KITCHENER, Ont. -- Don't expect any let down from the Spokane Chiefs after a four-day layoff before Sunday's MasterCard Memorial Cup final.
The Chiefs learned their lesson early in this tournament after a lengthy layoff following their sweep of the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the Western Hockey League final. Spokane blew a 3-0 lead in their first game against the Belleville Bulls, a team they could eventually face in the final. Spokane actually needed to tie it late in the game on a goal-mouth scramble by Drayson Bowman simply to get into overtime. In the extra frame, Levko Koper pounced on a rebound in front of Bulls goaltender Mike Murphy's net to lift his team to victory.
From then on, it has been Spokane Chiefs hockey at its finest. The Chiefs were known in their league for their smothering defensive style which severely limits the time and space of their opponents' skill players.
Spokane is making the most of their trip to southern Ontario. The team visited Toronto on Thursday, since there was no tiebreak game, taking in a Blue Jays game after a stop at the Hockey Hall of Fame.
"We're going to take a day and probably go into Toronto and do some things there as a team, get a break and enjoy the experience of being at the Memorial Cup," head coach Bill Peters said.
For a team that went through a long, rigorous playoff battle which included series victories over the defending Memorial Cup champion Vancouver Giants and regular season champion Tri-City Americans, the break is a welcome change.
It's always interesting to see how teams respond to the break in this tournament. Last year, the Giants gained a lot of momentum by thumping the Plymouth Whalers 8-1 in the semifinal before outplaying the Medicine Hat Tigers in the final.
Defenceman Trevor Glass was a member of the Tigers last season and knows as well as anybody the importance of a quick start in the final game.
"As long as we get prepared, get mentally prepared, when that game day comes I think we'll be alright," he said.
"There's a little concern with the layoff but we've handled layoffs before pretty well," Bowman said. "It's nothing new. We just have to make sure we do it properly."
Eight of the last 10 Memorial Cup champions earned the bye to the final while each team who went 3-0 in the round robin the last 20 years went on to win the trophy.
If nothing else, history will be on Spokane's side when the puck drops on Sunday.
