The Melville Millionaires, to me, didn't look like a team interested in playing hockey a whole lot longer this year.
Alex Wakaluk not included. Wakaluk stopped 39 shots, several saves of the spectacular variety as the Millionaires won 3-1 tonight and are back in the series, down 2-1 heading home Wednesday night. One can only assume the other 18 players will be better than they were tonight, and if that's the case then we could have a heck of an end to this Sherwood Division final.
I remember about five years ago I witnessed a similar game. The Terriers were up 3-2 in the series and Joe Rodwell stole it. He made about 40 saves in a 2-1 win and then Melville went home for game seven and took the series.
Tonight, I saw a Yorkton team that kept the Mils hemmed in their own end of the rink with, apparent, relative ease and looked hungrier. They skated faster and were the aggressors as far as physical play is concerned. I thought the Terriers won most of the races to loose pucks and didn't have nearly the trouble getting out of their own end that Melville did.
Yorkton's better skilled defense is proving to be a major advantage in the series, but Melville got a powerplay goal tonight and that could be the breakthrough they are after.
I'm not sure the Terriers can play any better than they did tonight, aside from some of those shots going in.
I know Melville is capable of better. We will find out on Wednesday if we have a real series or not.
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