We'll Win Tomorrow... Unless We Lose, Of Course

This will definitely happen in Game 5

I really don't have much to say. I think the results so far speak for themselves.

I don't know what to expect Friday night. I know what I'd like to see happen but what I like has been conflicting with reality quite a bit the last couple nights. Actually, there's been issues there since September but I'll wait a while before getting into that spiel.

There are no excuses anymore. This is a sixth place team taking on an eleventh place team. On paper, this series is a mismatch. The Victoriaville Tigres are a team that the Moncton Wildcats can defeat three times in a row. Everyone is in the lineup and therefore healthy enough to play and contribute. Enough with the "weak calls" and the "we ran into a hot goaltender" and "they play a very strong system" and "goaltending let us down" that I've heard from all corners since Friday night. If you are the Cats, here is what you do. You forget the last four games ever took place. Go out there, press them like you can, play to your proven compete level and get a god damned win. No farting around, no wasted time (because if you hadn't noticed, you don't have much of that anymore) no "coulda, shoulda, woulda". Just. Win. The. F***ing. Game!

Or go for option B... lose. Become the poster children for monumental failure in the playoffs. Sit in unison with the likes of the 2004 Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, the 2006 Chicoutimi Sagueneens and the 2008 Halifax Mooseheads. All were powerful teams brought together with one sole purpose in mind - to win championships on both the league and national levels. All had the look of champions on any given night. And all came up embarrassingly short in their ultimate goal, with nothing but dysfunction and finger pointing left in their wakes.

At this point, it's one or the other. And... just like at virtually every other time this season, your guess is as good as mine as to what team will come hopping off the visiting bench in Victoriaville tomorrow night. Again, I know what I want to see. I want to have to clear my schedule on Monday and Tuesday night next week (well, I originally wanted those nights free if only because I wanted this series wrapped up in favor of the Wildcats by the end of Easter weekend but I digress). I can't say I'm confident that I'll get the chance to do that. But I'm also not confident that I won't have to do it, either.

I understand there are alot of unknown variables in sports. However, good teams usually have one thing in common. You can count on them to win and be consistent. There's nothing more frustrating in hockey that a good group of players who play bad as a team (and if that isn't the most frustrating thing, it's a close second behind Glenn Healy). This team has been nothing if not frustrating. All day long I have been asked "What are the Cats going to do tomorrow". My standard answer is "Either win 7-1 or lose 2-0". This is the most skilled unpredictable team I've ever seen.

So, Cats... figure it out. Figure out how to win. Figure out how to capture that consistency that's eluded you all season long. Figure out what you need to do to put it all together. It's either that, or I figure out what day next week I bring my unused tickets back to the Cats office.

Oh, and to update the above, Phillip Danault is suspended for Game 5. If that doesn't scream "foreshadowing", I don't know what does. All I can do is echo Gerry Green's comment: "Serenity now!!!"