Tough guy has led Hershey onslaught

Louis Robitaille, who has led Hershey to a 3-0 playoff lead against the Admirals, corrals Norfolk's Colin Fraser in a playoff game last week. (John C. Whitehead/Harrisburg (Pa.) Patriot-News)

By TRIS WYKES
The Virginian-Pilot

The most influential player in the current AHL playoff series between the Norfolk Admirals and Hershey Bears has no points. At times, he doesn't even skate a regular shift. But make no mistake, Hershey's Louis Robitaille has been the match-up's main man thus far.

Fighting and overly chippy play aren't usually highlighted in the playoffs, but Robitaille has brought such behavior front and center in the best-of-seven, East Division semifinal series. Hershey leads 3-0 and can eliminate Norfolk with a victory tonight in Game 4 at Giant Center.

"We felt that when push came to shove in the regular season, they backed down,' said Admirals coach Mike Haviland, whose team was 7-3 against the Bears before the playoffs and 4-1 against them in Pennsylvania. "But now, they're playing in-your-face hockey and it's thrown us for a loop.'

The Bears have made sure scrums follow almost every whistle, with Robitaille and teammate Boyd Kane slashing at Admirals' calves or jamming a glove in their faces when the referee's back is turned.

Robitaille enraged Norfolk fans by challenging Admirals captain Shawn Thornton in Game 2 but then "turtling" by dropping to the ice and covering his head when Thornton began swinging. Later, as the game grew increasingly vicious, Norfolk enforcer Mike Brown was ejected for spearing and the Bears went on to win 5-2.

Hershey trailed 2-0 five minutes into Game 3's second period when Robitaille made a predictable but successful gambit. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Montreal native rushed into a scrum late, drawing Thornton into another confrontation like the previous night's. This one escalated and earned Norfolk's captain two game misconducts and a fighting major.

"I knew he was coming after me,' Robitaille, third in the AHL with 334 regular-season penalty minutes, told the Harrisburg Patriot-News. "It was a key to the game and maybe the series.'

Hershey scored once on the ensuing five-minute power play and again shortly thereafter. Later in the period, Haviland was slapped with a bench minor for shouting at linesman Paul Carnathan, handing the Bears a 5-on-3 advantage for two minutes.

Hershey didn't score on that chance, but Norfolk's momentum had evaporated and it eventually trailed 4-2 before losing 5-4 in double overtime.

Haviland didn't defend Thornton's actions and the player was contrite after Monday's practice. Thornton acknowledged that his "wires touched' and that he shouldn't have punched Robitaille after knocking him to the ice, but said most of his anger was directed at referee Brian Pochmara.

"In nine years in this league, I've never seen a guy drop his gloves and not get a fighting major,' Thornton said of Robitaille, who received only a roughing penalty. "I've got to have more control wearing the C, but there's a fine line to walk, because when a guy comes in and starts punching my teammates in the head, it's also my job to protect them.'

Robitaille told reporters he didn't drop his gloves in the Game 3 fracas and that he was surprised the Admirals would allow themselves to be baited yet again.

"Even our coaching staff told me, 'Hey, they won't come after you,' ' Robitaille said. "I expected nothing from them.'

Haviland is trying to ensure his troops ignore Hershey's antics tonight. The coach has addressed players individually and as a group, sending the same message.

"We've let our emotions get the best of us and we need to just go play hockey,' Haviland said. "I don't want anyone chasing Robitaille around.'

Easier said than done, as Hershey coach Bruce Boudreau well knows. Manchester's coach the last few years, he watched Robitaille enrage the Monarchs while skating for division rival Portland.

"Holy geez, everybody on our team wanted to kill him,' Boudreau said. "They would have gone out of their way to hurt the guy. He's that much of an agitator. He's always talking.'

Notes: Haviland said Adam Munro will make his fourth consecutive postseason start but that "there will be some changes for sure' in which defensemen dress tonight. Dustin Byfuglien, Brandon Rogers and Jordan Hendry are a combined minus-13 in the series while Nick Kuiper, rated a plus-16 in the regular season, hasn't played. … Game 3 was Hershey's first overtime playoff win since a 2-1 double-overtime victory that eliminated Norfolk on April 19, 2002. That also was the last playoff series Hershey won. … Robitaille, a converted defenseman shifted to left wing this season, is just the 11th player in the Bears' 67-year history to top 300 penalty minutes in a season.