Monday, May 19, 2008

No Bull. Tonight is huge at the M-Cup


No, I haven’t been hiding since the Bulls tragic overtime loss on Saturday. But, it was tragic. Deserved too. Spokane was the best team on the ice and they showed their worth by coming right back and slapping Kitchener down yesterday.
The Chiefs aren’t pretty (which has never been a requirement of winning championships), but they are getting the job done.
The weekend’s results set-up the closest thing to a sudden death game in the tournament yet. Whoever loses between Belleville and Gatineau is in deep. Not officially eliminated, but rendered at mercy of other results.
Such is the nature of a tournament like the Memorial Cup. The flip side, of course, is you can always win your way back in. Both Belleville and Gatineau will advance to the semi finals if they win out.
Spokane will book a spot in the final with a Belleville win.
Meanwhile the hosts have to be wondering what’s going on. Clearly very talented, Kitchener has played in a bit of a funk in its first two games. It’s worth noting that the Rangers have lost four of their last six games. If Gatineau win tonight, Kitchener could actually face elimination against Belleville Wednesday.
This funny little tournament is far from perfect, but it is entertaining (which makes sense since it’s pretty much a made for TV event). With half the round-robin done, things are still blurry.
They will get a lot clearer after tonight.

Notes:

  • There isn’t much news out of Kitchener. It’s like it’s a holiday or something.
  • What’s with famous owners of junior hockey teams? It seems like there is a story like this every year at the M-Cup.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Kitchener's 'dump and chase' style just doesn't work. They have only themselves to blame for being in the hole. Go Bulls tonight!!