Game 2-Oil Kings 1 at Hitmen 2 OT

[Hitmen1]

Game 2 is finally here. It has seemed forever since game 1 back on Thursday but the teams will make up for it, playing back to back, this afternoon and tomorrow night. The Oil Kings went home for a couple of days after dropping game 1, the Hitmen worked on a couple of things that coach Lowry didn't like in game 1. He was not happy that the Hitmen turned several pucks over at the Oil King blueline. Should be another good crowd at the Dome this afternoon. The game is on the radio. GO HITMEN!

[rebel]

anyone know what the roads and weather are like in cowtown

[Hitmen1]

anyone know what the roads and weather are like in cowtown

Check your pms.

[rebel]

thanks im in reddeer with tickets and still debating

[DunnerStunner]

theres quite a bit of snow here this am

[rebel]

cant miss a playoff game just cause there is snow in my way though right

[DunnerStunner]

if your coming to hope the oil kings win?, i would stay home

[rebel]

nope i gotta cheer for the hitmen, closer to calgary and i only cheer for the edmonton oilers and eskimos

[Hitmen1]

When you talk about the gritty side of the Calgary Hitmen, you start with Carson McMillan.

Six-foot-two, 213 pounds and loves to sandpaper opponents along the boards. Which, in many ways, makes this time of year his cup of tea.

"It's hard-nosed out there, where games are won by battles," said the 20-year-old co-captain of the West-ern Hockey League's regular-season pennant winners.

"Big plays off the walls make a difference and guys are just working their butts off for one another."

McMillan leads by example with his never-say-die, ever-fearless, always-willing-to-pay-the-price approach.

"That's why he's one of the captains," said boss coach Dave Lowry, as he prepared his team for this afternoon's tilt against the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings in Game 2 of their first-round Eastern Conference best-of-seven series. "We felt from Day 1 that he was a guy capable of leading the team.

"He's been a model of consistency for us all year long. He does the things that you want and that you expect out of a captain."

Lowry knows of what he speaks, having served as captain of the Calgary Flames. McMillan, in many ways, is cut from the same mould as Lowry. A blue-collar player who works hard for everything he gets.

This season has been the Minnesota Wild's 2007, seventh-round pick's finest as he prepares to graduate from the junior ranks. Never mind the physical contributions and all the blocked shots on the penalty kill, the Brandon lad has scored 31 goals and 72 points for career highs.

"That's the 20-year-old year," added Lowry. "Another year of development, maturity and understanding of the game. Carson wants to play in the National Hockey League and he understands there's a certain way you have to play to get an opportunity.

"He's a very good listener. He appreciates and understands that we are here to help him. He takes a lot on his own and has been a committed guy and it shows." McMillan admits his level of excitement, of anticipation, soar to new highs during the post-season. "It definitely puts the grittiness level on an all-time high, blocking shots, hitting everything that moves, and that's what I do and am going to have to do at the next level if I'm going to make it,"he said. "So I have to do it as much as I can."

The Oil Kings, although huge underdogs in the series, apparently have decided to rub on the Hitmen as much as possible and that's just fine with C-Mac, so named because he's one of four Hitmen with Macs in their names.

"They're a really gritty team," he said, "and they've got a few big guys who can put you on your can, so you have to bring the same thing back and, hopefully, a little bit more and put them off their game."

McMillan and Ian Schultz have winged it together for much of the season with assorted centres. With the 18-year-old "Hammer"checking in at six-foot-three and 205 pounds, and matching his elder mate hit for hit, they've rapidly become known as the Bruise Brothers.

"Yeah, me and Schultzie," saidMc-Millan, smiling. "That's probably one of our biggest roles, hitting bodies and making sure they know every time they're going to touch the puck, they're going to get hit. They're a hard-hitting team, too, but that's what me and Schultzie do best."

Whether or not the Wild have room for a power forward with some offensive skills remains to be seen, but McMillan is finishing up a fine junior career with a bang.

"I've been given the opportunity to play a more offensive role and couldn't ask for more," he said of the season. "I'm happy to get what I've got this year and, hopefully, it continues through the playoffs and later on in my career."

Hitmen Host OilKings (http://www.hitmenhockey.com/hitmen_new/index.asp?newsID=58)

[Hitmen1]

I am watching the game via webtv. Jung has got the Oil Kings to OT. 47-21 are shots for the Hitmen, 20-1 in the 3rd period alone. The Oil Kings killed off a pile of Hitmen power plays in the first, played very, very good in the second but it was all Hitmen in the 3rd. GO HITMEN!

[Hitmen1]

Carson McMillan tips in a Paul Postma shot and the Hitmen ruin the Torrie Jung show. Jung made 54 saves and almost allowed the Oil Kings to steal the game. More details later.

[rebel]

im very happy i went it was an unforgettable game. good goaltending and goals. very loud in the dome to good job hitmen fans. applause

[Hitmen1]

It was the story of 3 games within. In the first period, the Oil Kings got into major penalty trouble but were able to kill off all 4 Hitmen power plays. However, even before the parade to the box started, the Hitmen were really controlling the play. In the second period it was the Oil Kings turn to have the power play. The Hitmen took 5 straight penalties and it allowed the Oil Kings to take control of the game. Edmonton ended up taking a 1-0 lead on a nice goal by Shayne Neigum. Neigum was left all alone on Marty Jones' glove side, Brett Raedeke fed Neigum a perfect cross ice pass and Neigum put it behind a sprawled out Jones. The Oil Kings out shot the Hitmen 16-7 in the 2nd period. Down a goal, the Hitmen came out and absolutely dominated the Oil Kings but time and time again, Torrie Jung turned everything aside. But finally with less than 5 minutes to play Kyle Bortis took the puck hard to the net, lost control but Kris Foucault was right there to put the puck into the Edmonton net and tie the game at 1-1. Shots in the 3rd period were 20-1 for the Hitmen. In OT most of the good chances were by the Hitmen, though the Oil Kings did come close a couple of times. Carson McMillan and Ian Schultz did some fantastic work in the Oil King zone, and had come close a couple of times before the puck came back to Paul Postma at the blueline. Instead of firing a bomb, Postma just flicked a soft wrister towards the Edmonton goal and somewhere in the maze of players that were in front of net was Carson McMillan who got a piece of the shot and deflected it behind Jung. The Hitmen out shot the Oil Kings 9-4 in OT and in the game 56-25. In the 2 periods plus 9 minutes of OT that the Hitmen controlled, they out shot Edmonton 49-9.

Positives:
-The Hitmen never gave up today. They probably could have folded late in the third when they just couldn't beat Jung but they kept coming and coming.
-Marty Jones. Even though he went long stretches without seeing any action, when called upon Jones was good. Again, he didn't have to make any huge saves but he didn't give up any bad goals either.

Needs Work:
-The power play was the main area that let the Hitmen down today. For being the best unit during the season, today you would never know it. It simply didn't have the crisp passes or the ever moving movement of players in the attacking zone. The ice didn't help any either today but that is something both teams have to deal with.
-Too many shots with no traffic in front. Yes they fired 56 shots at Jung, and several of those shots were very good chances to score, but when a goalie can see it, he is going to stop it. Get some of the bigger boys in front of the net before shooting.

Game 3 tomorrow night in Edmonton.

[caniac # 2]

Needs Work: quote from hitmen1
-The power play was the main area that let the Hitmen down today. For being the best unit during the season, today you would never know it. It simply didn't have the crisp passes or the ever moving movement of players in the attacking zone. The ice didn't help any either today but that is something both teams have to deal with.


Curious what was wrong with the ice or does it have anything to do with the curling from last week ??

[Hitmen1]

Needs Work: quote from hitmen1
-The power play was the main area that let the Hitmen down today. For being the best unit during the season, today you would never know it. It simply didn't have the crisp passes or the ever moving movement of players in the attacking zone. The ice didn't help any either today but that is something both teams have to deal with.


Curious what was wrong with the ice or does it have anything to do with the curling from last week ??

The Roughnecks played Saturday night in the Dome. I think that played a huge part of it.

[DunnerStunner]

the ice has been terrible since the brier. pucks are bouncing left right and center. looks like a friggin tennis ball out there