Game 1: Vernon 3 Trail 2

Click here for the boxscore.

Tickets for Game 3 and Game 4 are on sale Monday afternoon from 12pm to 4pm at the Cominco Arena ticket window. Head over during your lunch break and make sure you're hooked up. I really hope to see a big crowd out on Monday and Tuesday. This has been some great hockey lately, and boy would it make a difference to have a big and loud crowd at the rink. Tell your friends, tell your wife, tell your kids, your mother in law, your boss... it's the playoffs! As far as I'm concerned no hockey fan should miss seeing the playoffs live. Even if you don't go to any other game all year, the playoffs are something else. I expect all you fans to badger everyone you know until they say yes. I know I'm going to try, but I'm new in town so that doesn't work as well for me.

If you aren't convinced, remember that playoff time is your last chance to see all the departing players. Your last chance to see Fruitvale native and future Yale star Kevin Limbert's skill and determination, "Toe Drag" Stefan Decosse and his many dangles, the speed, grit and hard work of Casey Shade, the speed, acceleration, dangles and great shot of August Aiken, the alert plays of Westpoint Millitary Academy's Scott Warner, Senators draft pick Kevin Koopman's big shot and big hits, and possible future NHL draft pick, Boston University's Grant Rollheiser... the league's best goaltender in 2008. We're all going to miss these guys, and do yourself a favour, get at least a few last looks here and help them go on a big playoff run.

That out of the way....

I love the playoffs. Just love them. That passion, the intensity, the emotion. Every goal feels different. Every rush is five times as intense. The deeper you get into a playoff round the more you feel like you're going to have a heart attack every time the puck goes anywhere near the net. I don't think any other sport in the world can replicate playoff hockey.

Tonight the Vernon Vipers and Trail Smoke Eaters played a game that was typical of their regular season series. First of all, it was very close. For the sixth time in seven games this year the two teams finished the game one goal apart. The shots were similar to most games we've seen between the two teams as well. Once again Trail was outshot by a substantial margin. Tonight it was 40-22. Once again, Grant Rollheiser was strong in the Smokies net.

However, I think it's important to talk about what kind of shots we're talking about. In the first period especially, Vernon threw a lot of pucks on net without regard to where they were shooting from. The majority came from the point, and almost all were from the perimeter. That's not to say it's ever a bad choice to shoot, but Rollheiser handles those kinds of shots very well. For one he likes to get a lot of work. He also plays his angles well so those kinds of shots aren't nearly as dangerous against him even with tips. Lately his rebound control has also been outstanding. Every time they fired those long shots in, Rollheiser either held on or grabbed the short rebound with his glove immediately.

Mark Ferner told me part of their strategy was to fire a lot of pucks on net and try to get some traffic. Vernon has some big bodies and you could certainly tell that was part of their game plan. However, that act itself I don't think is going to get many through Rollheiser. Plus the Smokies D did a pretty good job of making sure Rollheiser could see those shots.

Where Ferner's plan to get traffic in front had success was in how it caused the Smokies to take some penalties. Specifically, their traffic on the power play twice caused Trail to get themselves into further penalty trouble. You can't get into a 5 on 3 situation against Vernon. That just gives them way too much room to operate. Their PP is actually pretty average 5 on 4, but 5 on 3 they're going to find something. If the attempt at creating traffic in front of Rollheiser can cause Trail to trip, hook, slash or cross check guys in front of the goal we could see that strategy burn the Smokies again.

It was also similar because the Smokies responded from early deficits by continuing to hang in there with the Vipers. They went down 2-0 and immediately made it 2-1. They got down 3-1 and immediately made it 3-2. That was also a hallmark of the games they played this season against Vernon. Why does that happen?

I think the Smokies have been playing a conservative game against the Vipers all year. They let Vernon's skill guys (those top two lines, top line especially) control the puck and take their outside shots. They don't take big risks and try not to make big mistakes, because they know that one blown play will turn into a goal in no time. They also know Grant Rollheiser is going to handle those outside shots as long as he can see them.

It's a strategy that has kept Vernon's usually high goal totals down against Trail. It's a tactic that has kept the games between Trail and Vernon close.

However, it seems like they wait and wait and wait until they get into a hole to start responding with pressure of their own. Once Trail went down 2-0 they dominated the play for the rest of the second period. When they really got the chip and chase game going, they were beating the Vipers to every puck. They used their speed on the big Vernon D, and they were creating some good chances and odd man rushes.

This is not to suggest that they have to open the game up. I think it's fair to say that the Vipers have more pure skill on their top unit so that would be dangerous. We saw what ca happen in that 7-2 game when things got a too loose. However, I do think there needs to be more urgency in Trail's attack early. You can't get 5 shots in the first period and expect to have a lead. It's OK to give them 16 if those shots are mostly easy stops, but you have to respond in kind. It seems like in most games with Vernon this year the Smokies aren't responding that way until they get into that hole. Three times that got them to overtime, but if they had that urgency earlier maybe it never would've got to that point.

The other problem with giving up so much puck control is that it does cause you to take penalties. There were two distinct periods midway through the second and third periods where the Smokies couldn't clear their zone. They hardly touched the puck. The Vipers didn't get a lot of great chances during those long stretches, but that puck control tired out the Smoke Eater players on the ice and a couple of times turned into penalty situations. In the third period fatigue from killing all two minutes of a Casey Shade penalty in the Trail zone caused a break down that forced Shade to take another penalty on a wide open Bishop right after Shade got out of the box. That Shade penalty turned into a 5 on 3 when Koopman went off for tripping (still on that extended period of close to 6 minutes without a clear) and that 5 on 3 turned into a 3-1 lead that was too much to come back from.

So that's why they lost, but why can they win? The Vipers do have some guys who can get frustrated and can take some bad penalties. Whenever Trail would get extended control in the Vipers zone they would end up on the PP. The Smokies have to take advantage of those chances, but that's been an issue all year.

Their speed can give some of the bigger, slower Viper players fits. When someone like Aiken gets going through the neutral zone, there are some defenders on Vernon who can't handle him. He can get to the outside and around them pretty easily. Were he to cut in on a couple of those rushes I imagine he'll get hooked or hauled down. Limbert was using his speed several times and got around the Viper D before driving the goal. The smaller, faster guys on Trail can really get going through the neutral zone if they can break out of their zone properly. They can also win a lot of races to the pucks on dump ins. Once Trail started getting the puck in deep, they were getting to most of those pucks first or at the same time as Vernon's defenders.

Trail also made the game tough on some of the smaller, skill guys on Vernon. Bishop had a goal and an assist on the night, but both came on the power play. One on a 5 on 3 goal that just happened to be sitting there for him after going off a leg in front. Even strength that line created very few dangerous scoring chances. The Smokies did a good job playing Team D once that line got the puck. I can't count how many times Bishop had a shot or pass blocked and deflected today. I also can't count how many times one of the Jones twins was knocked down or thrown hard into the boards. Those guys are very effective in controlling the puck, but knock them down hard and they can get frustrated. One example was when Kellen tripped Herold up for a penalty after Herold had knocked him down. That doesn't mean take a run at them, because all three guys will just step around you... which I saw a couple of times tonight. However, if you can force them into the corner, take away their space, and then finish the play with a hard shoulder into the boards you'll get under their skin and take away the room to be creative. Most of the game the Smokies were doing that effectively.

The extra size and strength for Vernon wasn't a factor tonight at all. If anything I would say the Smokies played a more physical game. They hit more, they knocked more guys down, and they were grittier. The size helped some in controlling the puck in Trail's zone. At least it did for a guy like Bellar who was very hard to move. Vernon had far more puck control and were more composed than in other games I'd seen them play. Again it was very surprising to me to see the Smokies take 8 minor penalties to only 5 by the Vipers. Given the penalty totals of each team this year it's not likely to continue that way. Vernon was shorthanded 414 times this year compared to only 312 for Trail. The Smokies took the fewest penalties in the league while the Vipers took the second most. So Game 1's trend probably won't last.

Finally, I thought the goaltending was a bit of a wash today. Rollheiser faced more shots and didn't look shaky on any of them but the first goal. He gets a pass for one that maybe he should've had. No goalie is going to go 2 full months without one soft-ish goal. Other than that he was money. However, Gore was forced to make a couple of spectacular saves at the end of the first period that were game changers. His stops on Limbert's 2 on 1 chance and Corcoran's all alone in the slot were massive. If Trail had escaped being outshot 16-5 in the first period with a 1-0 lead, that really could've changed the dynamic of the game. As a result, Gore's performance was a key tonight. However, I think the Smokies have a distinct advantage in goal for the series as a whole. Rollheiser is steadier, gives up fewer rebounds and covers the net a lot better than Gore does.

The Smoke Eaters MUST shoot the puck more to take advantage of this. Gore's obviously not an inadequate goalie, but if both teams took 40 shots I'm confident in saying I think he'd let in more than Rollheiser would. The save percentage indicates as much, and that's with Rollheiser likely facing more quality chances in the shots he saw. However, if Vernon outshoots Trail 40-22, all bets are off. They're not likely to win games when they get nearly doubled on the shot clock. That's the reality. They're also not likely to equal Vernon's puck control, but maybe they have to let a few more of those pucks go from further out when they're on the rush. Instead of taking a puck down the boards and deep into the Vernon zone, fire one from the top of the circle and look for a rebound off the pads. Make Gore work for it more than he had to in Game 1.

I think this game showed again that the Smoke Eaters can hang with the Vipers. Each team has their strengths and their weaknesses. Trail did a lot of things right tonight. Keep forcing the Vipers to the outside where Rollheiser can handle those shots. Keep taking away any room the Bishop line has at even strength. Keep taking the body as much as you can on both big and small players.

But Trail has to utilize their edge in speed more than they did. They have to work a faster transition game and go on the attack more than they did. They have to fire more pucks at Gore and drive the net looking for rebounds. Aiken's goal was simple. He took a shot, a bouncing puck deflected back to him and he just fired again. His shot was a beauty, but that's what it takes. Corcoran's goal was a smart play on a great feed by Koopman, but it also worked because the Smokies went to the net and created some havoc in front of Gore. That made it easier for Corcoran to slip in the back door and find an opening. They can do it, but I think they have to go on the attack earlier and more often than they did.

There seemed to be some opportunities to create neutral zone turnovers. The Vipers made a lot of long passes out of their own zone to the red line and the Trail blue line. Create some turnovers on those plays and suddenly you're generating odd man rushes with that speed advantage.

This was a long drawn out way of me saying I think the Smokies can take Vernon. That doesn't mean they will, but it does mean I think they can. There are some definite advantages for them in the match up if they play their game. Trail has a lot of players built for a tight checking playoff environment. Force them into that type of game and the Smokies can come out with 2-1 and 3-2 wins.

Yes, a lot of the things I saw in tonight's games were things I've seen in other games the two teams have played. However, this team is a lot more confident than that team was. This team is a lot more together than that team was. They can respond. I could tell on the bus that the Smokies believe they can beat Vernon and feel like they let this game slip away. That's the nice thing about this loss. They were beat, but not in a way that makes them feel overwhelmed or outmatched.

Vernon is expected to win both at home. Anything less for them is a disappointment. However, I don't think the Vipers are going home tonight feeling like they have a good handle on the Smokies. I bet some of them are wondering what would've happened if they didn't get that 5 on 3 chance. What if the linesman caught Kellen Jones (as some have suggested... would have to see the tape to be sure) for being a step offside on Vernon's second goal? What would've happened if that first goal didn't somehow handcuff Rollheiser. What if Gore didn't make that incredible save on Limbert late in the first period. Hockey can be a "what if" game, but there sure were a lot of them today. One of those things doesn't happen and suddenly we're having a very different conversation.

The records may indicate that Vernon is a substantially better team... that they are on another level. The game doesn't. But that series round up still says 1-0 Vipers, and now it's up the the Smoke Eaters to adjust and respond. Earn that split and anything can happen.

Game 2 is Saturday night at 6:45pm on Mountain FM.

NOTES

...The Smokies handed out their year end awards on Wednesday night. That should get a whole blog to itself but I have not had the chance to do one. Limbert and Rollheiser shared the MVP award. Limbert was top scorer. Rollheiser rookie of the year. Patrick Martin most improved. Ryan Bulach was the most dedicated. Brad Davis won most inpirational. I apparently won an award for ability to sleep in an odd position on the bus. Seriously it was great to see the Smokies recognize all the volunteers that make this team possible. Without them there would be no Smokies.

...The higher ranked team won every game on the first night of BCHL playoff action. Salmon Arm beat Prince George, Surrey beat Powell River and Burnaby beat Victoria. I guess all these teams are ranked where they are for a reason, eh? Come on underdogs, lets see some upsets!

...Kegan Little played his second game of the year as an AP for the Smokies. The Castlegar Rebel looked solid and created a good chance on Gore in the first. He had one of the few chances Trail had in that period. Didn't see a lot of ice during extended periods of penalty trouble, but played well when he had the chance.

Little and the Rebels were swept by Beaver Valley 3-0 in the first round of the KIJHL playoffs. Two of those games went to overtime. While there are a few former Nitehawks on the Smokies who certainly cheered their old team on, it would probably have been better for the Smoke Eaters if Castlegar won. They had a lot more potential AP players on the Nitehawks. But I suspect they'll continue to cheer on Justin Brown, Layne Stopanski, Grahame Proulx and the gang as they battle first place Nelson in the Neil Murdoch West Division finals. Game 1 of that series is Saturday night in Nelson. Take your walkman to the game! Watch good hockey live while listening to your Smokies on the radio.

...Kevin Koopman drove Zurevinski hard into the boards and actually caused a pane of glass to shatter midway through the second period. Some Vipers guys said the sticks probably had something to do with the glass busting, but hey that's something Koopman can tell his grandchildren someday. "When I was a young man I hit someone so hard it broke the rink! We used to have to ride something called a bus to hockey games back then..."

...I thought Patrick Raley played a very good game against his old team in Game 1. He seemed to have a step on a couple of their skill guys. Anticipated the play well in his own zone. Perhaps hsi shoulders were feeling lighter out there after he dumped some unwanted baggage in Vernon! That truck sure made for an interesting Thursday.

...Did you guys like the pre-produced intro we aired before the start of the pre-game show today? I thought it was a nice little addition to the broadcast. But I like cheezy hype packages. Made me feel like a low rent Bob Costas for a few minutes there.

...Finally, we changed up the way my broadcast was sent to the fan zone today. Hope out of town fans picked it up fine and it sounded OK. Let me know if you had any problems. Hopefully it works fine tomorrow too. If you ever have issues though send an e-mail to shawnsamsmullin@hotmail.com

The mood is still good on this team right now, Smokies fans. It's a loss, but it's no dagger in the heart. They're going to go hard for that split, and I think they've got a pretty good shot at getting it. You have to love playoff hockey. All the coaches and players are going through today's game in their heads as we speak. Adjustments will be made. Plans will change. The intensity level is only going to get higher.

You have to love it.

See you all Monday night!

(Photo by Randy Emery from the first game of the season. Wish he or Scotty were here to do some colour!)