nivek_wahs
04-27-2007, 03:26 AM
http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/sports/story.html?id=390845fb-70da-4055-a6c2-00fdc6a31efd
Hitmen pledge to give their all
John Down, Calgary Herald
Published: Friday, April 27, 2007
Game Day
Calgary - Medicine Hat
7 p.m. tonight, The Arena
Shaw Cable 10; FAN 960 Radio
(Tigers lead 3-1 in best-of-seven WHL Eastern Conference final)
- - -
There may not be more than 60 precious minutes of playing time left in the Western Hockey League post-season for the Calgary Hitmen but, to a man, they believe they still have three games to play.
Down 3-1 to the swift Medicine Hat Tigers in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference final series, the Hitmen will lay it on the line tonight at The Arena in an attempt to keep this magical run going.
The Hitmen have faced adversity in each of the first two rounds and found an answer, winning an overtime thriller at Cranbrook in Game 7 against the Kootenay Ice after letting a three-games-to-one advantage slip away, then roaring back from an 2-0 deficit for the first time in club history to knock off the Brandon Wheat Kings in six games.
The Hitmen are feeling a little down after Wednesday's somewhat humiliating 3-1 loss at the Pengrowth Saddledome, but they're not ready to surrender.
"I wouldn't say it's a mountain,'' said power forward Brodie Dupont of the challenge his team now faces.
"It's been done before. We're holding our heads up . . . we just have to make sure we come out and throw everything on the ice and then we can't complain at the end of the night.
"If you go into the summer with could've, would've, should've, then it's going to eat away at you. If you play your best and they beat you, then it's a little easier to accept.''
Dupont, who has been playing with an aching lower-body injury since Game 2, has yet to register a point against the Tigers. Joined by Ryan White and in-and-out wingers Freddie Pettersson and Keegan Dansereau, the club's No. 1 attacking unit has only one assist from White in the four games.
The Tigers' chief threesome of Derek Dorsett, Darren Helm and Chris Stevens has 13 points and six goals in the series.
That, as much as anything, has been the glaring difference -- something both White and Dupont are aware of.
"I need to be there, to score goals and help this team offensively,'' said a frustrated White, the team's leading point-getter with 89 in the regular season and collector of 14 more in the playoffs. "One assist in four games isn't going to cut it.
"All their big boys are playing, all their guys are stepping up. We need all our guys to step up and I need to be a big part of this team. I've got to be more of an impact player like I've been all year or it's going to be a long summer. "I've got three games left to show it, three games left to turn it around.''
White and Dupont, the club's leading goal scorer in the regular season with 37 and top point-getter in the playoffs with 15, are two of the team's greasiest players. They appear to be playing their games, but have had little or no luck, either five-on-five or on power plays, against the ever-pressing Tigers.
What's gone wrong?
"I can't put my finger on it right now,'' said White. "If I could, it'd be a different story. It just seems right now that we're getting outworked for that one loose puck, not getting to the front of the net in time, not getting the stick down in time. It's frustrating . . .''
Dupont would like to think it's an timely slump all players go through at one time for another.
"You're going to go through stretches like this and we picked the worst time,'' said the 19-year-old, who probably will play as a pro in the New York Rangers organization next season. "But we're working hard and we just need to keep getting pucks at (goalie Matt) Keetley and it'll come.
"If we're not scoring, we've had other guys step up all year, but I guess it's time to put on the horns. It's in black and white now. We have to win three games or it's going to be a long summer.''
The Tigers, who have been ranked in the top three among Canadian Hockey League teams all season, have only lost two or more games in a row three times this season. They won't bow easily knowing a series win will all but ensure them a spot in next month's Memorial Cup at Vancouver.
That knowledge also provides inspiration to these constant underdog Hitmen, who also know they probably saw absolutely the best the Tigers can offer in Wednesday's game. Now, if they can just figure out a way to deal with it.
"They played their game to a tee and I don't think we had our best effort,'' submitted White, prior to boarding the team bus Thursday afternoon. "We dug ourselves this hole and we have three games left to pull out of it.
"We have nothing to lose. All we need to do is work hard, do the little things right and give ourselves a chance to win.''
Game 6, if necessary, will be played Saturday (7 p.m., The FAN 960, Shaw TV) at the Saddledome.
This and That: Hitmen head coach Kelly Kisio won't say if there'll be lineup changes for tonight's game, but given the effort of a couple players Wednesday, it wouldn't surprise to see energy guys such as Ryan Letts and Devon Kalinski suit up.
jdown@theherald.canwest.com
© The Calgary Herald 2007
Hitmen pledge to give their all
John Down, Calgary Herald
Published: Friday, April 27, 2007
Game Day
Calgary - Medicine Hat
7 p.m. tonight, The Arena
Shaw Cable 10; FAN 960 Radio
(Tigers lead 3-1 in best-of-seven WHL Eastern Conference final)
- - -
There may not be more than 60 precious minutes of playing time left in the Western Hockey League post-season for the Calgary Hitmen but, to a man, they believe they still have three games to play.
Down 3-1 to the swift Medicine Hat Tigers in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference final series, the Hitmen will lay it on the line tonight at The Arena in an attempt to keep this magical run going.
The Hitmen have faced adversity in each of the first two rounds and found an answer, winning an overtime thriller at Cranbrook in Game 7 against the Kootenay Ice after letting a three-games-to-one advantage slip away, then roaring back from an 2-0 deficit for the first time in club history to knock off the Brandon Wheat Kings in six games.
The Hitmen are feeling a little down after Wednesday's somewhat humiliating 3-1 loss at the Pengrowth Saddledome, but they're not ready to surrender.
"I wouldn't say it's a mountain,'' said power forward Brodie Dupont of the challenge his team now faces.
"It's been done before. We're holding our heads up . . . we just have to make sure we come out and throw everything on the ice and then we can't complain at the end of the night.
"If you go into the summer with could've, would've, should've, then it's going to eat away at you. If you play your best and they beat you, then it's a little easier to accept.''
Dupont, who has been playing with an aching lower-body injury since Game 2, has yet to register a point against the Tigers. Joined by Ryan White and in-and-out wingers Freddie Pettersson and Keegan Dansereau, the club's No. 1 attacking unit has only one assist from White in the four games.
The Tigers' chief threesome of Derek Dorsett, Darren Helm and Chris Stevens has 13 points and six goals in the series.
That, as much as anything, has been the glaring difference -- something both White and Dupont are aware of.
"I need to be there, to score goals and help this team offensively,'' said a frustrated White, the team's leading point-getter with 89 in the regular season and collector of 14 more in the playoffs. "One assist in four games isn't going to cut it.
"All their big boys are playing, all their guys are stepping up. We need all our guys to step up and I need to be a big part of this team. I've got to be more of an impact player like I've been all year or it's going to be a long summer. "I've got three games left to show it, three games left to turn it around.''
White and Dupont, the club's leading goal scorer in the regular season with 37 and top point-getter in the playoffs with 15, are two of the team's greasiest players. They appear to be playing their games, but have had little or no luck, either five-on-five or on power plays, against the ever-pressing Tigers.
What's gone wrong?
"I can't put my finger on it right now,'' said White. "If I could, it'd be a different story. It just seems right now that we're getting outworked for that one loose puck, not getting to the front of the net in time, not getting the stick down in time. It's frustrating . . .''
Dupont would like to think it's an timely slump all players go through at one time for another.
"You're going to go through stretches like this and we picked the worst time,'' said the 19-year-old, who probably will play as a pro in the New York Rangers organization next season. "But we're working hard and we just need to keep getting pucks at (goalie Matt) Keetley and it'll come.
"If we're not scoring, we've had other guys step up all year, but I guess it's time to put on the horns. It's in black and white now. We have to win three games or it's going to be a long summer.''
The Tigers, who have been ranked in the top three among Canadian Hockey League teams all season, have only lost two or more games in a row three times this season. They won't bow easily knowing a series win will all but ensure them a spot in next month's Memorial Cup at Vancouver.
That knowledge also provides inspiration to these constant underdog Hitmen, who also know they probably saw absolutely the best the Tigers can offer in Wednesday's game. Now, if they can just figure out a way to deal with it.
"They played their game to a tee and I don't think we had our best effort,'' submitted White, prior to boarding the team bus Thursday afternoon. "We dug ourselves this hole and we have three games left to pull out of it.
"We have nothing to lose. All we need to do is work hard, do the little things right and give ourselves a chance to win.''
Game 6, if necessary, will be played Saturday (7 p.m., The FAN 960, Shaw TV) at the Saddledome.
This and That: Hitmen head coach Kelly Kisio won't say if there'll be lineup changes for tonight's game, but given the effort of a couple players Wednesday, it wouldn't surprise to see energy guys such as Ryan Letts and Devon Kalinski suit up.
jdown@theherald.canwest.com
© The Calgary Herald 2007