"Bluelines" is written by Ranjan Rupal (right), the play-by-play voice, and Greg Theberge (left), a former Memorial Cup winner and Washington Capitals defenseman and hockey analyst for The OHL Tonight on TVCogeco. Photo by Lindsay Sarazin.
BLUELINES: Battalion's 7th Man: Their finest hour
“We shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender…” – Sir Winston Churchill
Right about now, there are 24 young men getting ready for two days of intense battle and, after two years together, we can think of them as our own sons.
As in war, after Wednesday, there’s a possibility that some of them won’t be coming home.
Like Marcus. And Ray. And Brenden. The three warriors that showed us what bravery truly is. They’ve bled for us and suffered for us. We gasped when they took a bullet for us, time and again, and we were horrified when they were knocked down, laying motionless on the ice, the way Marcus was, in the dying seconds of the first round.
Few of us can imagine stepping on the ice tonight, perhaps akin to climbing over a guardrail and stepping on to Hwy 401. Dizzying and dangerous, nothing is slow, and everything can hurt.
But as much as we want to be out there standing up for our Zach Bratina following a dangerous hit, or protecting our Jake Smith from trespassers against us, or battling alongside our Mathew Santos in the trenches, or just trying to make an impact like our Zach Poirier, we in Troops Nation must be resigned to the fact that once the anthem has been sung and the red carpet has been rolled up, the six boys on the ice are going it alone.
Or are they?
Can we not be there for them? Are we not, after all, the Battalion's 7th Man, another player on Coach Stan Butler's depth chart, no different and no less than Moutrey, Kujawinski or Henriksson?
Do we not have a say in how this fight turns out? Does North Bay not have a voice that was loud before and can be louder still? Would that voice not elevate our boys’ spirits and propel them into the good fight, with pride and confidence, knowing that we, the 7th Man, will be there for them?
“We shall defend our Island…” wrote Churchill, about his Great Britain, “whatever the cost may be…”
The 7th Man knows there are no tomorrows. Only todays. The 7th Man once tried to Save Our Cents, when there were no Cents to be saved, and nobody listening to us anyway, try as we did, in vain.
But not this time.
No, this time we will have a voice and we shall be heard. Our voice shall rain down from the rafters and the Grand Ol’ Lady of Chippewa Street shall be shaken to her very foundations and we shall lift our boys when they are down, and battered, and bloody, and we shall carry their broken bodies with our voice…and our passion.
We, the 7th Man, shall be relentless in our pursuit of Appleby.
We, the 7th Man, shall wear mossy oak, and paint our faces green and wear green wigs.
We, the 7th Man, shall not be meek if scored upon, but shall shake it off, and rise to our feet and cheer even louder, so that Jake and Nick and Hampus and Henney, and all the rest, shall know we are with them still.
We, the 7th Man, shall make sure our voice is never forgotten, and is heard by Rogers Sportsnet.
We are the 7th Man. We shall be heard.
Go Troops Go!
Ranjan: Okay Greg, with the sermon over, put yourself in North Bay’s skates for a second. Game 2 is done, and Game 3 is up next. How do you feel?
Greg: Overall we’ve got to feel pretty good about the two games we’ve just finished playing, against one of the best teams in the country. We came out of there with a win and an overtime loss in the playoffs. We're pleased with the way our club is playing, but we know every game is different and we're going to have to find some way to penetrate that Oshawa defense, take the puck to the net, and try to put it by Appleby.
So judging by the way we played it down there, it shouldn’t weigh very much psychologically on our hockey minds. We know what has to be done and it’s just a matter of going out and playing the way we're capable of playing. Put the last game out of our heads and move on.
Ranjan: Some of our readers feel the Battalion deserve to be up 2-0...but on the other hand, I don’t think the Generals deserved to be down 2-0 either. This is going to be a close-fought series, so a split was a reasonable outcome...
Greg: Yes, based on effort I think a split is reasonable. For one thing, the Generals finally got the monkey off their back and beat the Battalion in a playoff game, and they were able to protect the house really well. They didn’t give up very many chances: a couple of odd man rushes that the Battalion failed to convert. I think Oshawa had a strong pushback after giving up six goals in the first game and, like DJ Smith vowed, the second game would be a different one and it certainly was.
The Generals played a 60-minute game and they were able to get to Jake Smith a little better, generating 39 shots. There weren’t a whole lot of penalties in this very physical contest, so a lot of 5-on-5 hockey and the Generals came out and and proved their worthiness.
You’ve got to give credit to the Battalion players. They they didn’t come out and bask in the glow of their 6-1 victory. They knew they were in for a tough second game and they answered the bell and performed well. But that game is over. It’s time to prepare for the third game, at home, and they need to play well. That means playing the same type of game they did in Oshawa.
Ranjan: The nagging question: Should a blindside hit on Zach Bratina in overtime be called?
Greg: Well, that’s a very tough question because I like Zach Bratina. But it’s overtime. Referees don’t score goals, so if the call is made that doesn’t mean the Battalion’s going to score a power play goal, but they’ll have an opportunity. If you’re asking me was it a check from behind?, I watch the game online with OHL Live, and there was certainly some contact from behind, a push into the boards by Cole Cassels in the neutral zone, while Bratina had the puck...so read between the lines. Is it a penalty in regular-season? Yes. Is it a penalty in the playoffs? Well, you be the judge.
Ranjan: Let’s dissect Oshawa. Throw out Game 1. In Game 2, what did you like from the Generals?
Greg: I really liked the way the Generals came at the Battalion in waves of 5-man units, with lots of physical contact. Their big players played like big players. Hunter Smith was engaged, Michael McCarron was going to the net front with authority. Tobias Lindberg was button-hooking all game, and backing off defenseman with his speed, and their captain, Josh Brown, was solid out there. Let’s not forget about Appleby. He bounced back from being yanked in the first game and, like Jake Smith often does, came right back with a spectacular performance.
Ranjan: Greg, you’ve been a defenseman on both a Memorial Cup and a Calder Cup-winning team yourself. I know you pay particular attention to what’s happening on the blue line. How were the Generals able to shut down the Battalion offence?
Greg: Well, for one thing, I think Oshawa has a lot more respect for the Battalion’s forwards than they ever did, and they were forced to pay attention to detail. They were aware of Kujawinski’s start-up speed, coming through the neutral zone, and they were aware of Nick Paul’s quick-release point with the puck in the danger zone. They were aware of Zach Bratina’s creativity, and were aware of Mike Amadio’s playmaking ability. They were aware of Jake Smith’s athleticism. That goes back to the coaching staff. DJ Smith vowed Game 2 would be different and he kept his word. That Oshawa team has veteran experience and was able to capture the moment, using the 5,600 fans to their advantage.
Ranjan: The game plan for DJ Smith is to pound the Battalion into submission. It looks like Miles Liberati and Marcus McIvor have a bull’s-eye painted on their backs...
Greg: Yes, strong play by a Generals' forechecking system that really emphasizes finishing their checks on McIvor - especially McIvor - because he doesn’t quite have the escapability that Liberati does, and he’s bigger, so when you hit him you’re going to get more of him. As for Liberati, he’s pretty slick out there and doesn’t really get himself into situations where he can be smoked, or where he’s in really punishing situations. He’s got good radar, but sometimes you just can’t escape the wave of forechecking and body contact. The size of the forecheck does matter, and you know Hunter Smith, McCarron and Cassels and the other big six-foot plus forwards can be very taxing on you, especially when they begin on their first shift and keep applying the body the whole game through, right into overtime. So I’ve got to give the Generals credit where credit is due
Ranjan: With the third-best offense in the League during the regular season, the Generals offense is now facing a stiff challenge, just one goal in each of the first two games at home...
Greg: Well, it is a stiff challenge for the Generals, to manufacture goals against a team like the Battalion. Why? Because the North Bay Battalion has one of the best foundations in the league and, as I’ve said before, it starts between the pipes and it works its way out. With the four D-men, McIvor, Liberati, Brenden Miller and Kyle Wood, the Battalion are virtually impenetrable, and that’s backed up by some of the strongest, most structured forwards in the League. These guys have been schooled well, and that’s the blueprint of the North Bay Battalion. It’s an Academy. When you come to the Battalion, they teach you well and it’s all about processing and believing. That’s what Battalion Hockey is all about.
You see star players like Cassels, like Lindberg and like Micahel Dal Colle, and they're a high-flying production team, third-best ‘O’ in the OHL. I don’t want to say these guys have been spoiled throughout the regular season by padding the stats, but now they're learning that it’s playoff hockey - they’ve got to be patient to be successful. So I think the Battalion is teaching the Generals a lesson, and it'll require patience and strong team will for the Generals to prevail.
Ranjan: You mentioned the New York Islanders’ 5th overall pick: Michael Dal Colle. After Game 1, coach DJ Smith felt Dal Colle wasn’t getting the puck enough, and that for him to be successful, the puck has to be on his stick. What are you seeing from Dal Colle?
Greg: The big 6-foot-2, 190-pound, Woodbridge native...well, I'm seeing signs of what it’s going to be like at the pro level for Michael Dal Colle. He’s going to be checked and played the very same way at the next level, and here the Battalion is taking his stick away, taking his shooting lanes away, taking his time and space away, and approaching Dal Colle like he is the go-to guy. So that’s a great job by the Battalion in the first two games, to hold this sniper at bay.
Dal Colle hasn’t shown any signs of frustration so I’m sure he was expecting this type of coverage and attention from the Battalion. Don’t forget, he was part of the playoff picture last season, but we haven’t seen the last of this guy. Dal Colle’s got incredible hand-eye coordination and instincts around the net so Battalion beware...
Ranjan: Turning to the Battalion now, they're coming home, most likely to a heroes' welcome, back to their own beds and some home cooking, with back-to-back games tonight and Wednesday night at Memorial Gardens.
Greg: The Battalion has to mirror the same style of play from Games 1 and 2 to be successful, and I don’t think that’s beyond their reach right now. They’re going to have to play a patient game and maintain the same type of intensity and physical contact. They’ll try to use the 7th Man to their advantage. Special teams can be a key too, but power-play goals are a lot harder to come by in the playoffs then they are in the regular season. If they can chip in a power play goal and have a couple strong kills, and get an early lead, then that’ll be to their advantage. They have to play the same way. They can ill afford to take a shift off in this series.
Ranjan: Over the past two seasons, following a loss, the Battalion quite often regroups and refocuses. What do you expect in Game 3, before a loud and proud Memorial Gardens’ 7th man?
Greg: The Battalion feels pretty confident right now in getting a split on the road, and they’ve really set the stage. Despite the loss in Game 2, it’s like Stan Butler says: you can be bitter or you can get better, and my bet is the Battalion chooses to get better. As I said, the Generals have a lot more respect for the Battalion now than they ever did. They know what they’ll be up against in North Bay and that’s a strong team, with a delirious crowd behind them.
DJ Smith and the Generals respect our 7th Man, their captain Josh Brown talked about it, but it’s part of hockey, and his players will be here to compete and win. North Bay’s fans must remember: the Generals gained a lot of experience up here last year, and they're fully expecting last year’s crowd factor. So just like the Battalion, the 7th Man needs to up their game too, and raise that fear and intimidation factor. Can the 7th Man deliver and become a factor? That’s the question...
Ranjan: Coach Stan Butler pointed out that his team’s compete level in third period was subpar. What happens in a tough series like this, for that to happen?
Greg: Well, what happens is fatigue and maybe a little bit of frustration from being attacked in waves, shift after shift. So you’re feeling the heat, on the road, tied 0-0, but you already won the first game, sometimes the mind gets tired, the body gets tired, and you can’t help but fall back on your heels. You’re trying not to give up the goal, you’re still trying to do all the small little defensive things correctly. Now you’re trying too hard to prevent a goal, rather than play your own game, and you just have to try to weather Oshawa’s attacks. You’re hoping somehow catch a break, or a lucky bounce, to put the game away. Remember: Oshawa, at home...they're a proud team that was in a must-win situation on home ice, a lot like a cornered animal.
Ranjan: You can’t fault Jake Smith for a wicked ricochet off the end boards in overtime, one that defenseman Dakota Mermis pounced on, for the winning goal. Both Kenny Appleby and Jake Smith stood tall in that game...
Greg: A strong shot by McCarron that misses the net, Jake Smith came out to play the angle like he always does, but a strong kick off the end boards and Dakota Mermis made no mistake, with the hard shot at a sharp shooting angle. He’s a defenseman that knows to activate and engage himself in that line rush during the early stages of the game and they capitalized on it in overtime. No fault of Jake Smith...no goalie in any league is going to stop that shot, so I’ve got to give Mermis credit. It looked like a page out Brenden Miller’s book, and we all know his knack for scoring huge goals for the Battalion. In this case it’s the Generals who got the support from their D-man for the game-winner.
I thought Kenny Appleby played really well and showed poise and confidence. This was a statement game for Appleby: he needed to come out and rebound with a strong performance after, quite honestly, a subpar performance in the first game. Appleby’s performance showed a lot of character. Both Smitty and Appleby demonstrated good rebound control, telescoping, and their puckhandling was strong. It’s going to be a goaltending duel in Game 3 tonight.
Ranjan: The Battalion have an arsenal of offensive weapons to strike back with in Game 3: What do you need to see from the lieutenants: Nick Moutrey, Nick Paul, Ryan Kujawinski and Mike Amadio?
Greg: Well you need these lieutenants to lead by example and you’re going to need them to play the same type of playoff hockey that they’ve been playing. They need to be strong on the puck, good defensive play, smart decision-making and I want to see quick-releases from all of them. They all have great skill with the puck.
Let’s be honest: nobody has to tell them what to do; those players know what they have to do. If you’re a mucker, then you muck; if you’re a plumber, then you plumb; and if you’re a goal scorer, than you score. It’s not always a piece of cake when you’re up against one of the top teams in the country. I think these players have been giving it all, regardless of the outcome of the game. They’ve shown the fans in North Bay some great hockey.
