This and That..

It's amazing how the ebs and flows of a hockey season work.

Does anybody else find that it's so much easier to wake up in the morning and embrace the day when your favourite team wins a big game? Seriously, I'm not trying to be dramatic, but in my case, it is sure easier to get excited for a 4:45 AM start-time at work when you have something exciting to talk about.

Last night's game against the Humboldt Broncos was probably one of my Top 5 favourite games. I thought Cody Nickolet did great with color, the atmosphere in the Civic Center was awesome (Attendance: 850) and the North Stars figured out a way to regain momentum after having it sucked away from them in the third period.

Blair Atcheynum said it best during the Valley Ford postgame show: "Last year, in this type of situation we would have crumbled." It's so true. How many times did we have Humboldt on the ropes during the regular season last year, only to come up short in the end?

Two consecutive victories against the defending league champs deserves to be celebrated, but at the same time North Star fans, players, coaches and broadcasters (yes, especially me) need to keep everything in perspective.

I think it's now safe to say that North Stars fans don't need to "hope" for a victory anymore. Dare I say it, fans should expect victory. And on the nights when victory doesn't occur, fans should at least expect this team to compete and make things bloody difficult for the opposition.

You look at the way this team has performed lately, and I think it's really started to sink in. Aside from maybe the penalty-kill (which was very good last night) this team doesn't appear to have a glaring weakness anymore.

Now after all of that being said: The North Stars have a bloody difficult road trip ahead of them, and if they aren't ready to battle and compete for every square foot of ice during the next three days, they could very well be 5-6-1-0 by the end of it all.

Granted that's an unlikely circumstance, but this team still has a long way to go before they proove that they are for real. I can assure you that more and more fans will become "believers" of this group once they start winning consistently on the road. If the North Stars come back from this southern-swing with four, five, maybe even six more points to their name.... I couldn't even tell you how jacked up this city would be.

You want to talk about a character builder? It doesn't get much tougher than three games, in three nights in three very different rinks.


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The North Star's stay in first place could be extremely short-lived tonight, depending on the Melfort Mustangs. The 'Stangs' are on the road tonight in La Ronge, and could really do themselves and the North Stars a favor with a win.

The Humboldt Broncos are in Kindersley tonight, and should the Klippers decide to beat the Broncos on home ice, I'm sure that there will be a few smiling faces tonight in North Star Nation.

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I'm particularly excited for Friday's game in Weyburn. For those that aren't aware, its the SJHL Hall of Fame weekend, and the first five inductees are being enshrined in the Hall. Ron Hextall, Chris Chelios, Ron Rumball, Dwight McMillan, and Wayne Kartusch are the first five, and I'm hoping for a chance to meet some of these folks.

The first and only time I've ever interviewed Dwight McMillan was last season when we were in Weyburn in November, and I can honestly say I've never been more nervous for any other SJHL interview. Dwight is held in the highest regard by almost everybody I've spoken too in this league, and it was a really cool experience to pick his brain for five minutes about his team and about his career.

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North Star's colorman/board operator Matt Ryan bet me five dollars earlier this year that the Toronto Argonauts wouldn't win four games this year. I've got five more weeks to try and proove him wrong. Obviously I'm hoping that win number four for TO doesn't come this weekend, but at the same time I feel like the Riders need to be careful.

The Argonauts are fighting for their lives, and will need at least two more wins to even have a hope for a playoff spot.

I don't care the slightest bit whether Toronto makes the playoffs, but I do like winning money.

Again, bringing my point home - I just hope it doesn't happen Saturday night.

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My MLB Postseason Prediction goes as follows:

COL/PHI - Philly (Even though the Rockies are my favourite NL Team)

STL/LA - St. Louis

ST/PHI - St. Louis

BOS/LA - BOS (I strongly dislike the Boston Red Sox, yet they keep beating the Angels in the playoffs.)

NYY/MINN - NYY

NY/BOS - NYY

NYY/STL - STL

World Series Champions: St. Louis Cardinals. Who's going to be this year's David Eckstein???