With postseason play set to begin tonight and the collective nerves and heart rates of Soviet fans across the Motherland set to rise, I deemed it appropriate to blog. It's therapeutic, it's cathartic, and it's a haven for my brain to focus on something other than the sunburn that has ravaged my back. Yes, had my skin resembled what it does now just one week ago, many bar patrons would have wanted to pummel me for supporting Ghana. But I digress.
Segueing from an American soccer team that lost in the first round to a Soviet hockey team that hopefully won't lose in the first round, the Soviets face-off against the Cryptic Stench at 9:00 pm tonight to kickoff what many hope will be another championship season. In years past the Red Army has disposed of the Stench quickly and easily, and in fact, defeated them twice en route to both championships. This match up however very well may prove to be the most difficult-- there are gaps in the Soviet lineup, big gaps.
Mark, Brian, and Neal Hendricks will all be absent from tonight's contest as the three are enjoying a week-long vacation in South Carolina. The team, which at times has leaned on the Hendricks connection to supply the offense, will have to band together and realize that for tonight, with the season on the line, no help is coming. Make their own chances and finish... or be finished.
Still, for as much as the Comrades will be missing, they will have with them a heavy supply of talent and, more importantly, heart in tonight's lineup. Ben Breiterman, Steve Hand, Scott Hoefer, and Andy Schram all have two championships under the belts. Jamie Simek has one and Drew Kelley is thirsty for his first. The team has learned to win, and though we may not see #18, #5, or #7 out there, that doesn't mean we won't be expecting a win.
"Some teams have better attitudes than others," Tom the Ref said while conducting a phone interview on Wednesday. "I was reffing a game with Mark the other night and it was a two goal game with 90 seconds to play. I was asking him if he thought the comeback was possible, and right away he said, 'Yeah, of course. Anything is possible.' It got me thinking, I've reffed a lot of games, but the only team that ever completes the comebacks is the Red Army. Sure there have been games where teams almost come back or tie it and then lose it late, but the Red Army, for one reason or another, always seems to believe they can win. Teams write them off at their own peril."
The Red Army's work ethic, that Soviet work ethic, is well noted throughout the league, and even refs are taking notice. At times this season it's been absent, other times present, and most times tardy. The Soviets need 45 minutes (and maybe more) of hard work, because with or without a handful of Hendri in the lineup, skill alone doesn't win playoff games.
So, without further ado, I provide the keys to tonight's contest for the Red Army:
1) Pucks and bodies to the net. In the playoffs, this is needed. It's simple, yet at times, teams seem bent on not doing it. Guys like Hand and King really seem to elevate their game this time of year, and if the Comrades want to advance, expect a healthy dosage of this from them.
2) The Iron Curtain. Schram has solidified himself as a playoff performer. I guess we just want him to be his playoff self. Then again, don't hang him out to dry, defense. Let him see the puck and he'll stop it.
3) Benny Boy and Hoefer. With so much offense missing from tonight's game, Breiterman is going to have to push the puck more than he normally would. Because of that, he's going to need a safety valve he can rely on in case he turns it over. That valve is Hoefer. These two need to be on the same page and if they are, like they have been so often, they are the best pairing in the league... hands down.
So, it's simple. Win and keep playing, lose and it's over. Sure, it will be tough, but crazier things have happened... like, say, us being four wins from a three-peat.
Let's make it three.
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