**Official Round 4 vs Spokane Thread

[HURRICANE'S ROCK]

It's as simple as this. The season series vs. Spokane the 'Canes were 1-4. If we're using long layoffs as an excuse, then so be it; but explain the fact that the 'Canes were able to beat the Chiefs in their only regular season meeting at a time when the Chiefs were perhaps at their hottest point of the season?
They simply wanted it more.

I hate to admit this but the Chiefs were a very tired team when we played them the one time in the regular season. They were at the end of a long road trip and I think were playing there 5th game in 7 nights. If you remember that game the Chiefs were definitely out of gas. They only played about 5 minutes at top speed for part of the third and looked good then. The rest of the game they were non existent and I am sure it was fatigue.
I still feel that the better team won. I hope they bring thier "A" game to the Mem Cup because they have all the tools to win it but it takes a bit of luck in a short tournament. They will be a great representative of the WHL.

[dondo]

Dondo most of your comments are pretty accurate and I appreciated your input. As far as the layoff rust causing the series result, it can't be completely blamed on that as you would expect the rust to come off after a period or two. However as I am sure you know sports is 90% mental and particularily with young players. 17 18 19 year olds kids can be on top of the world one day and almost mysteriously lose all their confidence in the blink of an eye. The Canes were shell shocked after the first period of the first game and never played like they could after that. When you start to doubt yourself you make a lot of mental mistakes as you think that extra split second, when that split second is all you have to make the right play. On the contrary a team that dominates a period like that is mentally sky high and you think you can do no wrong. You then play relaxed and confidently and make plays without even thinking. You just do it and it works when you are stoked.

Agian, are we better than Spoke, not a chance. This series though is almost an abberation as to what the Canes can but did not bring. Momentum is everything and we had none and started to fall apart trying to look for answers and against Spokane you have to have all the answers right away, because thier speed will eat you alive if you hesitate for even a split second. It is all over now but it is too bad for all fans that they did not get to see the Canes play thier "A" game because it would have made for a great series.

true enough HR -- confidence is a big thing and the mental game is just as important as the physical, but Spokane was just one of those teams this year. I consider them to be a team of destiny and I hope they continue to play their game when they go to the Memorial Cup and no-one will be able to beat them out for the big prize.

The Giants were that team two years ago when they lost their first game and then swept the rest of their series and they weren't easy series. The team was just the right team and with all of the right pieces.

I was very disappointed when they didn't do so well in the Mem Cup -- all the head games the host team played with putting the Giants way out of town is a hotel far away from the arena probably added to the alienation, but in the end the boys just didn't continue that game which got them there. Don Hay stopped rolling four lines and tried to play a line-matching game he doesn't play well.

In the end I still don't agree that the Canes could have beat the Chiefs in a seven game series even had they brought their "A" game. I watched the Canes play the Hitmen and I watched the Hitmen play the Broncos and what the 'canes did to the Hitmen the Chiefs did to the Canes in spades, except the checking was much tighter, the goaltending a step above even what Metsola brought to the Hitmen series (which was brilliant) and the Chiefs had more skilled depth in the end than the 'canes did.

The 'canes relied on a lot of young guys though (Fyten, Orofino among others) and that really bodes well for next season. I think you guys are going to have great squad to watch for a few years yet.

btw: I believe when I was talking about teams from the East -- I was not referring to the Eastern Conference of the dub, but the EAST -- the O and the Q. Teams in the dub play a far more complete team game than the O and the Q seem to and that's why 23% of all (someone recently posted) NHL'ers came from the dub.