Here's a Resolution: Beat the ****ing Sea Dogs!!!

Help yourself to the Champagne, Danny. You deserve it after last night's game.

So, what exactly is going to have to happen for the Wildcats to defeat the Sea Dogs? Rampant stomach flu to run through Saint John? Sand on the visitors bench at the Coliseum? Some sort of voodoo curse? Convincing them to rehire Christian LaRue? All I know is I'm running out of the ideas, as the Cats threw everything but the kitchen sink at the Dogs last night, only to lose to the entity now known as "The Noah Zilbert and Sebastien Auger Show" but a count of 3-1. If you want to take a positive out of this, at least it was a game in which Moncton's compete level was higher than virtually any other game against Saint John this season and the team did fight until the bitter end... but knowing what Moncton's record would be if they only beat Saint John and PEI even half the time is something that has to grate on Danny Flynn and company.

It doesn't exactly get any easier for the Wildcats as they next face off against Halifax, Thursday night at the Metro Center. The Moose are still missing Nathan MacKinnon, Jonathan Drouin and Martin Frk to the World Juniors... however, the last time these two teams met the Moose were minus those players plus starting goalie Zach Fucale and top dman Konrad Abeltshauser and we all know how great that turned out for the Cats. Time for "looking beyond who's not in the lineup, part 2" for Moncton.

Over in Dieppe, the Commandos awake from their long holiday slumber tomorrow night at the Miramichi Civic Center, where they face the T-Wolves in a 7:30 start. The Wolves have been hands down the most positive story in the MHL this year, going from being on the outside looking in during the post season last year to battling for second in the Meek Division (one point behind Woodstock as of today). For the Commandos, they begin life without Danny Chiasson in fourth place, just one point behind Miramichi. A Commandos regulation win gives them a tie for Second with the Slammer, therefore - as has been the case for most of the season - it (and almost every other game from now until the start of the postseason) will feel like a playoff game for Dieppe. As well, given their most recent transaction, each game will undoubtedly become more of a challenge... but also more of an opportunity for the players who represent the team's future to gain more valuable experience as the games get more and more challenging in 2013.

Speaking of Chiasson, his two point effort helped propel the Summerside Western Capitals to a 4-2 win over the always pesky Campbellton Tigers at home today. The Caps have lost exactly one game in regulation at home all season, are a continuous force to be reckoned with and are a bunch of other great things that will continue to keep their Twitter guy off my back into the New Year. ; )

For anyone looking for good hockey before the sun rises, my recommendation is the Dimitri Jaskin-led Czechs against the USA in quarter-final action at the World Juniors. For those who want to see the most curious (and surprisingly dangerous) team of the tournament, Russia takes on Switzerland tomorrow morning as well. Switzerland has already taken Sweden and Finland to a shootout and the Czechs to OT. Basically, if Russia plays like they can, they have a date with the Swedes in the semis wrapped up. If it's a repeat of the game against Slovakia, all bets are off. Of note, the Russians will be without key forward Valeri Nichushkin after being assessed a checking from behind major against Canada's Tyler Wotherspoon yesterday. In other news, Russian forward Nail Yakupov is day-to-day with a nagging case of poetic justice.