Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, February 4, 1994 TAG: 9402040074
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A three-day, three-game sojourn starting tonight in Huntington, W.Va., should help answer that question.
The Express has faced longer and tougher road trips, but none has been any bigger.
A successful trip could virtually dash the Richmond Renegades' hopes of catching Roanoke for the one wild-card spot in the ECHL playoffs. Richmond (19-21-4) trails the Express (25-20-2) by 10 points.
Richmond has played three fewer games than Roanoke, but that's the Renegades' only trump card. After this weekend, the Express will have 18 games left - 11 at home - and Richmond will have 22 games - 15 on the road, where it has won four times all season. Also hurting the Renegades' cause is the fact they play the Express only one more time - Feb. 18 in Roanoke.
What happens this weekend will be critical. While Richmond faces Nashville and Knoxville at home, Roanoke will visit Huntington, Louisville and Dayton.
If the Express can win two of three, it is guaranteed of keeping its 10-point cushion. But if Richmond sweeps and Roanoke is swept, the Renegades would be four points back with four games in hand.
"It's a big trip for us, no doubt," said Frank Anzalone, the Express' coach. "All three teams we're playing have losing records, but sometimes the games you're supposed to win are the hardest ones to play."
Huntington (11-32-4), Louisville (12-26-7) and Dayton (15-25-4) have the three worst records in the 19-team ECHL.
"Huntsville had a losing record, too, but look at how much trouble we had with them," said Anzalone, referring to his club's 1-0 home victory over the Blast on Tuesday.
"On paper, it looks good for us. But you don't play hockey games on paper."
Almost lost in the wild-card talk is the fact that the Express trails fourth-place South Carolina (24-16-3) and Charlotte (25-17-3) by only one point in the tightly bunched ECHL East Division. South Carolina and Charlotte, however, each have two games in hand.
The top five finishers in the East automatically qualify for the playoffs.
\ BOUCHARD SAYS ADIOS: Defenseman Hughes Bouchard unexpectedly packed his gear and left the Express on Wednesday.
Bouchard, who had one goal and six assists in 41 games, indicated he was returning to his native Quebec to work for his father.
Bouchard's defection leaves Roanoke one player under the 18-man limit on its active roster.
Anzalone indicated Thursday the club will activate left wing Dave "Moose" Morissette on Monday. The Express' captain has been out of action since Jan. 6, when he underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.
by CNB