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nivek_wahs
04-03-2007, 04:05 AM
http://www.medicinehatnews.com/article_5219.php

All the marbles
By COLLIN GALLANT, Medicine Hat News
Apr 3, 2007, 17:02

Some said five games, others six, but the Medicine Hat Tigers were certainly the pundit’s pick defeat the Red Deer Rebels in their first round WHL playoff series.
The Rebels would show a lot of determination, the reasoning went, but the skilled Tigers would prevail.
Well, they’ll play a deciding Game 7 tonight and, even stranger, you’d be hard pressed to find a looser, more determined, more focused group than the Tigers following Monday’s practice.
“I think we’re excited,” said Medicine Hat captain Kris Russell, almost with a grin. “We know there’s a big task at hand. Everybody in our room is looking forward to it.”
Looking forward to another pounding at the hands of the big, bruising Rebels?
Red Deer tied the series 3-3 with a physically punishing, tenacious style of play that many say has targeted the Tigers’ smaller, more skilled players.
“It doesn’t matter what’s happened during the series, it’s one game to win-all,” said Russell. “That’s how I’m going to take it, I’m going to play my best hockey out there.”
Tonight’s game, 7 p.m. at The Arena, will be the franchise’s first since the Tabbies eliminated the Rebels in 2005.
In Game 3 of that year’s series Russell was concussed by a high hit by then-overaged Rebel Chris Neiszner. He returned for Game 7 and wound up scoring the series winner.
Russell is one of nine Tigers who remain from that year’s team, including one of four defencemen who took some of the heat during high-scoring losses in the series.
“We have to have a good start (Tuesday) and stick with it,” said Michael Sauer, Russell’s defensive partner, who as a Portland Winter Hawks lost a seventh game to Seattle last year.
“Stick up for ourselves out there and stick to the game plan. We know what we have to do. Hopefully it’s enough.”
Both sides will be looking for that little extra, but already the big guns on either side have delivered.
Red Deer’s top line of Martin Hanzal, Brett Sutter and Kirill Starkov have combined for seven of the Rebels’ 21 goals.
Russell has nine points quarterbacking a 24.5 per cent power play. Top-line centre Darren Helm leads the Tigers with three goals while wingman Chris Stevens has five points.
Unexpectedly, the Tigers have been outshot in their last two games, most recently in a 6-5 loss Sunday, but goaltender Matt Keetley has responded to each loss so far with a shutout in the following game.
After a 107-point regular season, Tigers were favoured to win at the outset, but the Rebels (79 points) are certainly advertising the underdog mantle.
“It’s one game to decided who’s going to advance,” said Rebels coach Brent Sutter, whose team has scored six goals in all three of their playoff victories.
On Sunday they staved off elimination, holding back a Tigers rally to win 6-5 at Red Deer.
“We’ve played well. We’ve played hard and competed hard.
“Medicine Hat has a very good hockey team, and no one gave us a chance when this thing first started, but the coaches and the players on this team did.
“We believe in this team. The players believe in themselves.
“The matchups through the year were all tough games, this certainly isn’t a surprise to us at all.”
It’s not a surprise to Tigers coach Willie Desjardins, either.
“That’s playoff hockey with highs and lows,” said Desjardins. “You have to make your own momentum.
“There’s been a lot of momentum created in this series and momentum broke. You have to be prepared to do that. It’s a tough series.
“We’re ready, healthy and hungry, and that’s a good sign.”


© Copyright by Medicine Hat News.com

Tiger Trauma
04-03-2007, 01:29 PM
Wow Game 7. At The beggining of this series I had a bad feeling. Now i feel like this game will be a blowout in our favor. But If this is this last game of our year, i know our boys played as hard as they can. Win or lose, I'll still be cheering at the end.

!Go Tigers Go!