Patrick King

Matt Fraser is well aware of the importance of Tuesday's game.

What to look for in the fifth game of the MasterCard Memorial Cup round-robin stage.

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. -- The situation is the same as it was two years ago.

The 2-0 Saint John Sea Dogs will play their final round-robin game against the 0-2 Kootenay Ice with nothing more than good habits on the line for the Sea Dogs. The Ice, meanwhile, need a win to stave off elimination and qualify for a tiebreak on Thursday.

The 2009 Windsor Spitfires were in the same precarious position as the Ice find themselves in now, facing elimination in their final round-robin game against a team that already qualified for the final. The Kelowna Rockets had the opportunity to knock the Spitfires out of the tournament in that game and it wound up biting them. Windsor won the game, gained momentum, and marched all the way to the final, beating the Rockets.

The Spitfires are the only team in MasterCard Memorial Cup history to have won the tournament after losing their first two games. They are also the only team to win after playing in a tiebreaker. It was a prime example how quickly momentum can shift in this tournament and the Ice are hoping to follow in Windsor's footsteps.

"It's a cliché you always hear in hockey, but it's do or die," Ice forward Matt Fraser said. "We're a desperate hockey team and I think a desperate hockey team is a dangerous one.

"Anything can happen. It's in our hands now."

How big an impact will Brayden McNabb have?

The hulking captain of the Ice will return after serving his one-game suspension following his elbow to the head of Owen Sound forward Joey Hishon.

The Ice were a different team without McNabb. Not only did they need to shorten their bench, but his absence took away several elements to the team. One of the most noteworthy was the lack of a physical presence. Kootenay was like a panther without fangs -- sure, it could bite you, but it didn't sting much.

Mississauga forwards were not intimidated by Kootenay's defence and drove hard to the net throughout the night, scoring both goals by pinning their ears back and driving through the defence.

Although the game against the Majors was difficult to watch for the suspended defenceman, he said he won't stop playing with that gritty edge: "If I can step up and make those big hits, I will."

Ice head coach Kris Knoblauch felt McNabb's absence hurt the transition game the most.

"He's not a guy that goes off the glass and out," Knoblauch said. "He's a guy that makes the pass to the forwards so they can do their thing."

How hard will the Sea Dogs play?

With their berth in the final already acquired, not to mention the fact they played nearly four periods on Monday, it's likely there will be some letdown from Saint John. How much they lower their play could determine the outcome of the game.

The Sea Dogs could be giving the day off to some of their veterans, including goaltender Jacob DeSerres. Head coach Gerard Gallant confirmed that Mathieu Corbeil will start in goal tonight. Saint John split most of the regular season between DeSerres and Corbeil. This is an ideal time to let their starter, DeSerres, rest for the final.

"Our goal was -- when we came here -- to win four games," Sea Dogs head coach Gerard Gallant said. "We wanted to win the three round-robin games and the final game, so nothing's going to change."

How will the Ice bounce back from adversity?

Many of the Ice players spoke about the team's ability to come out strong when facing adversity. But how much adversity did they really face? Kootenay swept Saskatoon and Medicine Hat in consecutive rounds before beating the talented Portland Winterhawks in five games in the Western Hockey League final.

The only real adversity the team faced came in the opening round when they lost two of their first three games. Kootenay went on to win the next three games and took the opening series against Moose Jaw in six games. One would think this is the first real test of adversity for them in months.

"You can't get this far in the season without having a very good, skilled hockey team and also having some adversity," Knoblauch said. "I believe that our team has more to give."

Can the Ice offence take off?

One goal through two games is not a recipe for success. Kootenay's anemic offence desperately needs to awaken. With the exception of Cody Eakin, many of the forwards haven't been pulling their weight. Eakin has created chances in both games and scored his team's only goal to date, but some of the other players like Fraser and Max Reinhart need to step it up.

Kootenay scored an average of 4.6 goals per game in the playoffs while averaging 3.77 in the regular season.

"I would say our scoring chances would be down," Knoblauch conceded. "We need to create more, maybe be a little more creative with the puck. Just make it more difficult for the opposition to defend against us."

Will the Sea Dogs avoid history repeating itself?

The Sea Dogs players all said the right things after the game. They want to keep the ball rolling and they want to win this game. But the mere fact it means nothing regarding their own future makes it harder to stay motivated.

"You always want to eliminate a team so I mean, that's what you go for right?" DeSerres said. "Hopefully we'll go out and get the win."

The Rockets became public enemy No. 1 in the 2009 MasterCard Memorial Cup in Rimouski, Que. Fans booed the WHL champs, feeling they didn't play up to their potential against the Spitfires when they already had the bye to the final. We know the Ice won't need any more motivation. The Sea Dogs can avoid a similar fate by taking care of business in this game.