"Really disappointing," said Manchester Monarchs General Manager Kevin Gilmore.

In an 80-game regular season, the Monarchs captured their first-ever Atlantic Division championship, then lost a seven-game series (really on two bad first periods) to the Providence Bruins.

"We're disappointed with the early exit . . . winning breeds winning," said Gilmore. "Our players took a step in the right direction but we still need some work on learning to win playoff games. But having said that, we've got to look at our year and be pleased with it. More importantly, in terms of the progress made by a number of prospects in our organization who spent an entire season in Manchester. If there was one silver lining in all of this, it was having our top young players playing against other top players."

Gilmore confirmed yesterday he verbally "offered" Monarchs coach Bruce Boudreau a contact extension. The Monarchs' parent club and ownership, the Los Angeles Kings, will meet at mid-month to review and evaluate the performance of players in Manchester this season.

On paper, the Monarchs' returnees should be defensemen Tim Gleason and Denis Grebeshkov, along with forwards Dustin Brown, Brad Smyth, Noah Clarke, Yanick Lehoux, Mike Cammalleri, Matt Ryan, Petr Kanko and Greg Hogeboom. They are players whose NHL deals would have them either in L.A. or Manchester. But, never has the status of players been so uncertain.

Grebeshkov said that if there is no NHL in 2005-06, he would most likely look to play in Russia. All-purpose Monarchs forward Jeff Giuliano has already been courted by other AHL teams for next season.

Injured forward Yanick Lehoux was two weeks from returning when the Monarchs' season ended. In a usual season, the Kings would have to make an offer to Lehoux by the end of June, but Lehoux said rumors are everywhere.

"If they don't get a settlement before July 1, rumors are everybody with no contract becomes unrestricted. Is it true or not true I don't know?" said Lehoux. "Before July 1? I don't think anything's going to happen. They cannot even promise you anything because there's no rules."

Lehoux said he is not looking at Europe in the event of a continued lockout.

"I'd rather stick around here," said Lehoux, who was leading the Monarchs in scoring when a dirty hit knocked him out of action. "For sure, Manchester would be my first option. I was having a good season. But, it's tough for me to say. For sure we're speculating."

"As opposed to last year, when we knew who we could sign by September 15, we don't have the luxury this year," Gilmore said. "So if you ask me what the status of any of our players is, with no agreement and no precedent to give us guidance, I don't know where we're at."

The AHL will also reduce the number of veterans allowed on a team from six to five in the upcoming season. Monarchs veterans would be defensemen Joe Rullier, Jason Holland and Mike Weaver as well as forwards Chris Schmidt, Brad Smyth and Tom Kostopoulos. One of those players will not be re-signed. And as for Monarchs goalies Mathieu Garon and Adam Hauser, one would think the Kings would sign both since they were among the league's top 10 netminders all season.

Monarchs Director Of Hockey Operations Hubie McDonough predicts "a smattering of signings" for the AHL club over the next two months. "But it's like this every year in the minor leagues," added McDonough.

One certainty? Gilmore said the Manchester Monarchs will play in 2005-06 and the Kings will sign players for that campaign.

Once the pain subsides, the players will realize they had one of the best runs in the history of the American Hockey League. The 2004-05 Monarchs opened the season with a 20-1 record, finished the season with 51 wins, won the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference titles for the first time and advanced to the Calder Cup playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.

Individually, it's hard to imagine Michael Cammalleri having a better season against a league stacked with NHL talent. He rewrote the Monarchs record book, led the league with 46 goals and finished second in the league with 109 points. He and five of his teammates (Dustin Brown, Denis Grebeshkov, Mathieu Garon, Yanick Lehoux and Tom Kostopoulos) also participated in the 2005 Dodge AHL All-Star Classic in February with Manchester serving as the host city.

Exit meetings allow us to meet with the players one last time before they spread out across the globe for a well-deserved break. In the meetings, we discuss what the players need to do to improve their games. The meetings also give us a chance to thank the players for their commitment to the club. Much of what's discussed ends up in end-of-the-season reports that, once completed, are shipped to Los Angeles for review by the Kings.

I honestly can't get enough of the game. That's why I'll probably find myself in Lowell watching the Providence Bruins and the Lowell Lock Monsters play this weekend. Even though it will be difficult, watching the game from the stands may help me improve as a coach. I may see something that I can use next year.

The last few days have been emotional ones because you never know when you're going to see these guys again. Teams change from year to year. Add to that the uncertainty of an unsettled collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and the NHL Players Association, and it's hard to know just how different our team will be next year.

One thing I do know, Cammalleri, Dustin Brown and Tim Gleason are special players destined for long NHL careers once the labor issues are resolved.

The fact that Gleason and Brown played as much as they did in our series with the Bruins cannot go unmentioned. Gleason, 50 percent at best during the series with an upper body injury, refused to sit out, and Brown's body was beaten to the point that he was having trouble breathing during the morning skate prior to Game 6. Later that night, he played another punishing physical game for us.

In truth, Game 6 turned out to be one heck of a hockey game between two strong hockey teams. All year long, we won the games we needed to win. I fully expected the same result on Saturday night against the Bruins, but unfortunately we didn't get it.

I'd like to thank all of the fans who have supported our team so strongly over the years and who have had such nice things to say about this weekly column. I'd also like to thank the New Hampshire Union Leader and the Monarchs for giving me a voice during the season. It's very much appreciated and I look forward to doing it again next year.

Bruce Boudreau is head coach of the Manchester Monarchs

The Monarchs finished the regular season with the second-best record in the American Hockey League, first in the Eastern Conference, but it still wasn't good enough to get them past the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs. They lost a best-of-seven Atlantic Division semifinal series to the Bruins, four games to two.

"The playoffs are a different season, a different animal," said Boudreau. "Believe me, no one wanted to see us continue on more than me. Look around the league and Hartford and Binghamton are both out of the playoffs. It happens."

Boudreau felt Manchester played its worst two games of the series in Games 1 and 3, its two best ones in Games 2 and 4 (both wins) and, the power play factored into the losses in Games 5 and 6.

"In Thursday's game (Game 5) we had nine penalties and we could have averted four or five of them and (Saturday) they capitalized on the man advantage again," said Boudreau. "Guys know you can't take penalties but sometimes emotions take over and it cost us."

Boudreau said he gained a "newfound respect" for the Bruins.

"They may have finished fourth in our division, but Providence is as good as any team in the league," said Boudreau. "Lowell, which probably is the most talented team around, will have problems with them. We all know about (Patrice) Begeron, (Andy) Hilbert, (Brad) Boyes and (Keith) Aucoin, but Providence also has one of the best goalies in the league. If you're a Boston Bruins fan right now, you've got to be happy knowing they are all set in nets for a decade with (Andrew) Raycroft and (Hannu) Toivonen."

Boudreau came to the defense of Garon, who was shaky down the stretch. Garon was pulled from an April 15 home game against Lowell after allowing three goals in 12 minutes. In the very next home game, playoff Game 1 against Providence, Garon was pulled again after allowing three goals in the first period.

'It's unfair, but the goalie gets criticized when the team loses," said Boudreau. "In that playoff game, I pulled him to shake our team up. But if you look at the first and third goals he allowed that night, there was little he could do to stop them. The players let him down. I did pull him again in Game 3 to save him for Game 4. In Game 3, he stopped three or four breakaways and once we fell behind, I felt it was best to save him for the next game. But in this series, he played very well in Games 2, 4, 5 and 6. To me, he was one of the elite goalies in our league this season."

Boudreau said his contract with the Monarchs expires July 1 this season.

"I was told during the regular season by (General Manager) Kevin Gilmore that they plan to give me an extension," said Boudreau. "I haven't heard nor have I asked about it."

In his first three seasons, Boudreau had an 118-79-29-14 overall record with Manchester. This season, the Monarchs posted their best regular season mark, 51-21-4-4, for 110 points.

So far, Boudreau's legacy with Manchester is that he is a very good regular season coach who can't get his team past the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs.

"The record is what it is," said Boudreau. "There's not a person in the entire organization or fan who wanted to see this team win and continue (deeper in the Calder Cup playoffs) than myself. I will take this with me all summer and it hurts."

Boudreau said he can sleep well at night knowing he's doing what has been asked of him.

"The first mandate here is to develop the players and winning is second," he said. "If the players under me were not growing and we were underachieving as a team, then that would mean I'm not doing my job. But, in my opinion, that's not the case. This year we finished with 110 points despite some injuries to many key players. From the beginning of October to the middle of April, we played consistently well as a group as any team in the league."

The team posted a 51-win season despite season-ending injuries to Yanick Lehoux and Scott Barney, among others, and losing Ryan Flinn, Tim Gleason, Tom Kostopoulos, Brad Smyth and Noah Clarke for stretches because of injuries as well.

Manchester's man on the hot seat? Highly-touted goaltender Mathieu Garon.

"The start of any game is so critical," said Los Angeles Kings goaltending consultant Andy Nowicki. "Where we've won in this series we've come out of the gate hard . . . The first period is no question is important."

Helping lead the Monarchs to a franchise-record 51 victories including a personal record of 32 Ws, Garon showed every attribute of the heir-apparent No. 1 goalie for the Los Angeles Kings. But does a two-game playoff meltdown diminish Garon's stock in the eyes of the Kings, whose top hockey administrators have attended every game? Certainly it must plant a seed of doubt.

"Well, my feeling is that truly when we've won we've won as a team and when we haven't it's also been as a team," said Nowicki. "Our boys love both Mathieu and Adam (Hauser). They've given us tremendous goaltending throughout the year. And when I look at the chances, quite frankly I think they were tough chances that Providence created on us to produce those goals.

"We have no regrets. We are firmly behind Mathieu in this series," Nowicki added.

The Kings traded goalie Cristobal Huet and a 2004 third round choice to Montreal (ultimately Montreal got big forward Radek Bonk and Huet as part of the three-way deal that included the Ottawa Senators) for the Canadiens' backup Garon. Time will tell if the Kings have cashed in. In the meantime the Monarchs need Garon to be that money in the bank.

BROWNIE POINTS: With Dustin Brown's two goals on Thursday night for five goals in the series, the second-year pro tied former Monarchs forward Adam Mair for most goals in a playoff. Mair, who continued on to play for the Buffalo Sabres, notched his five goals in the 2002 playoffs against the Hartford Wolf Pack. Interestingly enough the play of the two is somewhat similar.

PLAYOFF TESTED: While the Monarchs have never been past a first round of the postseason, veteran forwards Tom Kostopoulos and Brad Smyth have seen this adversity before. Both have been part of emotional comebacks to claim AHL post-season series victories.

Last year Kostopoulos' Wilkes-Barre Penguins were down 3-1 in their series with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. The Penguins overcame that deficit to win the series 4-3 with an overtime Game 7.

Smyth's Hartford Wolf Pack also came-from-behind to win Game 7 in OT and close out a series against Providence Bruins, 4-3.

ROAD SIGNS: The Monarchs have better playoff record on the road than at home. Entering last night's Game 6 against Providence, Manchester was 4-5 on the road and 2-8 all-time at home.

The Providence Bruins scored three unanswered goals in the third period in a 3-1 victory over the Monarchs to close out the Atlantic Division semifinal series last night before 4,901 in the Dunkin' Donuts Center.

"It ended the same way it's ended the last four years. It's hard to take," said Monarchs coach Bruce Boudreau. "It hurts."

The Monarchs have never won a Game 6 never advancing past this opening round of the Calder Cup playoffs. The Bruins move onto the second round for the first time in four years. Providence won this best-of-seven series, 4-2 and will face the Lowell Lock Monsters in the division's final series. Last night Lowell knocked out Hartford, which was the second seed in the division behind top-seeded Manchester.

Former Toronto Maple Leafs' prospect Brad Boyes scored with 4:00 to play to win it. University of New Hampshire product, defenseman Jayme Filipowicz fired a long bomb off the glass from his end striking the empty net with 7.4 seconds left. With the extra skater on and Manchester applying enormous pressure on the Bruins over the last 1:40, the Bruins iced it three times missing the net by inches before Filipowicz sealed it.

"Whenever it comes down to the end like that and you only have a one-goal lead it's weathering the storm. They throw everything they have at you . . . Right up there," laughed Filipowicz placing his insurance goal on his all-time scoring list.

Boyes had skated up the middle on a 3-on-3 and chose to keep it when he had drawn Monarchs defenseman Joe Rullier as a screen. On the move, Boyes pulled the puck back and in the high slot let go a snap shot on the ice that beat Monarchs' goalie Mathieu Garon (37 saves) over the pads.

"It deflected," said Garon. "It hit (Rullier's) skate and went up a little bit. It was going on the ice . . . it surprised me a little bit."

To tie it 1-1 early in the third period, a hungry pack of Bruins dug at Garon. Bruins' star Patrice Bergeron had stabbed it in on the power play 4:34 into the third. Rarely an emotional goaltender, Garon thought he had the puck covered and was livid protesting to referee Dean Morton. The goal light never went on as Morton stood behind the cage in perfect position.

"Again our power play came through for us and that was probably the difference, getting that power play goal," said Bruins coach Scott Gordon. "Now all of a sudden, great we're one shot away.

"It wasn't like Manchester laid down. They made us earn it," Gordon said. "You felt like every time (Monarchs') top two lines were on you felt like they were going to score."

Defenseman Troy Milam's drive on a power play 4:04 into the second period gave the Monarchs a 1-0 lead. That shot was deflected to get past Bruins' goalie Hannu Toivonen (31 saves).

The Monarchs were playing in traffic from there. First defenseman Tim Gleason swatted a rebound out of the air out of the crease with Garon flat on his back after a save on Boyes. Three minutes later with 7:03 left in the stanza, Providence's Tomas Kurka was in alone on a short-handed breakaway and lost the handle. No shot. And with 4:04 before the end of the second period the Bruins' Boyes fired wide after Dan LaCouture's rebound popped big and fat in the slot.

The only advantage in the scoreless opening period belonged to Bruins' leading scorer Andy Hilbert. He raced through the middle on a breakaway with 4:06 left only to have Garon get an arm on a labeled backhander.

"We had a great season, but all you want to do is win in the playoffs and we didn't do it," Garon said.

"Our team tried so hard," said Boudreau. "We had two bad games in the series, but after (Games 1 and 3) I thought we played as well as we could. I don't think there were any passengers and everybody did everything they could."

Diminutive defenseman Kevin Dallman and budding Bruins star Patrice Bergeron scored in the third period lifting the Providence Bruins to a 4-2 victory over the Monarchs last night in Game 5 of the Atlantic Division semifinal playoff series.

The Bruins lead the best-of-seven series 3-2. Game 6 moves to Providence tomorrow at 7:05 p.m. where the Bruins can wrap it up. Game 7 if necessary would return to Manchester on Monday, May 2 at 7:05 p.m. Manchester has never gotten out of the first round.

"I don't think there's anything to be said. (Coaches) have said it all. From ranting and raving to patting them on the back," said Monarchs coach Bruce Boudreau. "I just thought Providence played better than us tonight."

The Monarchs gave up nine power plays. The Bruins capitalized on two. Leading scorer Andy Hilbert was in on three Bruins' goals. Hard-hitting Dustin Brown had both of Manchester's goals lighting up the 5,329 spectators in the Verizon Wireless Arena. Brown was hauled down on a breakaway through the middle at 6:09 of the third period but there was no penalty shot call. Boudreau felt it was a clear penalty shot.

The tie was a good, hard fought one while it lasted. But, the Bruins forged ahead 3-2 only 1:23 into the third period on a power play. Dallman capitalized on a garbage rebound in the slot while a crowd of players had caved in around Monarchs goalie Mathieu Garon (29 saves). Doubtful Garon ever saw that winner.

"Before the third period we talked about it. We had to win a third period," said Bruins coach Scott Gordon.

"You don't want to make a mistake. Your stomach is in knots," said Dallman of playing most of the third period clinging to the lead.

Bergeron added the empty netter with 5.5 seconds to play.

Brown scored twice in a 5:11 span in the second period to tie it 2-2. His tying goal was certainly controversial. The goal light went on after his shot from the right circle appeared to beat Bruins goalie Hannu Toivonen (27 saves) and bounce back out into the crease, but play continued and Garon made a save at the other end. After numerous replays on the arena's big screen referee Dan O'Rourke went to the penalty box and radioed the goal judge. Goal.

Trailing by a pair of goals, Brown got one back streaking in from the right wing as Mike Cammalleri made a slot move past the Bruins' Dallman. Cammalleri pushed it to Brown, who wasted no time finishing.

To go up 2-0, the Bruins scored on tic-tac-toe passing around Garon. No chance. First Boyes completed a fast-moving 2-on-1 with Andy Hilbert at 7:29 of the second period. And 2:26 later Keith Aucoin smacked in another backdoor, this time during a 5-on-3 Bruins power play.

It was hard to believe neither team scored in the first period, but Toivonen's delay of the game penalty with seven seconds left in the first gave the Monarchs a two-man advantage for 36 seconds at the start of the second period.

Garon made 11 saves first period saves including a pad block while prone on the ice on Boyes' close-range bid. Boyes fired the rebound into the side netting. Manchester's Brad Smyth fired over the wide-open net at the backdoor midway through the period. And the Bruins Martin Samuelsson failed to find the handle for a backhander only 2:32 into it that could have easily given the Bruins the lead.

The Manchester Monarchs knotted the Atlantic Division semifinal series with the Providence Bruins at two games apiece last night. With 48 seconds to go, defenseman Jason Holland fired a right circle slapper past Bruins goalie Hannu Toivonen, giving the Monarchs a 3-2 victory.

Game 5 is tonight at 7:05 in Manchester. Game 6 is back in Providence on Saturday at 7:05 p.m.

Manchester's Mike Cammalleri and Tom Kostopoulos each assisted on two goals.

The winning shot came courtesy of a bizarre flip icing by Providence captain Brent Thompson with 54 seconds left. Thompson was under no pressure whatsoever and had started to skate it up ice. Instead, the Monarchs got a gift faceoff to Toivonen's right. Manchester's David Steckel won the draw from Patrice Bergeron. Kostopoulos pushed it back to Denis Grebeshkov at the left point, who found Holland on the right point cheating in toward Toivonen's backdoor. Series tied, 2-2.

After a scoreless second period that saw Monarchs sniper Mike Cammalleri hit the crossbar at 5:50 during a power play, Providence defenseman Milan Jurcina tied it in the third, 2-2, with a screen slapper from the right point.

The Monarchs cured their first period ills by leading, 2-1, at the end of the opening period. It is the only opening period in the series where Manchester never trailed. Only 2:08 into the game, the Monarchs' Brad Smyth tucked away Cammalleri's power play rebound. Providence's Tomas Kurka answered, knotting it on a power play at 14:22. But Dustin Brown's short side slot snapper beat Toivonen with 4:06 left in the first for a 2-1 lead.

Monarchs defenseman Doug Nolan was nearly knocked unconscious by Dan LaCouture's runaway train interference penalty 59 seconds into the game against the end boards. Nolan did not return and the Monarchs played with five defensemen the rest of the game.

Stealing the recipe for success while the Monarchs were out to lunch for the second time in this Atlantic Division semifinal, the Providence Bruins cake-walked to a 6-3 victory that included a pair of goals by Andy Hilbert last night before 4,715.

Providence leads the best-of seven series, 2-1. Game 4 is tomorrow here at 7:05 p.m.

The Monarchs mounted a charge in the third period, cutting a seemingly infinite four-goal lead down to 5-3 but the clock was a Bruin at that point. Wiley veteran Monarch Brad Smyth struck on a power play at 5:51 and Manchester's relentless baby bull Dustin Brown had scored 1:57 into the third period.

Manchester goalie Adam Hauser mopped up in the third period for starter Mathieu Garon. To no avail, the Monarchs pulled Hauser for all but two faceoffs over the final 3:03 and Hilbert added his second goal with 33 seconds left into the empty net. At the other end, Providence's Hannu Toivonen wasn't brilliant but he didn't have to be. His teammates were 3-for-6 on the man advantage.

It was 5-1 with 7:16 to play in the second period. Kevin Dallman's power play shot from the right point deflecting off Noah Clarke's stick to far post netting gave the cruising Bruins their four-goal lead. Before that, untouched in the slot, Keith Aucoin lit the power play lamp just 5:47 into the second period, pumping the lead to 4-1.

Pat Leahy, Martin Samuelsson and Hilbert scored in a nightmarish replay of Game 1 when the Monarchs were blown out of their own building in the first period. These goals came in a 6:53 flood. Leahy's was a 2-on-1, shorthanded finish at 5:06 after Mike Cammalleri had his pocket picked at center ice. Less than three minutes later Samuelsson ripped Gove's pass in the slot.

Time-out Monarchs coach Bruce Boudreau! The coach was red in the face as he yelled and pointed a finger at each member of his sleepy hollow gang.

If Boudreau didn't yell loud enough, Bruins' leading scorer Hilbert provided a sonic boom. His wide-open back-door power play goal gave the Bruins a 3-0 lead only 11:59 into the game. Think that was bad? It could have been 5-0 if not for Monarchs goalie Mathieu Garon. He absolutely robbed Providence's Ben Guite on a breakaway 44 seconds into the game. And it was Garon again with 5:33 to play in the first saving Jay Henderson's breakaway assisted by an "I-can't-believe-they-just-did-that" David Steckel-to-Jason Holland backpass misconnect.

Steckel redeemed himself though with a power play backhander making it 3-1 and igniting some faith in a Monarchs comeback. That hope would evaporate on the two Bruins power play tallies in the second period.

Providence goalie Hannu Toivonen accidentally kicked in Noah Clarke's short near-post center from behind the cage with 7:49 to play as the Monarchs scored a 4-2 victory over the Bruins that evened the Atlantic Division semifinal series at one game apiece.

"It was the prettiest," smiled Clarke.

"We thought it hit the netting and was going to blown down dead," said Bruins coach Scott Gordon of the winner. ". . .kind of a flukey goal."

"I don't care how they go in," said Monarchs coach Bruce Boudreau.

Manchester captain Chris Schmidt scored on the empty net with 5.1 seconds left. And Providence's heavyweight instigator Colton Orr caused a brawl, sucker punching Manchester's Doug Nolan on the final face-off. An NHL supervisor of officials met with Boudreau after the contest but no word of suspensions was delivered.

"Classless," said Boudreau.

Game 3 is tomorrow in Providence at 7:05 p.m. The win also guarantees a Game 5 back in Manchester on Thursday.

The playoff victory on home ice snapped Manchester's seven-game post-season losing streak in the Verizon Wireless Arena. That streak dated back to their first season in April of 2002.

Clarke's timely goal put the Monarchs ahead for the first time in the series. To no avail, Toivonen (30 saves) complained the puck had bounced onto the back of the net and should have brought a stoppage to the play.

Midway through the final period he had been physically cleaned out by hard-charging Monarch Dustin Brown after Brown deked his way past two defenders.

"If that's the way (Brown) wants to play, that's the way he's going to play," said t Gordon. "Certainly a couple of cross checks by Nolan and Orr on each other is not as bad as what Brown did to Toivonen.

"(The Monarchs) have a goalie, too, and it's just being respectful," added Gordon.

"I got pushed into him," said Brown. "Goalies are little antiques out there. They can handle it."

"(Brown's) that kind of a player and I think he was on top of his game," surmised Boudreau. "We have to be physical. I mean everybody perceives us as small. We have to play that game."

The second period belonged to the goaltenders. Midway through the period came Mathieu Garon's (21 saves) best. The Monarch netminder, who was pulled embarrassingly early in the opening night loss, made a sparkling glove deflection while sliding across as Brad Boyes knocked at the backdoor.

Among Toivonen's arsenal of agile saves was a stay-at-home body smother of Mike Cammalleri's second-effort short-handed chance.

"(Garon) got stronger and stronger," Boudreau said. "He could have easily gone in the tank."

The Monarchs matched the Bruins goal-for-goal in the first period. Cammalleri's power play tally via his trademark one-knee, one-timer, on the back door capped the period, 2-2.

Before that, Providence had led twice. Pat Leahy tossed the puck at Garon from the right wing corner as Monarchs defenseman Jason Holland checked Ben Guite on top of Garon. Bruins' goal, 2-1.

Just 28 seconds later, the Monarchs' Brown tied it 1-1, sparking the loudest ovation from 5,000 ever heard in the Big V.

Wide-open in front on a 4-on-4, Andy Hilbert pushed Providence out to a 1-0 lead at 7:29 finishing Patrice Bergeron's center.

"Give credit to (Manchester). They did a better job of not letting us out of the zone," said Gordon. In fact, the Bruins did not muster a shot over the last five appearances in the third period of Manchester's first line.

Los Angeles Kings’ ice hockey management and Monarchs coaches discussed the emergency. Their young lions had flat lined. That’s right — dead on arrival in the opener of their best-of-seven Atlantic Division semifinal Friday night.

The Manchester Monarchs, second-best team in the league over 80 games, were the worst team in the AHL in game 81 as the Providence Bruins scored three goals in a 4:48 span in the first period easily winning 5-1.

The Monarchs have been stricken by baffling first-round playoff ills. They have yet to advance past a first round and Friday’s symptoms were not encouraging.

In a locker room so quiet you could hear your own breathing and thought that was too loud, Monarchs gritty defenseman Joe Rullier sat with most of his equipment still on some 30 minutes after the game. It was almost as if to say, “Let’s go back out there and straighten this mess out.”

“You can’t ever expect an easy game,” said Rullier. “We never said we were going to win this thing in four games. . . . It’s going to be a war.”

And no one would dare say it, since in playoff hockey one never provides the opponent with a newspaper clipping they can tape on the locker room wall for added incentive, but the Providence Bruins are not as good as they appeared. And the Manchester Monarchs are not as bad they were.

“Both teams know (the Monarchs) are a lot better team than 5-1,” said Bruins coach Scott Gordon.

According to Gordon there was a good reason for the Bruins jumping on the unsuspecting Monarchs.

Gordon said it was inevitable that Manchester would clinch its post-season spot. But for the Bruins, who secured the fourth and final playoff position in a difficult division, it was another story.

“We didn’t have the luxury to have an easy last two weeks of the season,” said Gordon. “As much as you want to come in first place, you don’t have the same intensity that you do when you’re trying to make the playoffs.

“You know we spent the last month and a half trying to get into the playoffs. We’ve been playing playoff games for a while now. . . . We went 10-3 down the stretch against some pretty good teams and I think for our guys it’s been the same old, same old.”

“There’s no panic,” said Monarchs captain Chris Schmidt. “Obviously nobody’s happy.”

“Like I said it wouldn’t have mattered if it was one-nothing or 10-1, you’re still down one game. . . . There’s no panic. We didn’t work this hard all year to mail it in for the next three games. There’s too much character on this team.”

Schmidt predicted the Monarchs would “change a few things.”

The hockey doctors are in: Kings’ GM Dave Taylor; assistant GM Kevin Gilmore; director of player personnel Bill O’Flaherty; Kings’ assistant coach and video guru Ray Bennett; goaltending consultant Andy Nowicki; Monarchs director of hockey ops Hubie McDonough; assistant coaches Jim Hughes and Dane Jackson; and head coach Bruce Boudreau.

If all these specialists can’t find the cure for the Monarchs’ playoff pain, then loan the team to macabre magicians Penn and Teller. At least we can laugh at the blood they spill.

Sporting all sorts of weirdly cut and colored mohawks in warm-ups, the Providence Bruins were on a mission to make an ugly mockery of this best-of-seven series with the Manchester Monarchs.

And it was ugh, ugly.

Tonight at 7:35 the Atlantic Division champion Monarchs host the Providence Bruins in the start of a best-of-season series. The teams have never met in the playoffs.

The Monarchs feature one of the most powerful offenses and best penalty killing units in the league, while Providence features one of the most lethal power play special teams. But will their league-leading goaltenders stifle the offense and make this a stingy affair perfect for physical fireworks?

Eighty games of toil garnered a first-ever division title for the Monarchs and home-ice advantage against the fourth-place Providence Bruins. Those spoils aren't worth the paper they're printed on when the big, bad Bruins come to town.

The teams square off in an AHL postseason series for the first time. Their best-of-seven first round battle opens tomorrow night in Manchester at 7:35.

Get ready for a seven-game series. Nine of their 10 head-to-head games in the regular-season were decided by two goals or less with six one-goal games.

"I don't think there's an advantage at all," said Monarchs' coach Bruce Boudreau. "They've got a lot of confidence coming into our building.

"Both teams match up pretty good with skill, grit and good role players," said Bruins' coach Scott Gordon. "I don't think either team will have an easy task at hand."

No secret that Manchester has never been past the first round.

"We haven't discussed it," Boudreau said. "There are always enough new guys on the team who don't think about it. To the locals and the people who come to the games it's big and to the coach it's a big. When I say big, I mean we know that fact.

One would expect the Bruins to "get physical" with Manchester's slew of small, quick scorers.

"One of our strong suits is we have a physical team," said Gordon. "We have a good amount of grit . . . I don't think we're an easy team to play against. But at the same time we do have a level of skill that we can play with Manchester. I think anytime that you play physical there is a some give and take."

A physical stance by the Bruins will not surprise Boudreau.

"Playoff games are usually hard-fought battles," he said. "I don't want to sound generic but that (physical) is a style in this league that over seven games every team will approach it. Because the intensity and level of play this is where great players come to the fore."

As for the Monarchs, look for business as usual.

"We don't want to do anything that hasn't been successful," Boudreau said. "As a team I don't think we want to do anything different."

Both coaches agree the series will likely belong to the hot goaltender. The Bruins are backed by goalie Hannu Toivonen and the Monarchs have their trusty tandem of Mathieu Garon and Adam Hauser. Toivonen's 29 victories are second-best ever in a season for the Bruins behind John Grahame's 37 victories in 1998-99. Toivonen's 2.05 goals-against average was seventh-best in the league. Hauser brings a franchise record 1.93 GAA and Garon racked up a franchise record 32 victories this season.