MUSKEGON, Mich - Common sense dictates that a team facing a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series like the Muskegon Lumberjacks could probably count the hours until its offseason begins. But while the Fort Wayne Komets have made a significant down payment on their second-consecutive Turner Cup, there is precedent for an IHL club in their position coming out of the series on the losing end.

In the IHL’s previous incarnation, the Detroit Vipers held a three-games-to-none advantage in the 1999 Eastern Conference Final, only to watch the Orlando Solar Bears come charging back to claim the final four games of the series and move on to the Turner Cup Final, where they would fall to the Houston Aeros.

Pro hockey trivia buffs could also tell you that the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs and the 1975 New York Islanders are the only two NHL squads to turn the trick, against the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins, respectively.

Those Komets who played on last year’s edition can personally testify to the tenuous nature of being just one win away from triumph, as they rallied from 3-1 down in the final round to trump the Port Huron Icehawks 12 months ago.

JIM ROME IS BURNING…OR AT LEAST HIS EARS ARE

Muskegon forward Luke Stauffacher, after his two-goal performance in Game 3 Tuesday night gave him a team-leading postseason total of seven, made an interesting reference in proclaiming the glory of his sport.

“The reason you always hear that playoff hockey is the greatest is that every night’s a battle,” he said. “You never see a team just get run out of the building because the other team is that much better than them. You even hear (national sports talk radio host) Jim Rome talk about it.”

Sounds like someone is petitioning for a spot in the Jungle, Rome’s self-appointed nickname for his afternoon drive-time program.

LUMBERJACKS ON LOCKDOWN

The Lumberjacks averaged over four goals per game in the regular season and just about matched that rate in their first-round dismissal of Port Huron, but through three games of the Turner Cup Final the Komets have held them to four goals total.

“It doesn’t take a lot of talent to play good team defense,” Fort Wayne forward Mathieu Curadeau said. “It just takes a commitment from everybody the moment they step on the ice.”  

A large part of the problem for Muskegon is simply getting the puck; the Komets have possessed the biscuit for long stretches of time, especially in the last two games, en route to stifling the IHL’s top offense.

“Our thought is that the best defense is to get in their zone and stay on offense for as long as we can,” Komets rookie RW Sean O’Connor said.

Stauffacher concurred with that thought, and added more about the difficulty of fighting through the Fort Wayne forecheck and large defense corps.

And let’s not forget the understated contribution of IHL Goalie of the Year Nick Boucher, who had stopped 79 of 83 shots in the series.

“Nick was awesome when the score was 3-2 (Tuesday)” Komets coach Al Sims said. “He is not giving way on scrambles in front of the net and has played that way all year.”

Contact matt.gajtka@prohockeynews.com

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