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There are many story-lines for the biggest major junior hockey game of the year. Everything from Seth Jones vs. Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin, to the Winterhawks playing for their suspended Coach/GM Mike Johnston, to goalie Mac Carruth looking for redemption after struggling in a 7-4 round robin loss to the Mooseheads and Stephen MacAulay trying to win his second Memorial Cup in this third try. Ultimately it comes down to two teams and one game.
(Click here for the full Memorial Cup blog)
There is something so decisive yet unfair about one game and winner takes all. Usually in hockey you have room for error. In a best of seven series you can flub a game or two while still proving to be the better team. In this situation you had better be at your best because it's 60 minutes or more for a shot at immortality.
MacAulay's been in this game before and admitted you can't know what's it's going to be like until you experience it.
"I'm still going to be nervous even though I've been there before," MacAulay said. "You have to approach it like it's any other game and prepare like it's any other game."
"Maybe your first couple of shifts will be a little jittery and maybe over-excitement, but once the dust settles a little bit in the game I think it's just another game and you have to approach it that way."
Easier said than done. This is the stage these players have all dreamed of being on and now every eye in the hockey world will be on them when the puck drops in Saskatoon.
PROSPECT BATTLE
The biggest focus in media circles has been the battle between the top prospects for the 2013 NHL Draft. Seth Jones of the Winterhawks is generally ranked first on most draft lists, while Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin of the Mooseheads are the 2nd and 3rd ranked players. It's a Memorial Cup first to have the top prospects not only face each other during the tournament but also a second time in the championship game itself.
The players themselves have tried to downplay it.
"I'm not going to slash my buddy (Jones) or chirp him in the whole time," MacKinnon said. "I'm going to play really hard against him and he's going to play really hard against me. It's going to be a team thing going on out there. Both of us have deep teams and a lot of talented players. It's not going to be a Nathan vs. Seth kind of thing, I think it's going to be everybody."
MacKinnon and Jones have been friends since they were roommates as 15-year-olds during a summer camp in LA.
"We thought we might see each other down the road but nothing like this," MacKinnon added. "I'm sure this will be Seth's last junior game and he will try to make the most of it."
It was the Halifax forward who stole the show in the round robin game between the two clubs. MacKinnon had a hat trick to lead his Mooseheads over the Winterhawks 7-4. Both Jones and Drouin also scored in the game. It's not something MacKinnon is still focused on.
"I kind of forgot about it," he said. "It's last week, it's old news I think. Portland is going to be even tougher to play... I'm sure they're going to be a lot tighter."
Both Drouin and Jones were honoured at the CHL awards banquet on Saturday. Jones was named Top Prospect of the Year and Drouin won CHL Player of the Year. MacKinnon and Winterhawks forward Ty Rattie are tied for the tournament points lead at 8.
CARRUTH REDEMPTION
The 7-4 loss to Halifax is one Portland goaltender Mac Carruth would like to forget. The Winterhawks had a 3-1 lead early in the second period before Halifax exploded for 6 unanswered goals.
The Moosheads are a very skilled team, but many including Carruth himself felt the veteran goaltender allowed a few weaker goals.
"It's just one of those things as a goaltender you're going to have nights where they find holes on you," he said. "That's what the first game was like unfortunately for me. I've found some confidence late in the tournament."
It's another chance at Halifax that Carruth was hoping for.
"That's what we were looking forward to all week after we lost," Carruth. "Everybody knows I didn't have my best game. (Jones) took a little bit of heat for it, but I felt that game rested solely on my shoulders. It'll be good to get redemption here."
The Mooseheads also aren't expecting to get the kind of offensive output they had in the round robin game.
"We scored a lot of goals in that first game but we didn't play very well defensively," MacAuley said. "I think we gave their top guys and their skill guys too much room so we're going to have to tighten it up."
Halifax has been off since Tuesday while Portland has had to play two tough games over that stretch. The top four defencemen for the Winterhawks have played a lot of minutes throughout that tournament and that gives the Mooseheads an opportunity to try to tire them out or wear them down.
"I think so hopefully," MacAulay said. "We're not going to do anything different, just play they way we normally do and take advantage of our rest. We can roll four lines all night. We have a lot of lines that can score."
WINTERHAWKS DO IT FOR JOHNSTON
Teams don't really need any extra motivation to win the biggest prize in junior hockey. Portland has some anyway.
The WHL hammered the Winterhawks with major sanctions for a series of player benefit violations. The sanctions included the suspension of Portland Coach/GM Mike Johnston for the remainder of the season and the Winterhawks have been dedicating their success this season to him.
"It's been a roller coaster," Carruth said. "It's tough for our older guys who have heard his voice on the bench all three or four years. I think we responded well and used it as fuel. It was exciting to see him raise the (Ed Chynoweth Cup) in the parking lot at the Memorial Coliseum. It was really something special."
Portland made the WHL final and lost in back-to-back seasons before finally claiming the league championship this season. Now they have a chance to complete their journey from the league basement to become the top junior team in North America.
"Dream come true I think," said Rattie. "We've had a lot of ups and downs here off the ice and on the ice. To be here now and to see all the boys get rewarded and play on such a big stage is awesome."
"We're not done yet. We've got a 60 minute game left. We're doing this for Portland, for Mike Johnston and for everything that has happened here."
Only one team can hoist the Memorial Cup. For Portland it would be their third in franchise history and first since 1998, while a Halifax win would be a first in franchise history.
Puck drop is 5pm at the Credit Union Centre in Saskatoon and live on SportsNet.
Sat, Apr 20, 1:00 PM
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