Spot in semifinal at stake

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The winner of the game will advance to Friday's semifinal while the loser will play the Western Hockey League champion Kootenay Ice in a tiebreaker on Thursday. The Attack are designated the home team and will have the last change, not to mention a large gathering of fans making the trip from Owen Sound.

Can the Majors find a way to beat Binnington?

Mississauga sent the Attack's two veteran goaltenders to the bench in their playoff series. After scoring an average of 4.8 goals per game in the final against Scott Stajcer and Michael Zador, Binnington started his first game of the series in Game 6. The Attack went on to win the final two games with Binnington allowing just two goals in each outing.

As hard as it may be to believe, Binnington actually got better in the MasterCard Memorial Cup. After shutting out the Kootenay Ice in Owen Sound's first game, Binnington was sensational in a losing cause against Saint John on Monday. At this point, he's the front-runner for the tournament's top goaltender award.

How will the Attack cope without Joey Hishon?

Hishon passed his baseline concussion test, but won't play in Wednesday's game. Head coach Mark Reeds listed Hishon as day-to-day after practice on Tuesday and the star forward was not on the ice for Wednesday's morning skate. Considering the game's implications, the Attack will keep him out of the lineup another day since their season doesn't hang in the balance.

Hishon is unquestionably the team's top offensive threat and a key cog to the power-play. Without him, the Attack went one-for-seven with the man advantage against Saint John on Monday. The Attack missed a golden opportunity late in the second period to extend their lead to 3-0 when they were unable to score with over a minute on a five-on-three power-play. The two goals the Attack did score were off deflections, but they still created opportunities most of the game.

"We have so many character guys on our team," Binnington explained. "It's not just one superstar on our team -- even though Joey is probably our top-notch player. We all know how to hold our end and play our game. We all have certain roles. When someone's out like that, you have to step up your role and work a little bit harder."

Will the Majors match the Attack's physical play?

One thing we have learned in this tournament is that the two most physical teams are from the Ontario Hockey League and Owen Sound has an edge in this area. The Attack bullied the Ice and Sea Dogs in their first two games and even forced the Sea Dogs into taking some undisciplined penalties by frustrating their players.

The Attack are at their best when they're taking the body and establishing their presence physically. Owen Sound players, however, are the most disciplined of the tournament's four teams while playing this style. Many times their players could have retaliated in previous games, but chose to stay out of the box.

The Majors created a lot of space and opportunities for themselves by taking the body and playing with an edge against the Ice. Mississauga forwards went straight at the defence and were not afraid to crash the net, which resulted in both goals in their win over Kootenay. The Majors will need to play the same style, but stay mindful of not crossing the line and giving the Attack power-play chances.

Will emotions get the best of either team?

The old adage that familiarity breeds contempt will be on display when the puck drops at the Hershey Centre on Wednesday. Both teams have been undisciplined at times throughout the tournament playing against teams they've never faced before. Seeing those familiar faces they've grown to hate in a heated playoff series could mean some retribution is on the line.

Mississauga took advantage of the extra man in the OHL finals against Owen Sound, so the Attack will need to keep their cool. The Majors, meanwhile, need to toe the edge between matching the Attack's physical style and looking for payback.