Both Saskatoon and Red Deer lost their game three's last night to go down 3-0 to Kootenay and Medicine Hat. Game four for both series is tonight as the top two overall teams in the league try to save their seasons from ending in the 2nd round.
Unfortunately, past years indicate that it's probably a lost cause. In the history of the WHL, only one time has a team successfully come back from a 3-0 series deficit to win the series - 1995-96 when Spokane came back to beat Portland in the first round. There's still hope for the Blades and Rebels obviously, but it's such a huge longshot that either of them can pull off the comeback.
The obvious question now is what will the repercussions be of these upsets? Red Deer still has a good young core group and if they get Ryan Nugent-Hopkins back from the NHL next year, there's no reason why they can't have another season like this one and take another shot at it.
For Saskatoon though, this is the end of their run - they will lose guys like Schenn, Hamilton, Elliott, Zahn, Viedensky, and Stanford after this season and those are significant losses. More importantly for the Blades, they surrendered their 2010, 2011, and 2012 first round bantam picks, 2010 and 2011 second round bantam picks, and 2012 first round import pick for what is likely going to amount to about 40 games from Brayden Schenn. A few years from now that could very well be regarded as one of the most one-sided deals in WHL history. Will coming up so short on such a huge gamble cost Blades coach/G.M. Lorne Molleken his job?
7 comments:
Please send your flowers and cards to Saskatoon please....
Can't believe it !
even if the blades had won ... was the Schenn trade worth it.
MH added Michael Sauer a few years ago and won the WHL Championship... and still they are competitive every year since...
Same goes with Kelowna Rockets...minor trades have led to championship seasons...
Kootenay and Saskatoon will regret their trades...
If they had won the Memorial Cup then yes, it would be worth it. Most any fans in the league would be willing to put up with 2-3 years of struggle if they had a Memorial Cup banner to look up at.
Sadly, the Blades are going to get the struggling years soon without having a banner to show for it.
Agreed Alan -
If given the option, I would take a Memorial Cup Championship followed by 2-3 down years here in Tri-Cities over those same 3-4 years where we got close but not close enough.
Winning deep into the playoffs is exciting (and lucrative for the franchise) but when you dont make it to the end (and win) there is always at least little bit of hollowness at the end.
Alan:
They could up a regular season points banner up in Saskatoon. The Blades will struggle for the next 2 years, just to make the playoffs.
Brian in Sherwood
As a fan of an East Div. team, I would want Lorne to stay on in Saskatoon. If I was a Blades fan, I would be hoping they go with someone new. He just isn't able to get this team past the second round of the playoffs in any year. His track record is good at times, but his lack of playoff success is truely telling.
Brian - I don't think the Blades' struggles will start next year. They have a number of good 17 & 18 year olds on this year's team who will ensure they remain competitive for another year or two yet. Not contenders, but probably still a playoff team.
Their problems will start in 2-3 years when they'll begin feeling the effects of losing those high picks in 2010, 2011, and 2012. When the players from those age groups are the core players on everyone's team, the Blades will be at a disadvantage to everyone else.
Post a Comment