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Barons lose series to Hamilton
by 4-2 margin
3-1 loss to Bulldogs Sunday ends
season
5/10/04 - by Craig Haueter
The Cleveland Barons fell Sunday afternoon to the Hamilton Bulldogs by
a final score of 3-1 to lose the best of seven series by a 4-2 margin. The loss
concluded the most successful season in Barons history, as it marked the best
record in franchise history (37-28-8-7), highest home attendance, and first
appearance in the Calder Cup playoffs.
The Barons managed a 54-point
season in 2002-03. By gaining 89 points this season, Cleveland became the
AHL’s most-improved team, bettering their total by 35 points. The Barons
did not lose back-to-back games in regulation until March 13th against
Chicago.
Cleveland was tied for the second fewest road losses in the
league. The offense on the road was sparked by the AHL’s second best road
power play unit. The Barons converted on 17.3% of their power play
opportunities on the road.
Miroslav Zalesak was the Cleveland Barons
Most Valuable Player for the 2003-04 season. The Slovakia native ended the
season tied for third in the AHL with 75 points, third in goals with 35, 12th
in assists with 40, and fourth in power play goals with 13. The 75 points by
Zalesak are a Cleveland Barons franchise record.
The Barons started the season with 9 rookies on the
roster. At season’s end, the Barons had 11 rookies. Garrett Stafford, Jon
DiSalvatore, Ryane Clowe and Grant Stevenson all finished in the top-15 of AHL
rookie scoring.
Cleveland predominately used Seamus Kotyk, Dimitri
Patzold and Nolan Schaefer in net this season. Interestingly, all three
netminders faced a penalty shot this season. At season’s end, 19 players
at the NHL level were Roy Sommer products including three starting
goaltenders—Evgeni Nabokov in San Jose, Miikka Kiprusoff in Calgary and
Johan Hedberg in Vancouver.
Nine players have skated for both the
Cleveland Barons and the San Jose Sharks thus far. These players are Niko
Dimitrakos, Christian Ehrhoff, Jim Fahey, Todd Harvey, Lynn Loyns, Milan
Michalek, Patrick Rissmiller, Miroslav Zalesak and Marcel Goc. Seamus Kotyk and
Nolan Schaefer each dressed as back-up goaltenders in San Jose, but neither
appeared in a game.
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