GDT Mem Cup: Kelowna vs. Rimouski

[dagley]

Hope you Rocket fans don't mind. Finally, the Mem Cup begins in Rimouski tonight as the WHL champion, Kelowna Rockets take on the host team, the Rimouski Oceanic.

LETS GO ROCKETS!

[apsco17]

on Rogers Sportsnet 4PM PST. Hope it's in high def. Even if not, it'll still be better resolution than the crappy Shaw video feed we've been seeing during the WHL playoffs.

[LifelongChiefsFan]

Gotta win this one tonight. I don't know exactly how many teams lose their first game of the Memorial Cup and then go on to win it, but I'm pretty sure it's not very many. It won't be easy playing Rimouski on their home ice, but I do believe the Rockets will be ready. I don't think it's going out on a limb to say that the Rockets are the better team. Just have to play a solid game and Kelowna will get this thing done. Good luck tonight Rocket fans. I'll be watching and cheering for your guys. :thumb:

[dagley]

Definitely going to be watching, it's hard to say. Kelowna has played recently, Rimouski has not played in what? Three weeks since the Conference Semi-Finals? It will be interesting to see if Rimouski has their legs, Kelowna SHOULD win this game, the only team I am weary of is Windsor. All due respect to the three teams, since I never saw any of them this season.

[Squig]

Hey guys

We are heading to the rink in a few minutes.

I talked to one of the staff at the rink earlier today. He watched our practice and said in 25 years of watching hockey here in Rimouski he has never seen a team so focused. So i would say the boys are ready and primed to go. Rimouski is a small but speedy team. I think they will draw energy from the crowd and get off to a quick start. We need to weather the storm and get over the nerves. By the second period we should be playing Rockets hockey and take it to them.

Go Rockets Go!!

[dagley]

Hey guys

We are heading to the rink in a few minutes.

I talked to one of the staff at the rink earlier today. He watched our practice and said in 25 years of watching hockey here in Rimouski he has never seen a team so focused. So i would say the boys are ready and primed to go. Rimouski is a small but speedy team. I think they will draw energy from the crowd and get off to a quick start. We need to weather the storm and get over the nerves. By the second period we should be playing Rockets hockey and take it to them.

Go Rockets Go!!

Hope you enjoy the experience, be loud and proud. GO ROCKETS! Can't wait to experience it next year!

[Rockets1231]

Well through 40 Kelowna has absolutely dominated Rimouski. The Oceanic's goalie looks really sharp, it could be a lot worse if not for his play. Guggenberger has been good when called upon and thats really all you can ask. How about the beauty pass to Duval from Backlund? A perfect saucer and an outstanding shot, great goal!

One question I have is why is Rimouski allowed to have glass that's 3 feet lower than normal, I thought the CHL had regulations with that, like the size of the ice surface, etc. Seems odd that they would allow this. It's definitely a huge advantage to Rimouski as Kelowna has already taken 2 delay of game penalties, and I'm sure it will be the same for both Windsor and Drumondville. Teams will definitely need to adjust quickly or pay the price. Hopefully it doesn't cost any team a game, hate to have it happen on something as trivial as that.

[LifelongChiefsFan]

Well through 40 Kelowna has absolutely dominated Rimouski. The Oceanic's goalie looks really sharp, it could be a lot worse if not for his play. Guggenberger has been good when called upon and thats really all you can ask. How about the beauty pass to Duval from Backlund? A perfect saucer and an outstanding shot, great goal!

One question I have is why is Rimouski allowed to have glass that's 3 feet lower than normal, I thought the CHL had regulations with that, like the size of the ice surface, etc. Seems odd that they would allow this. It's definitely a huge advantage to Rimouski as Kelowna has already taken 2 delay of game penalties, and I'm sure it will be the same for both Windsor and Drumondville. Teams will definitely need to adjust quickly or pay the price. Hopefully it doesn't cost any team a game, hate to have it happen on something as trivial as that.

To be honest, I kind of like it. Makes the game a little bit more interesting anyway. The only team with the advantage because of that is Rimouski and to be honest, it doesn't look like it will make a world of difference. I'll be shocked if Rimouski wins a game in this tournament. They were completely outplayed by the Rockets, the score is in no way indicative of how the game went.

The Rockets played a very nice game, not their best, but easily enough to win. Now that they have their feet under them, I expect that they will be even better in their game against Drummondville. Tomorrow's game should be pretty telling to see how the Q stacks up against the O this year.

Congrats on the win Rockets fans. Keep this thing rolling!

[dagley]

If you think about it though, does Kelowna get away with only being on a 5 on 4 during that sequence if the glass in regulation size, in the WHL at least. That puck is off the glass and out, even though Kelowna killed it off...it's still kind of dumb that in this tournament, things like that are not enforced. Just my opinion

[Rockets1231]

I can understand that the Colisee de Rimouski was built before the rule changes so it didnt matter the height of the glass then. What I don't understand is that the CHL or even the QMJHL didn't force Rimouski to change the glass specifically for that reason, I mean when it's a penalty for shooting the puck over the glass, logically all rinks should have uniform sized glass.

[patsdude114]

u look at like 80% of the rinks in the WHL (prob a higher #) the rinks were built well before 1990... Heck even MJ has the higher glass in there rink now thats saying something dont u think???

GO ROCKETS!!!!

QMJHL teams dont normally do good in these tournaments due to a couple factors.... 1 being all they play is offence 2 they dont hit like the WHL or OHL do 3 they cant play defence (which ties back into not hitting)

[dondo]

I have to say that hosting a tournament in a rink with that short glass is criminal. The damn thing shouldn't even be a penalty to begin with (really -- did anyone ever see that being a rampant problem in any league before the rule came in?) and now they put do or die games in sub-par arena, where an unlucky flip of the puck could decide a game.

The refs aren't using their "judgement" either as it was originally said they were go to do, considering how drastically low the glass is compared to most every other facility in the CHL. That rule and that glass are going to cause serious grief and could decide the cup -- which would be a damn shame.

Other than that, the Rockets dominated that game as I figured they would and only the brilliant goaltending of the Rimouski netminder made it even close. I'm wondering how they will do against the deadly PPs of both Drummondville and Windsor. Guggie continues to amaze me .. his coverage down low is excellent -- only way to consistently beat him is up high.

[LifelongChiefsFan]

Well I gotta eat a little bit of crow. Rimouski came to play today. I wonder how much of their first game was rusty legs for Rimouski, or if Kelowna really is just that much better. The next 2 games will give us a better idea. Kelowna will have the chance to knock the Spitfires out on Tuesday, you gotta love that! :thumb: