SWIFT CURRENT -- Someone wrote in and asked me to start a new thread on hockey. THAT was a good idea. The comments from last night's game were getting rather nasty.
Today, the pre-cursor to Game 4 of the Pats/Broncos series tonight, has been enjoyable. My roomate, Pats' goalie coach Ryan Cyr, had the "black aces" on the ice at the Credit Union I-Plex at 9:45am. That group includes Pats prospects, Jordan Weal, Clark Breitkruez, Derek Tendler, Graham Hood, Dominic Favreau and non-dressers Alex Pym and Brett Leffler. GM Brent Parker has the kids up to give them a taste of the junior hockey "show". The Broncos are doing the same thing with some of their kids.
For me, the day started with a couple of interviews with Regina radio stations. The Wolf 104.9's Chris and Ballsie were gracious enough to invite me on at 8:00am to talk about last night's Game 3 Pats' win. I told them I was "sweating like a hooker in church" during the game, and I've got a few emails from listeners who liked the comment. At 8:50am, I guested with CKRM's Roger Currie on Currie's Corner. Like I said yesterday, the Queen City's getting Pats Fever and it's awesome.
Of course they're into the series here too. The Prairie Post newspaper's George Bowditch met me for a coffee in the hotel lobby, and we did a lengthy interview. The topic? What's it like to be hated in the winter by Swift Current sports fans, yet loved in the summer because of my role with the Riders? I told him that's never crossed my mind. He asked about how I'm able to stir up so much controversy without criticizing the other team's personnel directly. I told him it's 'a gift'. But he caught me off-guard with the question, "do you think you'll replace Bob Hughes as the most-despised Regina media figure OUTSIDE of Regina?" I didn't really know how to answer that one; other than to say I never set out to emulate Mr. Hughes. Swift Current, watch for the expose next week in the Prairie Post.
What else is shakin' here? Well the Swift Current AAA Legionnaires held a news conference at the golf course to announce they'll host the 2009 Telus Regional Midget Tournament. My good buddy Jim Dekowny is the Legionnaires' GM, and gave me a ride to and from the newser. Broncos' coach and GM Dean Chynoweth was there along with Legionaires alumnus Marc Habscheid. Dekowny is a former Pats' scout, and will talk about the announcement on our second intermission broadcast tonight.
I had a great, meaningful chat with Chynoweth. Quite honestly, I felt terrible about blogging the "Clydesdale-Thoroughbred" stuff because I didn't want to put Deano in an awkward position. But I knew the Leader Post was jumping on it, and it was THE story from Game 3. The Chynoweth family, all of them, are of infinite class. And the topic never came up. We set up a time for a pregame interview tonight, shook hands, and went our seperate ways.
Now I'm chilling in the hotel room with Cyrsie, and we both forgot to bring an extra pair of dress socks so we've dispatched Pats' marketing guru Cliff Mapes to the mall to pick us up a two-pack of blacks. Cliffie's the only one with his own set of wheels. Great guy.
What is there to say about tonight's game that isn't obvious?? It's huge of course, and I'm hoping there isn't a letdown by the Pats after last night's emotional 4-3 overtime win. I won't put myself in the Broncos' shoes, but really, you'd think last night's game would the one you'd think they HAD to have. The Pats were missing their top scorer (Jordan Eberle), and you had your opponents in your barn. Bronco broadcaster Jon Keen points out on his blog today that last night was their sixth consecutive home playoff loss.
And they are feeling the absence of defenceman Jesse Dudas and Michael Wilson. Apparently, that's a bigger blow to them than the loss of Eberle and Leffler was to Regina. But if the Pats feel the Broncos are going to letdown, then they're ripe for a letdown of their own.
Pats' defenceman Curtis Kulchar was injured in the first period of Game 3. He has a rib injury, and the Pats were concerned about the check. What's a charge, what's boarding nowadays anyhow? The lines are somewhat blurred. There was a talk of sending the tape into the league ... but I'm not sure what video evidence exists. Dallas Jackson will move back to the point for tonight. He had been lined up on the flank last night.
Some of the questions leading into tonight....
- Will Bronco goalie Travis Yonkman keep up his stellar play? The answer is; likely yes. He made some unconscious saves last night, and he'd have been named #1 star, I wouldn't have batted an eye. As it turned out, Rowat won the award.
- Will special teams continue to be special? Again, likely yes. Last night's game-winner was scored on the powerplay, and the Pats have been ahead statistically in that regard so far in the series. The officiating continues to be airtight. Yes, there are the calls and non-calls that incense each team, but that's hockey. Not to mention, the refs don't see it as we do. The PP's have come out generally even, and guys, referees, if you're reading, good job.
- Tonight's game is SO pivotal. Coming home up 3-1 for Game 5 Friday in Regina is remarkably different from a 2-2 series. Jon Keen says it's 'must-win' for the Broncos tonight. I subscribe to the theory set-forth by Danny Barrett that it's never 'must-win' till you're facing elimination, but from Swift Current's side, Keener is probably right.
- Did the Pats out-hit the Broncos last night? I don't know. I don't have Pete Paczko here to track those stats. It was pretty even last night, it seemed. I thought the Broncos came out on top, but Cyrsie just chirped from his bed that he thinks the Pats were quite a bit out front in that regard. I don't know. It was close.
The team has a pregame meal set for 3:00, and then the boys can put their feet up and think about the game, snooze, or do whatever they do on Game Day.
It should be another dandy..
RP
at 12:54 PM
Game Day 4...
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Originally Posted by roddy's blog
oh ebs...
