One down, one to go

The first of this round's two game 7's was played last night, and the Tigers completed the "upset" by going into Swift Current's rink and beating the injury-depleted Broncos 4-1. 

Technically it is an upset since the Broncos had 7 points more than the Tigers in the regular season, but really.....these were two evenly matched teams and the series could have gone either way. You have to wonder how things might have been different for the Broncos if they didn't have to play the last couple games of the series (both losses) without Keegan Dansereau (81 points, team leading scorer), Matt Tassone (36 goals in 52 games, 2nd on the team to Dansereau), and Eric Doyle (55 points, leading defencemen scorer on the team and 8th overall in the league). It has to really suck to lose when three of your five or six best players can't even play.

The final game of the first round goes tonight in Saskatoon, on Shaw, and its outcome will determine the 2nd round matchups in the East. A win for the Blades will pit them against the Wheat Kings in the 2nd round while Medicine Hat takes on Calgary. A Hurricanes victory will have the Canes visiting the Hitmen while Brandon would host the Tigers. 

It may be April Fools day today, but one team/city will find absolutely nothing funny about tonight's eventual outcome.....unlike some other first round series where one team knew they had no chance to win and were just in the playoffs for the experience, this is a series where the loser is definitely going to feel like the early end to their season is a bitter disappointment. Saskatoon was #3 overall this year so obviously they don't expect a first round exit, and Lethbridge on paper was one of the pre-season favourites to win the league and have baffled many observers with their underperforming play. The Canes also made a big trade giving up a lot of future to improve their team this year....and I'm sure they didn't make that move with a first round exit in mind either.