Mike Barone drives his short bus to Dulles tomorrow night in what is being dubbed the most highly anticipated matchup this season. The Red Army faces the silver east's number one team in what, again, on paper, has the makings for a blowout. But as aforementioned, these games don't take place on notepads. Rather, this could provide for another stellar game on that dark blue surface.
The only game these teams played this year featured a 9-6 win for Barone and company. The game was close in the second period until the Russians surrendered five unanswered goals. They were able to make the score respectable in the waning moments, but by that time the loss was imminent. How does Mother Russia remedy their previous downfall to the dimwits? Don't let the Short Bus Boys go on a run. Kraus, who can be temperamental at times, needs to keep his cool. Kraus under duress is less effective than Macgruber in the dam control room. On top of that, the defense needs to continue its game plan of sound positioning and crisp passes exiting the zone.
Now, the Short Bus Boys are a completely different team than the Stench in two ways. One, they are more potent offensively. They spread out their offense and have more than a handful of guys capable of denting the twine. While it was easier to find the shooter against the Stench, expect more shots from more shooters tomorrow. The flip side of that is this: their defense puts no where near the amount of pressure on opposing skaters as the Stench did. With Hendricks and Odell having more time with the puck, severe damage can be done as long as they refrain from getting to cute.
Where does that leave us? Well, your guess is as good as mine. If the Red Army plays like the team they have all season, they'll have to be content with just the one playoff victory. But if they play the dedicated passionate brand they introduced to us on Tuesday... they better not be too hungover following this Halloween weekend, there may still be some trick and treating to be done.
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