The legend and the clown are gone.

Scott Fusco, last year's Hobey Baker Award winner as the best player in college hockey and the holder of nearly every scoring record in Harvard history, is playing in Switzerland this year.

Tim Smith, who earned a reputation for both his happy-go-lucky skating style and his powerful shot, has taken his one-man show to Austria.

Only Lane MacDonald, the quiet left wing, remains.

Together Fusco, Smith and MacDonald made up the Firing Line, one of the most potent lines in Crimson history. They entertained and delighted crowds with their fast skating and hard shots. They foiled opposing defenses with their smooth passes.

And they scored.

Two years ago, the Firing Line racked up 86 goals and 100 assists. Last year, it accounted for 74 goals--almost half the team's total. And Fusco and Smith, who graduated, accounted for 52 of those goals.

Burned Out?

It's not going to be easy to replace the legend and the clown. Perhaps the Firing Line is finished?

Not if Allen Bourbeau and C.J. Young have any say in the matter. Because while it will be seeking a nickname of its own, this year's first line--with Bourbeau at center, Young at right wing, and MacDonald at left wing--has a good chance of burning just as brightly as the Firing Line.

And of scoring as many goals.

Bourbeau, a junior, earned a reputation as a speedy skater with a nose for the net last year when he played on the second line and scored 24 goals and recorded 19 assists.

In the NCAA Championship game against Michigan State, Bourbeau recorded a hat trick to pull the Crimson within one goal of the national title.

He will replace a legend. But he's capable of turning in legendary performances.

"There's a little more pressure involved," Bourbeau said of his role this year. "The team is counting on me more. But I like the pressure."