WOW. I really didn't think that we'd win tonight. The Wolves lost game 3 in Hershey and I really thought that was it. then, on Sunday, somehow the Wolves won 6-0. I still don't know how that happened - especially when Dan O'Rourke refereed the game. Tonight - Dan O'Rourke is there again. Great. Hershey scores first, we tie it up. The game was just too even. We were never really in control.

Odd thing happened in the first few minutes of the 2nd period - they were running birthdays on the matrix boards, and when it came to this 15-year-old- girl, all her friends that were with her started screaming. Well, not screaming as much as it was screeching. This screeching hits a crescendo just as the Wolves are crossing the blue line to attack - and the next thing you know everybody stops. The officials look at each other. the players look at each other. Next thing you know, O'Rourke is skating over to the off-ice officials and there's a little commotion in the box. Nicole the usher goes down and then takes off. It turns out that the players and officials stopped play because they thought the screeching was a whistle. (I have to give O'Rourke props for this game - although he was in the middle (as in, in the way) of two plays, he called an even game and let the boys play.)

We score again in the second, but Hershey ties it in the third, and we end regulation in a tie. I stood up during intermission and looked around at the faces of everyone on our side of the stadium. There was no look of confidence. There was hardly a fire in their eyes. Nobody had a good feeling about going into overtime with this team. I talked to Bob and Kevin and we all agree - we think Steve Maltais shouldn't play in the overtime. He looks tired, he's old... we haven't been happy with his play at all. Same with Rob Brown, who's retiring after 16 years. Last year, during the playoffs, the Wolves faced elimination four times, and each time got the win.

This time, at 1:20 into the overtime, after we swarm their net, Maltais scores the game winning goal, knocking Hershey out of the playoffs. Our next foe: the Grand Rapids Griffins with a best-of-7 series starting up there on Monday.

(Large video of the celebrating from our seats - AVI 37.3Mb 148 seconds)
(Boxscore)