BY PATRICK KING
sportsnet.ca
MISSISSAUGA, Ont. -- The resilient Kootenay Ice are a win away from joining the MasterCard Memorial Cup record books, but have the host Mississauga St. Michael's Majors standing in their way Friday.
For the first time in three years, the Windsor Spitfires are not at the MasterCard Memorial Cup, but their legacy is being compared to that of the Ice. The 2009 Spitfires are the only team in tournament history to start with consecutive losses and rally to win the national championship. Kootenay began that same way and are now in the semifinal after a 7-3 rout of the Owen Sound Attack in Thursday's tiebreaker.
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A win over Mississauga would put the Ice in Sunday's final against the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League champion Saint John Sea Dogs and a chance to equal Windsor's magical run from two years ago.
"I like the comparisons because they won," Ice head coach Kris Knoblauch said. "But we're our own team, we're our own identity. The Spitfires had a much different team than we did, but I think there's a lot of belief in that dressing room because we've been the underdogs right from our first round of the playoffs.
"We like others counting us out. I think we gain some inspiration from that."
Will special teams decide the outcome of the game?
The Majors better hope special teams don't play a big factor in this game. Mississauga has a tournament low three goals on 22 man advantages, an average of just 13.6 per cent. Their penalty kill is also on the low end with a 73.3 per cent efficiency rating.
Kootenay boasts the MasterCard Memorial Cup's best power-play with six man-advantage goals in 21 opportunities. The Ice also scored twice while down a man in Thursday's tiebreaker against Owen Sound. Their penalty kill is nearly just as efficient with three goals allowed on 20 penalty kills. That's one less goal allowed while on the penalty kill than Mississauga, with five more opportunities against.
The Majors have been uncharacteristically poor in terms of special teams in this tournament and it hasn't quite caught up to them yet. They were a much more disciplined team in their last game against Owen Sound, but there is still plenty of room for improvement. Kootenay is red hot coming into this game and has the ability to open the game up if given too many chances.
"It will be a very tight game and I anticipate probably the difference will be special teams and the last couple games our power-play's been going," Knoblauch said. "It will be very important for us to keep that going."
Can the Majors match Kootenay's offensive attack?
These two teams are similar in the regard that neither are loaded with superstars and both play a solid, defensive style. The Majors' offensive depth isn't on par with the Ice's and Kootenay is beginning to get contributions from some of their formerly slumbering snipers. The Ice are a team that tightens the noose around their opponents' neck quickly and it will be important for the Majors to stay out of the box and guard against Kootenay's quick transition.
The Majors are a team that can score, but their offence hasn't come to the forefront. Only Casey Cizikas and Rob Flick have scored more than once and their difficulty scoring with the man advantage is cause for some concern. If this game turns into an offensive track meet, it will be advantage Kootenay.
Which goaltender will give his team the best chance to win?
It's hard to argue the impact JP Anderson has had with the Majors this season. What the diminutive goaltender loses in size, he makes up for in effort and competitive drive. Anderson has proven to be a big-game goaltender. He's strong in challenging shooters with his angles and doesn't kick many rebounds out for second-chance opportunities.
Nathan Lieuwen, who's listed as being six inches taller than Anderson, takes up a lot of net and has become the dependable goaltender the team needed to make their run. He is strong on the first shot and is at his best when he's keeping his game simple. Lieuwen benefits from a strong group of defencemen in front of him who make his job easier by recovering his rebounds.
Which team will establish a physical presence?
The first game between these two teams was an intense battle and it's not likely to change.
The Majors threw the body and gained room with their intimidating style in the first outing, but did not face Kootenay's roughest player, captain Brayden McNabb, who was suspended the first time they met.
Perhaps as a result of McNabb's absence, Mississauga forwards drove the net with reckless abandon and scored both goals by crashing the net. The Ice will need to improve in this regard and make the Majors forwards pay a price. Kootenay is not an overly physical team, but will throw the body and catch some opposing players with their heads down from time-to-time.
Whichever team can establish the physical edge will have an advantage.
