Well nothing like having the World Series in your hands twice and then losing it.  That’s what happened in one of the most memorable games in World Series history last night in St. Louis.  The Texas Rangers had two 2 run leads in the late innings and could not hold on, eventually losing the Cardinals 10-9 in 11 innings, and more importantly tying the World Series at three games a piece.

Even with what looked some divine intervention from the man above in the top of the 10th inning couldn’t stop the St. Louis Cardinals from winning game 6 of the World Series.  Josh Hamilton, who has been plagued with an injury for most of the post season, finally hit a home run in the World Series, one that looked like it would stand the test of time as World Series winning homerun, but it wasn’t.  This would have been sweet redemption for a player who has gone through off field hell throughout his career.  From his problematic drinking to even being a nice guy and throwing a ball to a young fan in Arlington, which turned into a massive negative with the boy’s father passing away attempting to get the ball.  Yes, last night should have been about redemption for Hamilton, a story book ending if you must.  After all, for a guy who has been through so much, turned his life around and has become a role model for younger kids it would have been the ultimate highlight in his baseball career.  Instead the St. Louis Cardinals ruined it all.  Clutch hitting by home town boy, David Freese, put the Cardinals back in the game in the bottom of the 9th inning on their final strike and again won it in the 11th inning with a walk off homer.  Freese has been clutch all post season and last night again he was the hero.

How can the Texas Rangers respond to last nights emotional loss?  They have to bounce back plain and simply by just forgetting about it.  Manager Ron Washington will have his team ready for tonight, you can bet that, but its up to the players to just go out there and play relaxed, like the Cardinals did last night in the late innings.  There was no quit in the Cards but also there was no gripping the bat too tight in the late innings when they needed to comeback.  The Rangers will have to be in the same mind frame to win tonight as they go up against Cardinals Ace Chris Carpenter.

The Rangers will counter with Matt Harrison, who got shelled in Game 3 of the World Series.  Harrison will be on a very tight leash tonight, and he will have to pitch the game of his life against Carpenter to help his Rangers win their first World Series title.   Texas is also battling some injuries from Game 6.  Nelson Cruz left late with a groin injury, but says he will play tonight, and potential World Series MVP, Mike Napoli, will be battling a bad ankle and should play through the pain tonight.

Now that we have witnessed one of the best World Series in the past twenty or so seasons we have to ask whats next?  How can two teams possibly top last nights game six?  Aside from a perfect game being thrown in a 1-0 win, or a late inning walk off home run, I can’t really see how Game 7 will live up to Game 6.  It will be memorable, regardless of the outcome as baseball will have crowned a new champion, but what is there left for the 2011 MLB season.  Tonight will answer all those questions in St. Louis.

GAME 7 @ Busch Stadium, St. Louis, 8:05pm

PROBABLE STARTERS

TEX Matt Harrison (0-1, 7.36 ERA) vs. STL Chris Carpenter (1-0, 2.77 ERA)

STAT LEADERS

HOME RUNS

St. Louis – Albert Pujols (3), Allan Craig (2)

Texas – Mike Napoli (2), Nelson Cruz (2) , Adrian Beltre (2)

RBI

St. Louis – Yadier Molina (7), Pujols (6), Lance Berkman (5), Freese (5)

Texas – Napolis (10), Hamilton (5), Michael Young (4)

The Texas Rangers go into the 2011 MLB Playoffs as favorites this year.  Last year the Rangers flew under the radar as underdogs, this time around anything less than a World Series Title will not be good enough in Arlington.

The Texas/Tampa ALDS rematch series will have some bite to it.  Tampa is still upset over last year’s loss to Texas and will be out for revenge.  Meanwhile, the Rangers are out to prove that last year was no fluke.  Going into the ALDS the Rays have been red hot to say the least.  Their flair for dramatics during the final month of the season and especially in game 162 of the season make the Rays a dangerous team.

This series should go the distance.  Home field will be the difference in game 5 with Texas coming out on top but this series will be a chippy affair with some tempers flaring up and that should solidify the Rays/Rangers rivalry into the future.

SEASON INFO:

TAMPA BAY RAYS (91-71, 2nd in AL East, Wildcard Team) TEXAS RANGERS (96-66, 1st American League West)

SEASON SERIES:

RANGERS WON 5-4 (2-1 at Rangers Ballpark, 3-3 at Tropicana Field)

ALDS PREVIEW:

Game 1 @ Rangers Ballpark – TB Matt Moore @ TEX C.J. Wilson

Texas will ride C.J. Wilson into a game 1 win.  Tampa, who is still on a high will have their bats silenced while a rested Rangers win this one big. Matt Moore is a young flamethrower with poise and focus who Texas has not seen.

Game 2 @ Rangers Ballpark – TB Jamie Shields @ TEX Derek Holland

This time around James Shields has his turn to throw a gem for the Rays while they muster 3-4 runs for the win.  Thus setting the stage in Tampa for some very entertaining baseball.

Game 3 @ Tropicana Field – TEX Colby Lewis @ TB David Price

David Price returns to his old form but Lewis is in post season form as this one goes down to the wire.  Texas continues to beat Price at home in the post season to take the series lead.

Game 4 @ Tropicana Field – TEX Matt Harrison @ TB Jeremy Hellickson

Harrison gets roughed up and is out by the 4th inning here.  Tampa wins big setting up a game 5 in Texas.  Longoria, Upton will have huge games with the Tampa offense getting going.

Game 5 @ Rangers Ballpark – TB James Shields @ TEX C.J. Wilson

Shields will go on short rest as the Rays will throw everything they can at the Rangers.  The rested Wilson will be the difference and Texas will pull out a late game win to advance to the ALCS

The ink may still be wet on the legal documents that Terry Pegula signed to take over the Buffalo Sabres, but one thing is for certain, he wants to put his stamp on his team and fast.  Pegula is determined to bring a Stanley Cup to Buffalo and will spend away to make it happen if he has to.  He has said he wants to win a cup with his core three of Ryan Miller, Tyler Myers and Thomas Vanek, right now he is showing true to that commitment by allowing GM Darcy Regier free reign with the check book before and after the draft.

First off, the move to acquire veteran defenseman Robyn Regehr, former Sabre, Ales Kotalik and a 2nd round pick   from Calgary for Chris Butler and Paul Byron.  Add to that the acquisition of the negotiation rights of another top blueliner in Christian Ehrhoff (acquired from the Islanders whom was acquired from the Canucks) for a 4th rounder, and the Sabres have been busy before the free agent spree begins on July 1.

The Sabres  (without Ehrhoff’s potential contract) have $11 million to spend this off season.  If Buffalo can sign Ehrhoff, it would probably be in the range of $5-$6 Million a season so that takes the spending down to say $5million.  Make no mistake about it, Pegula wants the Sabres to win and quickly.  Here is what the Sabres need to do with the rest of that money on July 1 and after to make them the contender that Pegula wants them to be.

First off, sign Chris Drury.  The New York Rangers will be buying out the contract of Chris Drury and now the one time fan favorite in Buffalo could be a finishing touch that the Sabres need to take the next step.  Sabres fans can forgive Drury for leaving them in the past and I think with the buyout Drury can come cheap, maybe between $1.5-$2 million a year.  Drury is a proven winner in the past in winning a cup in Colorado and a change of scenery back to Buffalo could spark his career for one more long cup run.  Drury’s contract would have to be a one year deal at $2 plus million but if you can get him for about $1.5/season it may be worth a two year gamble.

The second thing the Sabres need to do is lock up another forward on top of Drury.  Players that could fit this description, and in the salary range of $2-$3 million might be ; Anti Miettinen (MIN), Scottie Upshall (CBJ), Jamie Langenbrunner (DAL) Erik Cole (CAR) or even Jussi Jokinen (CAR).   Buffalo needs some more scoring up front and a guy like Langenbrunner with all that playoff experience combined with Drury would make for a very gritty and character filled team to take Buffalo to the next level.  Upshall and Miettinen may be wishful thinking as they may cash in on a very bare free agent market this year but both those guys would fit in nicely in Buffalo.

It may be time to let go of some Sabres as well.  Buffalo should rid itself of Tim Connolly’s contract and not even attempt to sign him unless its for a deal under $2 million a season.  Even then I would be hesitant.  Connolly was good in a Sabre jersey but there is still too much expectation for this guy.  Let him go.  Another guy to let go, unless  you can get him cheap, is Mike Grier.  He is worth a lot on the PK and could be a great 3rd or 4th liner again this year if you can get him for about $1 million.  If not I would let him walk.

Finally, if the Sabres cannot sign Ehrhoff or any of the above mentioned players, they should dip into the Brad Richards sweepstakes and sign him for a long term deal at about $7-$9 million a season.  Richards is on everyone’s radar right now and why not throw Buffalo into this mix.  Richards is a great set up guy and imagine him playing with Vanek on the Powerplay.  This move will only work if they don’t sign Ehrhoff and or unload a big contract before July 1.

SABRES 2011-2012 Roster (Using CapGeek.com Calculator)

FORWARDS

Thomas Vanek ($7.142m) / Jason Pominville ($5.300m) / Derek Roy ($4.000m)
Drew Stafford ($4.000m) / Brad Boyes ($4.000m) / Jochen Hecht ($3.525m)
Ales Kotalik ($3.000m) / Tyler Ennis ($0.875m) / Nathan Gerbe ($1.433m)
Paul Gaustad ($2.300m)/Top 2 Center/ Top 6 Forward

DEFENSEMEN
Robyn Regehr ($4.020m) / Jordan Leopold ($3.000m)
Shaone Morrisonn ($2.075m) / Tyler Myers ($1.300m)
Andrej Sekera ($1.000m) / D man *Ehrhoff*

GOALTENDERS

Ryan Miller ($6.250m)
Back Up *Enroth*

Buffalo needs to land some players that can help now.  There is no waiting as this team probably has a three year cycle left with its current core of young players to take a run at a Stanley Cup.  One thing is for certain, unlike the past, the Sabres are willing to spend the money at free agent time to lure players to play in Buffalo and have that ability to do so for the first time in quite a while.

The Buffalo Sabres enter the 2011 NHL Entry Draft on Friday with the 16th pick in the first round.  An area they must look at addressing is that of a future number one center.  With saying that, Sabres GM Darcy Regier should shift his sights on moving somewhere into the top 10.  If he can’t do this then the Sabres should stay where they are at 16.  Any move from 11-15 by giving up too much just doesn’t make sense with this years draft crop.

A couple of reasons why Buffalo should look into trying to trade up in the draft a few spots is to potentially get Niagara Ice Dogs forward Ryan Strome or Drummondville star, and former #1 ranked player, Sean Couturier.  Sabre fans may remember Couturier from the past years World Jr’s hosted in Buffalo.

Sean Couturier (6’4, 197 pounds) Center, Drummondville (QMJHL)

Couturier has the ability to pile up points as was shown in the past two QMJHL campaigns by register 96 points in each of them.  He was the top scorer in the QMJHL in 2009-2010 as a seventeen year old.  Couturier brings a wealth of skill and great playmaking ability to compliment his 6’4 stature.  This is a kid who may slip a little in the draft as a “forgotten player” behind all the hype with Landeskog and Nugent-Hopkins.

Ryan Strome (6’0, 175 pounds) Center, Niagara (OHL)

Strome is another playmaker with some great speed.  He led his Niagara Ice Dogs of the OHL in points this past year with 106 (33G, 73A) which was also good for 3rd in the OHL overall.  He is a gritty player with a knack to go to the net and grab loose rebounds and also isn’t scared to stand in front of the net to tip a shot.  Strome has some roots close to Buffalo by playing his junior hockey in Niagara and he would become a fan favorite if he ever donned a Sabres jersey on.

Couturier and Strome may be wishful thinking for the Sabres only if they can move up in the draft.  If they stay at the sixteen spot the Sabres should still look at top forward unless a top notch defense man is available.

Zack Phillips (6’1, 178 pounds) Center, Saint John (QMJHL)

Phillips has been compared to an Adam Oates style player.  A great playmaker who can play very strong on the puck, Phillips can be a great set up center in the future for the Sabres.  He was on a very talented Saint John Sea Dog team who captured the Mastercard Memorial Cup this season, which means Phillips knows how to win.

Brandon Saad (6’1, 208 pounds) Left Wing, Saginaw (OHL)

Saad was rated 8th overall by Central Scouting for the mid rankings but has dropped down a few spots now.  Saad has great speed and can be dominating at times both offensively and defensively.  A great two way player that may slip right into the Sabres hands.

Mark Scheifele (6’2 ,182 pounds) Center, Barrie (OHL)

Scheifele had a breakout rookie year in the OHL this past season by amassing 75 points (22G, 53A) in 66 games.  A kid with a great attitude who loves being at the rink Scheifele is also very good playmaker with good upside on the defensive end of the rink.  His biggest asset, which Sabre fans will love, is that he is a very hard worker on the ice.

Regier may have another option and that is to package the first round pick and another player to get a guy that can help the Sabres now.  With new owner, Terry Pegula, wanting to win a cup very soon this might be the way the Sabres go.  Look for Regier’s phone to be busy on draft day if a team below the Sabres is high on a player that may have slipped down in the draft.

Buffalo is also without a 2nd rounder in this years draft as they traded that pick to St. Louis in the Brad Boyes deal.  The Sabres may even trade down to get a second rounder in the early stages of the draft.  Either way they will be a very busy team come draft day.

SABRES PICKS IN THE 2011 NHL ENTRY DRAFT

1st round, 16th overall

3rd round, 77th overall

4th round, 107th overall

5th round, 137th overall

6th Round, 167th overall

7th round, 197th overall

Its the afternoon of game 7 in the Eastern Conference Quarter Finals and I can’t help to wonder what is going to happen in Philly tonight.  Will the Flyers get any goaltending help tonight?  Will Derek Roy be able to do anything after being out of action since December?  Can the Sabres give their fans one more win in Philly?

All of these questions will be answered tonight.  The Sabres should have put this series away on Sunday night in Buffalo but let a 2 goal lead slip away and they did miss numerous chances in overtime.  All must be forgotten and the Sabres need to get focused to face a very tough and hungry Flyers team tonight.  Buffalo will need to survive the first 1o minutes of the game.  The Flyers will probably come out swinging tonight and hit every Sabre in sight, including Derek Roy.

Roy coming back for this game puzzles me, but I guess when you have your “best player” available to come back in the post season you should bring him back when you can.  The question is how will Roy’s knee hold up?  Will he be scared to go at it with 100% with so much on the line?  Buffalo can only hope he comes in and isn’t rusty.  Especially with so much on the line, one turnover can be the difference in a hockey game like this and if you haven’t played in a while you may be prone to making more mistakes than usual.  However Roy’s playmaking ability could be vital to the Power Play which will need to be great in Game 7 for the Sabres.

Ryan Miller will have to be better than the usual Miller is tonight for Buffalo to win.  Speaking of goaltending,  which Flyers goalie will end the game tonight?  We all know Boucher will start, but can he be good enough for the Flyers to edge out Buffalo tonight?  The Sabres need to hope for a low scoring game and hope that Miller is the difference to advance on to the 2nd round.

Enjoy the game tonight folks!

Well they pulled it off.  The Buffalo Sabres pulled off an amazing second half of the NHL Season to vault themselves into the race for Lord Stanley’s Cup.  The Sabres locked up a post season appearance with a win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday night at the HSBC Arena in front of a frenzied crowd and in front of many Sabres alumni who were being honored that night for 40 years of Sabres hockey.  Now the fun really begins on Thursday Night in Philly for game 1.

This series will be a tough go for both teams.  The Sabres will have a hard time getting by a very solid Flyers defense, while the Flyers offense should have a very hard time getting pucks by a rested Ryan Miller.  It should be a very tight series with most games going to overtime or settled by one goal.  Here is how the series will break down.

FORWARDS: Edge Flyers

Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Danny Briere and Claude Giroux.  Ok now we just scratched the surface up front for the Flyers.  Add Nikolai Zherdev, Dan Carcillo, Scottie Hartnell and Stanley Cup Champion Kris Versteeg and the Flyers may have the most solid 3 lines in hockey.  Their centres are second to none and their size and speed can create alot of room for Briere and Zherdev to become creative.  The forecheck on some nights can wear a team down by the end of the 2nd period and add to the fact they love to crash the crease, Ryan Miller could be in for bumps and bruises before its all said and done.

The addition of Brad Boyes was needed for Buffalo up front at the deadline.  It did add some much needed scoring but the forwards will be in tough to get by a talented Philadelphia defense.  Vanek, and Stafford will have to bring their “A Game” every night if the Sabres intend to win this series.  Nathan Gerbe and Tyler Ennis will have some tough times finding open spaces with the big Philly Defense around them.  Scoring from all four lines will be needed for Buffalo to be successful.

DEFENSE: Edge Flyers

If and when Chris Pronger comes back the edge gets bigger.  Pronger is a playoff warrior to say the least and the Sabres faithful will be booing him by game 3 if he plays in one of the first two games.  He takes no prisoners.  Pronger will come back and anchor a very good defense core with the likes of Kimmo Timonen, Matt Carle, Andrej Mezaros and Braydon Coburn.  Waiting and lurking for ice time is Nick Boynton, Danny Syvret and Sean O’Donnell.  The Flyers defense is just plain nasty on some nights and will make getting to the net hell for the Sabres forwards.

With Jordan Leopold out of the lineup since March 25 the Sabres defense will have to rally around Tyler Myers and SteveMontador.  Montador is a great playoff performer who should thrive in this situation.  Myers has been Buffalo’ best defenseman the second half of the year and a reason they have been so successful.  Andrej Sekera and Shaone Morrision will have to be ready for the Philly attack at all times and try to stay healthy.

GOALTENDING: Edge Sabres

I have said it before and I will say it again, Ryan Miller is one of, if not the best goalie on this planet.  Miller and the Sabres have the clear edge in goaltending in this series.  Miller could be the single biggest difference maker and could take the Sabres on his shoulders and upset the Flyers.

The Flyers goaltending is their achilles heel.  After reaching the Cup Final last year with Michael Leighton and a slew of other goalies, they still do not have a consensus number one between the pipes.  My guess is Bobrovsky will be the starter in Game 1 and if he plays bad it could be musical chairs with Leighton and Brian Boucher maybe seeing starts this series.  If the Flyers get any sort of decent goaltending in this series it will be a quick series win for them.

Special teams will once again be the deciding factor with the Sabres Powerplay not coming through in the clutch and the very aggressive Philadelphia Penalty kill getting some big goals to swing momentum in this series.  The Flyers Powerplay will cause fits for the Sabres and this will ultimately be the difference in the series.

VERDICT: Flyers in 6

Buffalo made the first move towards the trade deadline late on Sunday night by acquiring former 43 goal scorer Brad Boyes from the St. Louis Blues for a 2nd rounder.  Boyes was a dominant goal scorer while playing for the Erie Otters of the OHL in the early 2000′s and is a proven winner leading Erie to a 2002 OHL Championship. Boyes adds some much needed scoring to the offense.  Despite only have 12 goals on the year, Boyes can put the puck in the net.

This probably won’t be the last deal the Sabres make before Mondays 3pm EST trade deadline.  Rumblings out of Nashville say they may be trying to pry Thomas Vanek out of Buffalo as well.  If this happens look for maybe JP Dumont, and a top prospect like a Ryan Ellis and a pick coming back in that deal.  Other rumblings about the Sabres have them interested in forwards Stephen Weiss and David Booth from Florida in a package deal.  Also still hearing rumblings about Brad Richards potentially landing in Buffalo but it seems as if Dallas will want 2 current NHL players and a top pick or prospect in return.

Enjoy Trade Deadline day and stay tuned to pro sports blogging for all the current news on deadline day

If the Buffalo Sabres want to get into the 2011 edition of the Stanley Cup Playoffs they will need to make a move or two at the NHL Trade Deadline on Monday.  Buffalo, who currently sits 3 points out of the the 8th and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, need to make a charge and fast.  Granted the Sabres do have two games in hand on the 8th place Carolina Hurricanes,  but that means nothing if you cannot win those games.

Buffalo has played very well as of late, even during a brutal 3 game home stretch where the Sabres went 0-3, with losses to Toronto, St. Louis and Washington.  Ryan Miller was his usual outstanding self during that stretch allowing only 6 goals in three games (the other goal allowed during that stretch was an empty netter to St. Louis)   The Defense played well as well during that period, the offense however was as dormant as can be.  Scoring 2 goals in 3 home games is a just cause for some panic.  This is where the trouble is in Sabre Land right now.  Buffalo needs to go out and acquire at least one offensivly gifted forward to spark this offense.  Yes the loss of Derek Roy hurt the Sabres early on in the year but the Sabres didn’t make any moves then to make up for it then and they have to now.  It would have cost the Sabres less to make the move a few months ago then it would have now but if they want to have playoff hockey at the HSBC Arena they have to make a deal, one of which they will probably over pay for.

I am not going to speculate on what players could fit the bill, but by looking at some of the non post season contending teams, like the Islanders, Avalanche, Oilers and Senators, there are a few decent “rental players” available for a short term lease.  Look for Buffalo to make at least one or two moves on Monday especially if new owner Terry Pegula tells Darcy Regier to make them happen so he can get some playoff revenue from a couple of home games.

Seeing as what has transpired recently in the wake of trade activities in the NHL, it could be a very busy Monday on the trade front on Monday.  Sit back and enjoy!

You have to like what is going on in Tampa Bay right now if your a Lightning fan.  First off on the ice and now off the ice.  After toiling with some past ownership groups that just “didn’t get it”, current owner Jeff Vinik and CEO Tod Leiweke have an game plan for the re branding of the Tampa Bay Lightning towards the Tampa Bay Area and its fan base.

Lets start first with the most important  core of any team, their season ticket holders.  The Lightning will introduce a new Logo and Jersey for the upcoming 2011-2012 season.  On top of this EVERY full season ticket holder will receive a new jersey with its distinct marks on it to show that the fan is a season ticket holder.  Included in this jersey will be a micro chip that will be inserted on a spot on the sleeve which will allow for identification and allow for a 25% discount on concessions, and 35% discount on Merchandise throughout the St. Pete Times Forum.  Down the line the Lightning plan to have the microchip usable at other retail outlets and stores in the Tampa Bay area for discounts.  This is the first concept of its kind to my knowledge amongst any Professional North American team and could be a trend setter for most if not all teams in the future.

Amongst all this news came new developments of a planned $35 Million renovation to the St. Pete Times Forum.  The Forum hosts about 125-150 events a year and Lightning Owner Jeff Vinik is putting up all the money to upgrade almost the entire arena.  The list includes the following; The replacement of EVERY SINGLE seat in the St. Pete Times Forum.  The renovation of every suite in the building (which will probably lead to new suites being built), and the widening and modifying of concourse area in the arena including new concessions stands with better variety.  Also with the renovations come some new items.  The addition of new 11000 sq foot outdoor party area and bar, and the addition of  new interactive displays showcasing Tampa and the area.  On top of this, is the new renovation of the front entrance of the arena.  Its not over yet Tampa Fans, you will also get more of a fan experience with the addition of a new hockey pipe organ, and a “lightning strike” on ice after every goal.

Oh and one more thing.  There will be no increase in season ticket prices to offset the cost of these renovations.

The Lightning are possessing all the right tools off the ice to make them one of the model franchises in the NHL.  It is great to see all of this happening to a franchise that almost moved a few years back and has had a poor history of past ownership groups trying to just use the bottom line to get season ticket holders.  All of these perks and upgrades will make Tampa a hot spot for hockey for years to come.

One win.  That’s it.  That is all that separates Team Canada from bringing a Gold Medal back to the Great White North after a very dominating 4-1 win over the “host” and defending champions USA.  I say host as Buffalo, NY looks more like Buffalo, Ontario since day one of this tournament.  Every game in this tournament has been dominated by red and white Canada jerseys, even the games not involving Team Canada.  Seeing as 65% of the ticket packages sold were sold to Canadians it looks like no surprise.  You could really see this reflected during the US/Canada Semi Final game on Monday night.  Tournament organizers handed out USA Flags and garb to all that wanted it when they entered the arena.  Most of that merchandise was no where to be seen and faint chants of “USA USA”  were quickly drowned out by chants of “CANADA” and “THIS IS OUR HOUSE!” (A TFC staple)  Whichever way you look at it Canadians have been dominating on the ice and especially off the ice in this tournament the last couple of days.

Team Canada faced some adversity after losing to Sweden in a shootout on New Years Eve and showed alot of character bouncing back in the quarter and semi final.  They easily outshot a very stingy and tough Swiss team, who for the most part kept Canada well to the perimeter and saw most of their shots come from outside that perimeter.  The Swiss it seems recently always play the Canadians tight.  From Olympic to World Championship competition.

Alot of questions remained of this Canadian team going into the Semi Finals against the rival Americans.  Did they have the talent?  Do they have the discipline? The Drive? The Goaltending?  All of those questions were answered with a resounding YES on Monday night.  Mark Visentin played remarkably well and made the big saves when called upon, which wasn’t much on this night, so much so he was made the Man of the Match.  Canada kept out of the penalty box, aside from a phantom slash that was called you could say that Canada kept its cool about them and didn’t get suckered into anything the US tried to do.  As for talent and secondary scoring, Canada showed it had it last night, outplaying, out hustling, out hitting, out shooting and out working the Americans into the ground.  American goalie Jack Campbell kept the game close, without him it could have turned into a 7-1 or 8-1 game.  Campbell basically showed the American team reaction to the outcome post game by burying his head into his chest just staring down towards the ice.  The look of shock became evident and the US had no answers or excuses.  When one american players says “They outworked us, its hard to say it but they did” it about sums it all up.  Canada wanted it more and they got the job done.

Now its on to a very talented Russian team.  If you will remember I said that they should be in the discussion about winning a medal.  Russia has pulled out 2 miracle wins in their last 2 games, culminating with a shootout win over Sweden and an improbable come from behind win over Finland.  The Russians move the puck well out of their zone and have an abundance of speed that can make even the best defenses look bad.  Canada will have to stay disciplined and out of the box to contain the Russian attack.  They will also need a very hard forecheck, much like they had in the US game to keep the Russians from breaking out effectively.  Visentin will have to have his best game of the tournament to keep the Russians in check and off the scoresheet.  Canada needs to peak during the this game.  The way the Russians were celebrating after their win over Sweden it seems as if they have already won the whole tournament.  It looked a bit excessive and drew the ire of some Swedish players during the post game ceremonies.  Either way, we should be in for another dandy Canada/Russia game to decide a Gold Medal.

WJHC NOTES

Not without controversy?  Russia scored their second goal of the game on what looked to be an icing call against them.  The puck sped by goalie Robin Lehnar and looked like it was going to be called icing, it wasn’t, and the Russian player won the battle behind the net and centered the puck to set up the second Russia goal.  Lehnar’s comments after the game “The fu#$ing refs have a double standard.  They can’t scream icing then call it off.  That’s not the refereeing standards in a tournament like this.  It wouldn’t have happened if Canada was playing thats for sure“   Some sour grapes from Lehnar to say the least, he did have a case.  But what about complaining about the 2 bad goals you let in or the battle that was lost behind the net to set up that goal.

Tickets! Who needs Tickets! – As of Monday morning there had been over 2000 tickets available to the Canada/USA Semi Final.  The game was a sell out by 6pm which was great for tournament organizers who are getting $95 a seat face value for the Semi final in the upper 300 levels.  The Gold Medal game appears to be a sellout as well, as no tickets are available on Tickets.com, the official ticketing company of the World Jrs.  A buddy that sit behinds us sold his pair for $400 for the gold medal game and that was during the second intermission of the Canada/USA game on Stubhub.  Good news is that there are PLENTY of tickets left for the Bronze medal game between the US and Sweden.

Border Patrol – Kudos to the staffs at each border we have crossed at for getting organized and trying to maintain a stream of traffic for this tournament.  The Peace Bridge has been moving traffic to exit 8 instead of exit 7 to keep it moving and from stopping the traffic on the I-190.  Border crossings have been much more fun with this instead of a consistent 2 hour wait like it was with the early stages of the tournament, which was mostly due to other volume from tourists, shoppers and fans from the tournament.