The saying is that luck favors those who are prepared, but sometimes luck has nothing to do with anything except time and place.

For instance, compare the cases of Jeff Libby and Eric Healey, both of whom were seriously hurt in AHL games a little more than a year apart. Libby took a skate in his right eye on Nov. 13, 1998 at St. John's, Newfoundland, while playing for the Lowell Lock Monsters. After emergency treatment at the rink, Libby went to a hospital in St. John's and had to wait three hours before a doctor could be found to look at him.

Libby eventually lost his right eye. His hockey career ended that night in Newfoundland.

On Jan. 2 of this year, Healey was skating for the Springfield Falcons in a game at Worcester. He fell to the ice and had his left wrist skated over. His hand was nearly amputated and as Healey skated to the bench, he wondered out loud if he was going to bleed to death. But the Worcester Centrum is located less than two miles from University of Massachusetts Hospital. Healey was rushed there and had his wrist put back together.

Any questions about the surgery's success were answered on April 20 when Healey returned to action in the Falcons' final playoff game of the season, a 7-2 loss in Hartford. "I was just trying to help the team," Healey said after his return. "I can't get excited about coming back because of the way we're all feeling now after losing the series."

While Healey's career resumed, Libby had to try and adjust to life in the "real world." Which he did nicely. He is scheduled to graduate from the University of Southern Maine this month with a degree in business finance. Libby has done some volunteer coaching and gone to some AHL games in Portland. He was, of course, horrified to hear of the similar injury that befell NHL defenseman Bryan Berard this past season.

"I was devastated for him," Libby said. "I couldn't believe it. I do hope he can play again. I haven't spoken to him, but I will. I know what he's going through." While Libby doesn't think face shields, which would probably have saved his eye and Berard's, should be required, he can't understand why more players don't use them.

"With all the injuries occurring, what does it take for players to wear one?" Libby asked. "To say you don't want to wear one because you don't want to look like a wimp doesn't make sense."

A shield might have saved Libby's eye. Having the injury happen in a different place might have, too. Ask Healey about that. Planning is one thing, but blind luck often has its own ideas.

A long short series
It was called, officially, a mini-series, but the first-round playoff matchup between Milwaukee and Cleveland was more like a hockey marathon. The Lumberjacks finally won the best-of-5 series, two games to one, but it took almost the equivalent of five games to do it. The teams played double overtime in Game 1, a 2-1 Cleveland victory in Milwaukee, then played triple overtime the next night -- and morning -- in Cleveland. The Admirals won that one, 5-4.

Game 2 lasted so long that Lumberjacks captain Jock Callander was 38 when it started and 39 when it ended. Chris Herperger's goal ended the first game and Paul Healey's ended the triple OT game at 7:36 of the third overtime. Milwaukee goalie Chris Mason made a league-record 78 saves in Game 2.

After winning Game 3 in regulation, Cleveland proceeded on to the next round. In Game 1, the Lumberjacks beat Grand Rapids, 2-1. In overtime, of course.

Notes from the AHL