How big ( or small ) is the margin between winning and losing ?
Using the Mastercard Memorial Cup as an example, the wedge is pretty slim.
The St John Sea Dogs with two one goal victories, the first over the host St Mike’s Majors & the second a dramatic overtime win against the Attack, have their spot in the Memorial Cup Championship Game.
The Sea Dogs won 2 hockey games, both by 1 goal, and they’re in the final ! Tiny, tiny differential.
At the risk of going crazy, I ask, what if the results from Games 3 and 4 of the round robin where reversed ?
What if Brayden McNabb didn’t elbow Joey Hishon and was the backbone of a Kootenay one goal victory over St Mike’s in Game 3 ?
And what if Gemel Smith, and not Jonathon Huberdeau, scored in overtime in Game 4 on Monday night ?
Reverse the official outcomes and the Attack would be guaranteed a spot in the Memorial Cup Final and the St Mike’s Majors would be facing elimination tonight.
But what’s done is done, and today here is the scenario in front of us;
The Attack meets St Mike’s tonight
The winner tonight advances to the semifinal on Friday
The loser tonight will face Kootenay in the tiebreaker-elimination game tomorrow
There are 4 games remaining at the Mastercard Memorial Cup and you can bet that the margin between winning and losing this year will be paper thin.
I’m Fred Wallace