THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 22, 1996 TAG: 9603220668
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 94 lines
Darryl Paquette could have moped around the ice at Scope on Thursday during the first practice of his second stint this season with the Hampton Roads Admirals. After all, he was back in a town and with a team he'd recently been told by Portland Pirates management he'd never see again.
Instead, he was all smiles.
``I'm the inexperienced guy, and I want to play as much as I can,'' Paquette said, not the least bit bitter about the Washington Capitals' trade that brought Martin Brochu to Portland and allowed Portland to assign him to Hampton Roads. ``They like me up there, I know that. It comes down to a question of playing. Coming here is better for me. It's going to help me. I'll play in the games and I'll gain playoff experience. It's not a setback, and I'm not going to walk around with my head between my legs.''
Paquette will be in goal tonight when the Admirals travel to Richmond to play the Renegades to open a two-game, season-ending series that will likely serve as a preview of coming attractions. The two teams finish the regular season against each other Saturday night at Scope.
There is almost no chance Hampton Roads and Richmond won't meet in the first round of the playoffs, beginning next Wednesday at the Richmond Coliseum. The fifth-place Admirals trail fourth-place Roanoke by just two points, but the Express would have to lose games this weekend at Charlotte and at Raleigh. Meanwhile, the Admirals would have to sweep both games against Richmond, or win once and lose a shootout in the other, to finish fourth and open against Charlotte.
If the teams end up with the same number of points, Roanoke still would finish fourth, the Admirals fifth, because the Express has more regular-season victories. Even if Roanoke lost both games in shootouts, the Admirals bumped Richmond twice and both teams finished with 79 points, Richmond and Hampton Roads would open the postseason against each other.
That's fine with Admirals' coach John Brophy, especially with Paquette back to help bolster the goaltending.
``He makes us a better team,'' Brophy said. ``He had a great record when he was here the first time. I'm happy he's here.''
Paquette's arrival isn't a good sign for Mark Bernard or Corwin Saurdiff. One of the two likely won't be kept on the playoff roster that the Admirals must turn in to the league on Monday. Brophy wasn't tipping his hand which one of the two would go.
``I'm pretty sure we won't go with three goaltenders,'' he said. ``Let's just leave it at that. Pack was sent here to play. He's going to play. It's just as though the Mets sent one of their starting pitchers down to the Tides to get work. It's part of the business. Goalies understand this.''
Saurdiff missed Thursday's morning workout with the flu. Bernard said there isn't enough time right now to be concerned about how the new competition could impact on his play the next couple of weeks.
``At this point, you've got to do what's best for the team, especially with the playoffs right around the corner,'' he said. ``Pack's a good goalie. He's going to help us.
``I mean, yeah, it gets a little bit old to see all the goalies who've come through here this season, but when you're working for a good team, a great organization that's respected throughout hockey, you've got to expect that. I've been to three finals in five years; my job now is to stay ready and be here if they need me.''
Paquette admits he's a little uncomfortable coming back to the Admirals and taking over.
``But we're all friends here,'' he said. ``If you want to win a championship, everyone has to pull together. If Bernie plays, I'll certainly support him. If I play, I'm sure he'll support me.''
Paquette, who turns 25 on Monday, had a 2-7-1 record in Portland, with a 3.12 goals-against average and an .884 save percentage. Ironically, he opened his stint in Maine with a shutout.
``It was a great game, and ever sweeter to do it in my first game there,'' he said. ``But I've been around enough to know that one shutout doesn't a career make. You still have to play as well as you can every time you take the ice.''
Paquette rarely has had anything resembling a tight defense in front of him. In one game at the University of Cape Breton, he stopped 72 shots. He was named an Atlantic University League all-star and his team's most valuable player.
Likewise, Portland's defense frightens no one. But Paquette seems unscathed.
``I've always been a confident goaltender,'' he said. ``I've been on teams that won one game - like last season (at Cape Breton). I was confident in what I could do. Now, I've got a defense in front of me. It'll be interesting to see what we can do.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo courtesy of Yvonne Paxson
Darryl Paquette returns in goal tonight when the Admirals travel to
Richmond to open a two-game, season-ending series.
by CNB