Welcome to the Coliseum, Team That Consistently Beats our Brains In!

Of course in this case, the windshield is attached to a tractor.

What's the remedy after three subpar efforts against divisional rivals? How about a game against another divisional rival - one that you just can't beat anymore, no matter how good or bad they are! Huzzah!

The PEI Rocket have a long history of futility. Going into this - their tenth season in Charlottetown - they have won a grand total of one playoff series, they've missed the postseason altogether twice and have compiled exactly three .500 or better seasons. If the QMJHL is an episode of the Simpsons, the Rocket are Ralph Wiggum. They mean well and they cause no trouble, but at the end of the day, they just don't get it right.

And for all that, the Moncton Wildcats Just! Can't! Beat! Them!

First the statistical side of things: Moncton's record against PEI since September, 2010 stands at 3-13-0-1. Two of those wins have come at home. The last road win for Moncton in this series was actually their first win of the 2010/2011 season, which kick started them on a bit of a winning streak at the time. Most people have probably forgotten that winning streak as well as that win on the island, on account of it was 27 friggin months ago (Dan Pettersson - one of the more underrated 20 year olds in franchise history - had a hat trick for Moncton that night, for the record).

Now for the analytic side of things: PEI just consistently comes out and wins against Moncton. They win more periods, they win more shifts, they win battles for loose pucks, they win goaltending and special teams battles and they out-compete the Cats by and large. It's like Kryptonite or something (actually, it's beating the Wildcats at their own game)... and sadly for Moncton, it's not going to get any easier.

Last season, Moncton losing to PEI was just frustrating as hell. The Rocket won exactly 19 games in 2011-12, missing the playoffs in the process. Amazingly, six of those wins came against the Cats. That was almost one third of their total wins on the season, by the way. This year, the Rocket are more of a force to be reckoned with. Led by overagers Josh Currie and Ben Duffy - currently one/two in league scoring - a consistently solid if unspectacular defense corps and the steady netminding of Maxime Legace and Antoine Bibeau, the Rocket are an intriguing mix of depth and balance, receiving contributions from players young and really young (I can't say "old" here...they're 20 years old tops for god sakes!)

Behind all this however, is their second year coach, Gordie Dwyer. I remember Dwyer very well as a former player in this league with Drummondville and the old Beauport Harfangs. He was a tough guy (literally) to play against... he's even tougher to coach against. After capturing an MHL championship in Summerside in 2011, Dwyer headed 50 kms east to take the reigns of the floundering Rocket... and since that time, has slowly but surely brought them closer and closer to contention. This year, it's not just Moncton who dislikes facing PEI... it's almost every team in the league. The Dalhousie native is bringing something else to the team that has been lacking virtually since the days of Alain Vigneault - respect. Each time they take down another top team - they've defeated Rimouski once and Quebec twice - more and more people take notice. It just so happens that Moncton started taking notice even sooner.

All previous joking aside, I look at this game as something of a blessing in disguise. After the comedy of errors that was prolonged stretches of the last two games (and parts of last Tuesday's game as well), in a way I'd rather see a decent team tonight that has consistently given the Cats fits. After last week, a game against PEI might represent as big or bigger a test than any game against Halifax, Quebec or Blaineville could provide.

I'll be watching... my eyes might be partially covered and I may be on a first name basis with my nearest beer vendor by night's end, but I'll be watching.