Off North­ampton Boulevard in Virginia Beach, Admirals coach Trent Yawney couldn’t take it anymore and went out for a walk . Overtime had arrived with Hershey and the visiting Philadelphia Phantoms tied 2-2 and if the Bears won , Norfolk would fail to make the playoffs.

“When you don’t have control of it, things are harder to bear,’’ said Admirals defenseman Johnathan Aitken, who was at Thornton’s apartment with teammates Marty Wilford, Lasse Kukkonen and Quintin Laing. “When you’re in the game you just play and don’t worry about it.’’

When overtime arrived, they cringed when the Bears were awarded a power play and pulled goaltender Phil Sauve for a 5-on-3 advantage.

“I was pretty nervous because there was nothing you could do and it was out of your control. We had to let fate take over,’’ Wilford said.

Moments later, it took an Admirals bounce when Hershey’s Shane Willis inadvertently fired the puck the length of the ice and into Sauve’s unattended net. The Admirals suddenly had a date with Binghamton for a best-of-three qualifying series that begins Wednesday at the Broome County Veterans’ Arena. Game 2 is set for Friday and Game 3, if necessary, is Saturday, both in New York.

“We thought about text-messaging Willis on his phone and telling him thanks and nice shot,’’ Aitken chuckled after Monday’s practice. “Thornton could have gotten his number but we decided not to go through with it.’’

Yawney returned from his walk to find his wife excitedly chatting with Admirals general manager Al MacIsaac on the phone. Her expression told him Norfolk was in the playoffs.

“I was thinking about our guys and how much they deserved to be in,’’ Yawney said of his thoughts during the stroll. “They played some terrific games this season and didn’t get any points. So it would have been a crime to miss the playoffs by one.’’

What could have been an early summer now has the potential to turn into a postseason run. In each of the last two AHL seasons, a team has emerged from the qualifying round and made it deep into the playoffs. Chicago won the 2002 Calder Cup and Manitoba came within one victory of the 2003 Western Conference finals.

“All I know is if we play our best, who can tell what can happen?’’ said Wilford, whose team has won just three of its last 10 games. “We’ve lost a little bit lately but it hasn’t been because we haven’t played hard. Anything can happen in a best-of-three series and let’s hope we have our best games on tap.’’