MELVILLE PICKS GOOD TIME FOR BEST EFFORT

I talked to Jamie Fiesel earlier today and I said to him that even though his team was up 3-1 in the series with Yorkton, I felt as though I still haven't seen a good game out of his team.  He agreed.

Well, tonight was a good game.  A very good game.  A very, very good game!

Ian McNulty, Russell Trudeau, and Jesse Mireau combined for the team's first five goals in a 7-3 victory over the Yorkton Terriers tonight, sealing the series in five games.

After game four in this blog, I wrote that even though the Mils were ahead 3-1, we still hadn't seen their best effort because Trudeau and Mireau had been non-factors and Blake Voth looked like he was fighting the puck.  Well, Trudeau and Mireau each, officially, had 2 goals and 2 assists.  I'm thinking one of Mireau's goals should actually have been credited to Trudeau, but that's neither here nor there.  Voth was marvelous tonight.  He gave up two goals in the first period when Melville was in a heap of penalty trouble and he was also beat on a questionable one from Brent Struble in the third period when the game was already decided, but I'll give credit to Struble for the terrific individual effort.

Tonight's version of the Millionaires is the one I'd like to see going forward and if that's how they play most nights, then Weyburn is not going to have an easy time with them.  But, being outshot 36-14 through two periods against the Wings (like they were against Yorkton in games 1 and 3) isn't likely going to have you in the same arena on the scoreboard let alone still in a position to win the game if you play one good period.

There are a lot of good players on the Millionaires, but sometimes I think they read about themselves after good performances and think they don't have to work as hard going forward.  If you are one of them reading this, I ask you to remember that while you are a good team; so too are the other teams remaining in the playoffs and if you don't bring your 'A' game, you will quickly be bounced.

For Yorkton, it comes down to the fact they gave up too many goals on too few shots.  Tonight, Dawson MacAulay was pulled after allowing three on thirteen.  Warren Shymko finished and was beaten four times on twenty shots.  For the series, Shymko was 1-and-3, 4.23, .849.  MacAulay 0-and-1, 5.25, .860.  Count yourself lucky to win the one game the Terriers did with numbers like that.

I thought their defense was pretty good and with Devon McMullen coming back along with Brady and Chase Norrish; I think the makings of something special on the blueline are already set for 2012-13.

Up front, nothing was revealed, but I believe Riley Paterson was hurt and the Mils thought so too.  Brent Struble also looked banged up to me, but he played a pretty good series.  Tyler Giebel was fantastic and I expect him to be a real elite player in the SJHL next year.  Zak Majkowski scored tonight, but he and Jeremy Johnson were both held in check for the series and that hurt the Terriers too when they needed a big goal.  Majkowski did suffer a shoulder injury late in the year so it's hard to know if he was healthy or not.  He dropped the mitts tonight to try and get his team going, but to no avail.  They also missed Tayler Thompson's offensive presence.  He missed the whole series with a concussion.

One thing I don't like to hear from fans is how they hope Austin Bourhis, John Neibrandt, and Davis Vandane come back from the WHL next year.  To me, it's a disservice to those three guys to assume they are even on the bubble let alone coming back.  Wish them the best, cross them off the list of potential players, and if they return...well, it's a gift.

For the Mils, it appears as though TJ Reeve is ready to play and Tyson Newell is making noise about coming back at some point.

Good luck to Melville the rest of the way.