| Look away, I'm hideous! |
Lots of catching up to do... let's start with last night and work our way forward.
First off, the Wildcats' 4-3 OT win over PEI. Let's just say it wasn't the prettiest win you'll ever see. After strong, consistent execution against Drummondville on Friday night, things just seemed off against the Rocket. Puck movement and support weren't as crisp and the Rocket were winning more battles for loose pucks. The fact that Moncton never lead in this game until the OT winner should the tale of how things went down. Sure, there were some great individual performances (including perhaps Philip Danault's best game as a Cat thusfar) however, I felt the Rocket outplayed Moncton, although not by a wide margin. PEI held the edge in time of possession but were not given many passing/shooting lanes while Moncton, obviously the more skilled of the two clubs, were sloppy on the breakout for stretches and too many passes were bouncing off sticks (or skates).
I'll say this much for the Cats, however. This felt like one of those games where more often than not, they tend to lose their focus due to timely goals from the opposition, issues with the officials or both. I found this game to be alot greasier than the scoresheet would lead you to believe. In particular, the abuse heaped upon Conor Garland and Dimitrij Jaskin last night that went unpenalized was pretty ridiculous. I know Jaskin has the habit of embellishing... but last night he was going down honestly in my opinion. I think teams are quickly figuring out that they can get away with more against the Czech star... largely because Jaskin is building a less than favorable reputation in the eyes of the zebras. Back to this game in particular, the non-calls on both sides simply added to what felt like a sloppy game to begin with. All that being said, the call on Rocket goalie Antoine Bibeau with seconds remaining in regulation was a very gutsy - and correct - one to make. The Cats may not have been full marks last night, but that was a legitimate penalty... no matter how many sticks Gordie Dwyer chooses to smash.
Long story short, two points are two points and at this point in the season points in the standings take precedence over points for style. Good teams find a way... the better team found a way last night at the Coliseum.
Unfortunately for the Dieppe Commandos, a good team also found a way to win last night at Amherst Stadium as the Ramblers walked away with a 6-5, come from behind shootout victory. The Rams - a team that should rightfully put a scare into any opponent in the upcoming MHL playoffs - went back and forth most of the night with their visitors to no avail. Shane Dallaire's second of the game put the Commandos up 5-3 just past the midway part of the third and all appeared to be going in Dieppe's direction. Alas, it was not to be as once the game reached the latter stages the Commandos let their foot off the gas, the Rams very much put the pedal to the metal and by the time the buzzer sounded to bring the end to the third, extra time was required. In spite of the success the Commandos have achieved this year, there are certain times when they still seem to have to "learn to lose". Last night was an example of that. That being said, with the club still in the thick of a battle for second place (and home ice in round one of the MHL playoffs), that one lost point probably feels like 10 points lost for Jeff Leblanc and crew.
Today's contest at the AJL against Campbellton was much like the Cats/Rocket tilt last night - not the sort of thing masterpieces are made of. That's not to say Dieppe played particularly sloppy... they were actually full marks in the first period, roaring out to a 3-1 lead. However, as the game wore on, the execution seemed to tail off. When it didn't tail off, Tigers netminder Jeremy Gallant was there with a handful of outstanding stops. It was one of those games where it felt like Dieppe did their due diligence, played fundamentally sounds, but didn't exactly go for the jugular, winning 4-1 but in as boring a fashion as I've seen from this team in a while.
When you're involved in a mundane, defense-first battle - as this was for the last 50 minutes or so - the game usually comes down to who makes the most mistakes. Therefore, the need to make the low percentage play, to support the puck when coming out of your zone and cutting off the lanes and angles in your own zone become magnified. From this standpoint, the Commandos got all they needed from three dmen who specialize in just this style of play. The trio of Mathieu Martin, Joslin Gallant and Jeff Krichew aren't going to be mistaken for Shea Weber or Zdeno Chara anytime soon. However, when it comes to doing the oft-referred to "little things" that can mean the difference between two points and none, these are among the most consistent guys on the roster. This afternoon was much of the same. Smart plays and support along the wall, keeping the puck away from the middle, playing physical (but clean) down low and in the corners... these three did it all this afternoon. If you ever wondered what a defensive dman brings to a team when their execution is on, get a copy of the video of today's game at the AJL and you'll probably figure it out.
This week the Cats face a young - six 16 year olds in the lineup young, to be exact - Screaming Eagles squad at the Coliseum on Tuesday night before hitting the road for two in the province of Quebec. On Friday night, Sportsnet will be bringing all the action to your TV screen as Moncton faces the formidable (but beatable... remember that, guys) Rimouski Oceanic on Friday night and the Quebec Remparts at the ultra fun arena known as the Colisee Pepsi on Saturday night. Another week, another test for this Moncton squad that has people still guessing from one game to the next.
As for the Commandos, they'll be looking to go a perfect 7-0 against the Tigers (and an absurd 20-0 against teams below them in the standings) on Friday night in Campbellton before making their way back home on Sunday afternoon (possibly the last Sunday afternoon of the season barring what happens in the playoffs... wouldn't bother me if it was) to face the Miramichi Timberwolves as the list of important games for positioning in the standings just keeps going on. Depending on other goings on this weekend (Miramichi plays Summerside on Friday), this game could nail down at least third place for the Commandos, thus avoiding a first round matchup with that OHL team posing as a Jr.A squad, the Summerside Western Capitals.
One more thing... watching the Pens/Lightning game... and I have to ask; do the Penguins have to wear those dark blue retro jerseys every second game (like they seem to be lately)? Are these now the new regular home sweaters and I was just unaware? The only thing I think about when I see these is that horrible winter classic against Washington, a game rife with slush passing as ice (you only thought the Moncotn Coliseum had crap ice), sloppy play (thanks largely to said slush) and Crosby's concussion. Not exactly warm and fuzzy memories for any fan of the game.
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