Playoff goal icing on very nice cake for Bob Corkum

He wasn’t tearing up the American Hockey League when he was called up to the parent Buffalo Sabres from the Rochester Americans with eight games left in the regular season.

But the Sabres needed a role player, former University of Maine right winger Bob Corkum fit the role, and now Corkum owns the distinction of having a Stanley Cup playoff goal to his credit.

Corkum scored on a two-on-one break with Alexander Mogilny after picking up a pass off the boards from Dean Kennedy at the Buffalo blue line.

“It was quite exciting,” said Corkum, whose goal gave Buffalo its final goal in the 4-1 win over Montreal in their Adams Division semifinal series opener in Buffalo Thursday. “I shot it to the far side. He (Montreal goalie Patrick Roy) didn’t give me much on the short side. I think he thought I was going to pass. I was thinking that, too. But right before I shot, I remember Mike Foligno saying in the locker room that if you get a chance to shoot, shoot.”

“It happened so quick,” added Corkum. “I had the puck, I shot it, and it went in the net. I couldn’t believe it went in. It felt great.”

Corkum, who centered the fourth line between Mike Hartman and Mogilny, didn’t just score a goal, but he was on the ice for another Sabre goal to make him a plus-two on the evening.

The Salisbury, Mass., native, who had 56 goals and 75 assists during his 159-game University of Maine career, had eight goals and 10 assists for Rochester when he was called up.

“I was kind of shocked when I got called up,” said the 22-year-old Corkum. “I was happy with the way I had been playing in Rochester, but it wasn’t like I was the Rookie of the Year or anything when I left. They were looking for someone to play the body.”

“Once I got called up, I said to myself, `This is it. This is my chance.’ So I’ve been really gung-ho and I’m loving every day of it up here. I love playing for the Sabres. Things have been going pretty well. I want to ride the wave as long as I can.”

Corkum scored on his first shot as an NHL player in a game against Toronto with a backhander and finished the regular season with two goals in eight games. He was plus-two.

“He has played very well,” said Buffalo Coach Rick Dudley. “He can play both center and right wing. He’s a guy who can give you a hard shift and get in quickly on the opposition. His line is an attack line. I liked him in training camp and kind of wanted to take a look at him earlier in the season. Then we had the injuries to Benoit Hogue and Jeff Parker, so we called him up.”

Corkum knows what his role is and he accepts it.

“I forecheck hard, try to create turnovers, and set a tempo for the game,” said Corkum, who has also seen some duty on the power play.

Corkum does not play a regular shift, but he doesn’t mind.

He is exactly where he wants to be.