After a 5-2 win over the Selkirk Steelers on Saturday night, the Portage Terriers are MJHL Champs for the 3rd time in the last 4 years. The Terriers lost the series opener on home ice, they rattled off the next four, to win the series in five game. They now get 6 days off before hosting Games 1 and 2 of the Anavet Cup on Friday and Saturday. They'll face either La Ronge or Yorkton, and if that series goes seven games, the SJHL Champ won't have a whole lotta rest!Portage Coach/GM Blake Spiller will be in Yorkton to do some scouting tonight, and has already committed to come on the air with me during an intermission... probably after the 2nd period.
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Yes... Game 6 is tonight, an early 6:00 start at Farrell Agencies Arena.
I've tried to decide if I was too negative with my post game recap from Game 5, and to be honest I don't think I was. I a post game show, long, cool walk from the rink to the hotel, and a hearty serving of roast beef and potatoes to decide how to write it. La Ronge certainly has the horses to come back from down 3-1 with half a game left, even without powerplays... but I thought the Terriers made it way too easy on them.
The penalties taken weren't typical of the Terriers, or of the guys who took them.
The Ice Wolves' size and strength of their forwards are going to force you to take 3 or 4 penalties a game, of the hooking/holding variety in your own end... defensemen especially. Those penalties happen... but roughing, slashing, etc, are preventable. I'm certain they'll clean that up tonight and give themselves a chance to send the series back to La Ronge for Game 7. There's no sense talking about Game 5 now... with a do-or-die Game 6 on home ice.
All the players, coaches, radio guys, etc want nothing more than one more 7 hour bus trip to La Ronge... to decide this thing in seven games, for the right to go see the Portage Terriers next weekend.
3 comments:
If I was a conspiracy theorist I might say that the POWERS THAT BE have ruled that La Ronge will be the team to represent Saskatchewan in the Anavet Cup and RBC. The reffing is mirroring that of last year, when the same thought flitted through my head....
cry baby yorkton always complaining about the referees suck it up a
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The reffing in game 6 was ABSOLUTELY terrible. As well as 1 bad call by the linesman on one of the La Ronge goals (I sit in a seat that is even with that particular blueline). I thought Peters looked to have the puck on their 2nd goal as well, but you can't expect anything less from Wieler. Vetter on the other hand simply had a bad game. From games I've seen, Vetter usually does a good job.
Regardless of bad calls and bad non calls, Terriers win! And game 7 is up next! Go Terriers!
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