I hope we can move on from the geography lesson in this thread and talk about the outstanding game our woofers played last night.
The full line up allowed us to have balance from 1st to the 4th line.
The defensive structure was evident and the back checking from the forwards was not seen for weeks. Could this be the influence of Drake B in just one week??? Regardless I thought the veteran experience of McCoy was pivotal last night. He controlled our D all night and was a true leader leading by example. Best deal for Paps at the deadline. Not a sexy move but his quiet leadership and maturity was so needed. And now his playoff experience is oozing out.
Vondras played well because he didn't have to face high end scoring chances every time the opponent entered the zone. OHL teams like Oshawa and London have great team defence and easily affects goaltenders GAA and Save %. If Sudbury can play this sound in their own end then they could possibly cause havoc.
The offence is there and if teams take penalties we will make them pay. Sudbury needs to continue to press the pace of the game and draw penalties. Funny to see Mississauga play three players high on the penalty kill to prevent the seam pass and limit Dvorsky from having a clear opportunity for a shot. Wolves will need to work the play down low and cause Missy to move down from that high coverage allowing space at the top end of the circle for guys like Dvorksy, DeAnglios and Goyette.
The crowd was purely a disgrace for a playoff game. Not surprising though. Funny to see more cheers from Wolves fans after they scored.
As for the Mississauga broadcasters maybe they should tame down on trying to guess that Vondras was fighting the puck. He came out with the shut out and made the 2 or 3 big saves when Missy was pressing late in the 3rd period. Didn't seem to be fighting the puck there. Yes I get it didn't have a particularly good second half to the season but bothers me when the game is not even 5 minutes in and these guys describe him as fighting the puck.
Hoping for the Wolves to come out in game 2 with the same jump and defensive responsibility. It really seemed to take Missy for a loop as they have had their way with us offensively the last couple of matches.
Not sure of the status of Villeneuve's injury. But to see him come back out the last shift of the game with a full cage just tells you his desire to play through injuries. Complete warrior.
WJ
Almost forgot they need to stay away from the scrums after the whistle. Guys like Leskovar will take dumb penalties if frustrated. Wolves need to take it and skate away with the PP.
