Day 87: Horton Hears The Horn

While this Horton (left) hears the Who, Nathan Horton heard the goalhorn when he scored the winner against the Selects.






Iqaluit, NU (CP)

Rebounding from a shutout loss in Calgary the night before, the Rovers righted the ship on at home against Lethbridge, dealing the Selects a 3-1 defeat. After a sluggish scoreless first which saw only 13 total shots, Pavol Demitra and Nathan Horton found the back of the net to put the Rovers on top by two heading to the third. Emerging from the break, the Rovers seemed energized while the Selects forgot to show up. Baffin dominated the frame, scoring again on a Kris Draper deflection and outshooting Lethbridge 18-2 in the period with Trevor Linden's marker off a late scramble 12 seconds from fulltime the only blemish on Martin Gerber's evening. Gerber finished with 18 saves on 19 shots while Marc Denis faced 37 shots, stopping 34.

The Rovers now have two days off before travelling to Lethbridge and then playing the Vampyres three consecutive times, twice at home. The win kept pace with the Mounties atop the division at 60 pts each with 23 games to play.

Day 86: None Shall Pass

Unfortunately, Baffin had no sword to smite Vesa Toskala, who stonewalled the Rovers 3-0.

Calgary, AB (CP)

When the Rovers hit Calgary, it's always a battle. Dating back to RHL13, the Vampyres have been the chief nemesis of Baffin Island and have always played them extremely tough, regardless of who has been wearing the Vampyres vestement. This season has been no different. As the rotating door in Calgary still operates at full spin, the players who happen to comprise the team on a given night always give their best effort against the Rovers. On this night, the clear star was goalie Vesa Toskala, who stopped all 32 Rover shots on his way to a 3-0 win.

The Vamps struck right out of the gate as Marek Zidlicky snuck a knuckleballer from the point past Martin Gerber in the first minute of the game. John Madden increased the lead to two midway through the period on a breakaway pass from Dan Boyle. Despite being outshot 12-5 in the first and 21-9 through two periods, the Vampyres maintained the 2-0 lead going into the third. The insurance was delivered early by Eric Boguniecki, who converted another pass from Boyle. The Vampyres managed only 15 shots in the game, catching Gerber on an uncharacteristic bad night. "Marty has been better, there's no question", Stringer said of his starter. "But we know he'll bounce back. He'll start against Lethbridge tomorrow night. Mark it down".

There were some questions after the game regarding icetime. The coaching staff were apparently content to roll four lines despite being down through most of the game. In fact, no Rover forward played less than 11 minutes and none more than 17. "Is this all you've got?", an agitated Stringer asked of an inquisitive reporter. "Our fourth line can play, you know. It's not like we weren't getting shots or chances. The goalie just played better. Ok, you go tell Legwand and Hall that it's their fault that we lost because they were getting minutes. You go do that, genius". The presser abruptly ended with Stringer indignantly leaving the podium.

The loss drops the Rovers back into a first-place tie with the Mounties, each with 58 points and 24 games remaining. The Rovers hold the tiebreaker with one extra win. The team flew out directly after the game to prepare to host the Selects at home tomorrow night. As indicated from post-game comments, Martin Gerber is expected to start for the second straight night.

Coaches Corner

Heading into our next stretch of games against Calgary and Lethbridge, we'll likely continue with the current lines that have served us well recently.

Stillman Jokinen Gl.Murray
Frolov Demitra Recchi
Halpern Draper Horton
Laaksonen Legwand Hall

Jokinen has really turned it on since joining the top line, and Draper has continued to score on the third unit. Hopefully Demitra can get that second unit going... what we as a staff would give to actually get all lines firing at the same time...

Oh yeah, and Gerber will be in goal tonight. Mason may play one of the games against the Vampyres, but it likely won't be this week.

Who's Number 1?

Martin Gerber (left) and Chris Mason (right) have both played well for the Rovers this season.

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

As the excitement of the All-Star break fades to the background, the stretch drive begins tonight. With the Rovers having three full days off before travelling to Calgary to face the Vampyres (the first of four meetings between the clubs over the next two weeks) and little else to talk about in the interim, one has to wonder if there is not a goalie controversy brewing on Baffin.

At the midpoint of the season one certainly would have said no, as Martin Gerber had carried the load except for a few games missed due to injury, and carried it well. Backup Chris Mason played well also, but very sparingly. But heading into the break, the coaching staff decided to give Mason three consecutive starts against Albany and St. Pete's while a healthy Gerber sat and watched. Are we seeing a shift in the starting position, or is there something else on the horizon?

"Not much to write about today, is there", Stringer chuckled when posed the question. While he may be light-hearted about the issue, it can't be denied that a goalie rotation could upset the positive dynamic that been around the Rovers through the first half of the season. "We really just wanted to give Mase some action. He's a good goalie. We rode Marty pretty hard in the first half, and there were a few times when he had to leave games because he tweaked something. We just want to keep both guys fresh for the playoffs, because we'll need everyone to be sharp when the time comes".

Gerber seemed to take the impromptu vacation in stride. "I'm satisfied with what I've done in the first half. If the coaches want to play Mase for a game, that's fine. I think I've proved that I can play, so I'm not too worried". Mason was equally as relaxed, but didn't shy away from his desire to play. "Any goalie that would tell you that they'd rather sit than start is not right in the head", Dr. Mason diagnosed. "Of course I'd rather play more, but I'll play when I'm called on and when I'm not I'll stay ready for the next call. Marty's a great goalie and I think I can play as well. That's not a bad thing".

Stringer has not named a starter for the game in Calgary, though it is expected that Gerber will be back in the nets. Whether it is Gerber or Mason, the coaching staff knows that if one guy starts to falter they have a solid alternative waiting in the wings thanks to the strong play of both guys.

Standing Pat?

As the selling happens fast and furious in the Champs conference, why are the Rovers on the sidelines?

Iqaluit, NU (IFPW)

This past week has been a very busy one in the Champions Conference. Two franchises, the 500s and the Selects, have announced that they are each overhauling their star-studded rosters with an eye to the future. Names like Sundin, Tanguay, Schneider, Hejduk, and Souray have landed with new teams, some of whom are in direct competition with the Rovers at the top of the standings. Why then has GM Steve Stringer not gotten in on the action? Doesn't he feel that he owes it to the fans to get involved and bolster the team? We cut to the chase with the man himself.

IFPW: So what's the deal, how come these big names are going to division rivals?
SS: Come on, do you think I can stop teams from trading guys to certain teams just because I'm in a race with those teams? At least be realistic with your questions.

IFPW: Ok then, let's talk specifically. How come Alex Tanguay isn't a Rover?
SS: The reason is money. Our payroll is such that we just can't add anyone at this time. Yeah, we did talk to the 500s about some guys and there was a fair exchange of ideas, but in the end if we can't pay them, there's no use in acquiring them. We could have agreed on a return, but the finances didn't make sense.

IFPW: That's crap. When Mats Sundin goes to the Mounties, you've got to respond.
SS: Maybe you should look back. We've been one of the more active teams this season. We acquired Mark Recchi, Cory Stillman, and Danny Markov during times when we weren't fighting a feeding frenzy caused by a mass sell-off. Of course we'd love to add more players, but at some point you've got to be realistic.

IFPW: What is your take on the Rover prospect list? Could any of them be moved for further help this year?
SS: You never say never, but there are some guys who I believe will play for a lot of years in Iqaluit. Phaneuf is one, Malkin another, and Lehtonen another. Frankly I don't think our youth pool is that deep that we can just trade away promising youngsters willy-nilly. A lot of deliberation went into the trading of Grigorenko and Tambellini. We feel that both guys will be quality RHLers in the near future. But we look at things over the long haul; we know our revenue situation and our bank balance will dictate that in the coming seasons we'll have to spend less than we have been over the past three seasons. That will mean that our youth will have to play an even more prominent role in keeping our team successful both on the ice and on the ledger.

IFPW: You're in the middle of a run for first overall and you're talking about the ledger?! That's not what the fans want to hear!
SS: I'll tell you what the fans don't want to hear: 'Sorry, we're broke because we traded the farm for rental guys, and now we have no money for free agents and limited prospects for the future. See you in three seasons when we can be competitive again'. That's something I'm not going to let happen. Of course the focus is on this year's team. We've been doing very well, and anticipate a long run in the playoffs. But anyone who doesn't also look ahead isn't doing the fans a favour either.

IFPW: All I can say is you'll have a lot of angry fans if this team crashes and burns in the second round because you didn't add that final piece.
SS: I'll be more disappointed than anyone, and I'll ultimately be accountable to the fans. But don't try to paint this as we haven't been trying. We've stepped up and spent the money to bring in the guys we felt we needed. Now it's their time to step up, and we feel that they will.

I. C. Stair for Iqaluit Frozen Puck Weekly

Champs, Premier Split RHL15 All-Star Classic

Yellowknife, NWT (CP)

This year's All-Star Classic ended with each conference winning one game. The Champs, backstopped by Miikka Kiprusoff, drew first blood with an 8-4 rout over Martin Brodeur's Premier squad, but the Premier rebounded behind Roberto Luongo to edge the Dwayne Roloson-led Champs 3-2 in the back-end. Marian Hossa led all scorers with one goal and four assists over the two game set and was named All-Star MVP, while Luongo stopped 32 of 34 shots to earn top goaltender honours. "We really had a great time here, and I think the fans enjoyed it most importantly", Champs coach Steve Stringer said after the second game. "A big thank you goes out to the organizing staff here in Yellowknife; they did a fabulous job".


GAME SUMMARY
RHL15 All-Star Game #1

SCORING 1 2 3 4 T PPA PPG FOW FOL SHOTS ON GOAL 1 2 3 4
T
------- -- -- -- -- -- --- --- --- --- ----- -- ---- -- -- -- --
---
Champions 4 2 2 0 8 2 1 30 14 Champions 15 9 12 0
36
Premier 1 2 1 0 4 4 1 14 30 Premier 12 11 6 0
29

Corner Battles Time of Possession by Zone
Passing
Other Stats Hits Won % Won Offensive Neutral Defensive Total Comp
%Comp
----------- ---- --- ----- --------- ------- --------- ----- ----
-----
Champions 17 20 52.6 09:54 07:59 11:20 29:13 114
85.7
Premier 19 18 47.4 10:04 09:34 11:09 30:47 107
73.8

GOALS ALLOWED 1 2 3 4 T SHOTS FACED 1 2 3 4
T
------------- -- -- -- -- --- ----------- -- -- -- --
---
Kiprusoff 1 2 1 0 4 Kiprusoff 12 11 6 0
29
Brodeur 4 2 2 0 8 Brodeur 15 9 12 0
36

GOALS
-----
# TEAM PER TIME PLAYER GOAL# ASSIST #1 ASSIST #2 TYPE
------ --- ----- ------------ ----- ------------ ------------ --------
1 CHA 1 03:54 Kovalchuk 1 Sundin Pronger EST
2 PRE 1 08:15 Smyth 1 Forsberg Satan PPG
3 CHA 1 12:08 Datsyuk 1 Tkachuk Mrn.Hossa EST
4 CHA 1 16:55 Rucchin 1 EST
5 CHA 1 17:28 Guerin 1 EST
6 PRE 2 07:31 S.Walker 1 Timonen McEachern EST
7 CHA 2 10:56 Kovalchuk 2 Mrn.Hossa S.Niedermaye EST
8 PRE 2 17:47 Timonen 1 S.Walker Holik EST
9 CHA 2 19:09 Mrn.Hossa 1 Kovalchuk Datsyuk PPG
10 CHA 3 00:16 Datsyuk 2 S.Niedermaye Mrn.Hossa EST
11 PRE 3 03:47 Kubina 1 Sakic Timonen EST
12 CHA 3 05:32 Chara 1 Elias Palffy EST

PENALTIES
---------
PER TIME TEAM PLAYER PIM MINORS MAJORS MISC. MATCH GMISC GRMIS
--- ----- ---- ------------- --- ------ ------ ------ ----- ------ -------
1 04:37 CHA Johnsson 2 2 0 0 0 0 0
1 07:14 CHA Elias 2 2 0 0 0 0 0
1 19:16 CHA Tkachuk 2 2 0 0 0 0 0
2 02:50 CHA Chara 2 2 0 0 0 0 0
2 08:36 CHA Mrn.Hossa 2 2 0 0 0 0 0
2 08:36 PRE Kubina 2 2 0 0 0 0 0
2 11:12 PRE Jagr 2 2 0 0 0 0 0
2 18:55 PRE S.Walker 2 2 0 0 0 0 0

GAME DETAIL
RHL15 All-Star Game #1

All-Star Champions
----------------------------- -- GOALS -- FO FO Fight
PLAYER MIN GL AS PT SOG PP SH GW GT +/- PIM W L BS HT W L D CW CL PC
PI
------------ --- -- -- -- --- -- -- -- -- --- --- -- -- -- -- - - - -- -- --
--
Fedorov 15 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
2 2
Rucchin 12 1 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 5 2 0 1 0 0 0 2 0
1 1
Datsyuk 20 2 1 3 4 0 0 0 0 2 0 11 6 0 1 0 0 0 2 2
5 1
Sundin 13 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 0
Kovalchuk 18 2 1 3 3 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3
9 1
Tkachuk 21 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0
9 1
Elias 11 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0
8 0
Konowalchuk 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 2
Guerin 12 1 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
7 0
Palffy 12 0 1 1 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
6 0
Mrn.Hossa 20 1 3 4 6 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0
4 1
Lehtinen 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 2
0 1
Norstrom 17 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 1 1
12 0
Lidstrom 21 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
6 0
Chara 15 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 3 3
7 1
Pronger 23 0 1 1 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 3 2
9 1
S.Niedermaye 23 0 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
8 2
Johnsson 21 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 1
15 4
Roloson 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0
Kiprusoff 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 1

TOTALS 60 8 12 20 36 1 0 1 0 20 10 30 14 2 17 0 0 0 20 18
114 19

-- GOALTENDING --
PLAYER SV GA W L T EN SO
------ -- -- - - - -- --
Roloson 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kiprusoff 25 4 1 0 0 0 0
TOTALS 25 4 1 0 0 0 0

All-Stars Premier
----------------------------- -- GOALS -- FO FO Fight
PLAYER MIN GL AS PT SOG PP SH GW GT +/- PIM W L BS HT W L D CW CL PC
PI
------------ --- -- -- -- --- -- -- -- -- --- --- -- -- -- -- - - - -- -- --
--
Sakic 17 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 -3 0 7 6 0 2 0 0 0 3 1
8 4
Forsberg 17 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 -2 0 0 3 0 4 0 0 0 1 1
6 2
Holik 14 0 1 1 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 5 0 2 0 0 0 1 1
2 1
Lang 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -1 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
6 4
R.Nash 23 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1
2 2
Smyth 15 1 0 1 4 1 0 0 0 -2 0 1 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5 2
Damphousse 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -1 0 3 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
8 0
McEachern 12 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 0
6 0
Satan 22 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 -3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
4 2
S.Walker 15 1 1 2 2 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 1 3
4 3
Alfredsson 12 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 -2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 1
Jagr 9 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 -1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 0
Timonen 27 1 2 3 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 2
14 1
Niinimaa 22 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2
10 7
Leopold 21 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 -5 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 4 2
4 3
R.Blake 17 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 2
8 2
Kubina 18 1 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0
8 0
Visnovsky 16 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
6 2
Brodeur 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 2
Luongo 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0

TOTALS 60 4 8 12 29 1 0 0 0 -20 6 14 30 2 19 0 0 0 18 20
107 38

-- GOALTENDING --
PLAYER SV GA W L T EN SO
------ -- -- - - - -- --
Brodeur 28 8 0 1 0 0 0
Luongo 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
TOTALS 28 8 0 1 0 0 0

GAME SUMMARY
RHL15 All-Star Game #2

SCORING 1 2 3 4 T PPA PPG FOW FOL SHOTS ON GOAL 1 2 3 4
T
------- -- -- -- -- -- --- --- --- --- ----- -- ---- -- -- -- --
---
Champions 1 1 0 0 2 3 1 28 16 Champions 17 11 8 0
36
Premier 2 0 1 0 3 4 0 16 28 Premier 11 6 9 0
26

Corner Battles Time of Possession by Zone
Passing
Other Stats Hits Won % Won Offensive Neutral Defensive Total Comp
%Comp
----------- ---- --- ----- --------- ------- --------- ----- ----
-----
Champions 28 28 51.9 10:18 07:46 11:42 29:46 97
85.8
Premier 33 26 48.1 09:41 08:21 12:12 30:14 92
74.8

GOALS ALLOWED 1 2 3 4 T SHOTS FACED 1 2 3 4
T
------------- -- -- -- -- --- ----------- -- -- -- --
---
Roloson 2 0 1 0 3 Roloson 11 6 9 0
26
Luongo 1 1 0 0 2 Luongo 17 11 8 0
36

GOALS
-----
# TEAM PER TIME PLAYER GOAL# ASSIST #1 ASSIST #2 TYPE
------ --- ----- ------------ ----- ------------ ------------ --------
1 CHA 1 04:43 Pronger 1 Sundin Palffy PPG
2 PRE 1 07:21 Niinimaa 1 Lang EST
3 PRE 1 12:17 McEachern 1 Holik Niinimaa EST
4 CHA 2 17:35 Tkachuk 1 Datsyuk Mrn.Hossa EST
5 PRE 3 08:53 Smyth 1 Niinimaa Sakic EST

PENALTIES
---------
PER TIME TEAM PLAYER PIM MINORS MAJORS MISC. MATCH GMISC GRMIS
--- ----- ---- ------------- --- ------ ------ ------ ----- ------ -------
1 01:10 PRE Forsberg 2 2 0 0 0 0 0
1 02:16 CHA Chara 2 2 0 0 0 0 0
1 04:40 PRE Smyth 2 2 0 0 0 0 0
1 08:59 CHA Kovalchuk 2 2 0 0 0 0 0
1 14:46 PRE Timonen 2 2 0 0 0 0 0
2 13:14 CHA Norstrom 2 2 0 0 0 0 0
3 09:28 CHA Datsyuk 2 2 0 0 0 0 0
3 18:41 CHA Elias 2 2 0 0 0 0 0
3 18:41 PRE Kubina 2 2 0 0 0 0 0
 GAME DETAIL
RHL15 All-Star Game #2

All-Star Champions
----------------------------- -- GOALS -- FO FO Fight
PLAYER MIN GL AS PT SOG PP SH GW GT +/- PIM W L BS HT W L D CW CL PC
PI
------------ --- -- -- -- --- -- -- -- -- --- --- -- -- -- -- - - - -- -- --
--
Fedorov 21 0 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 4 0 2 0 0 0 4 2
3 0
Rucchin 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1
4 0
Datsyuk 12 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 -2 2 5 6 0 2 0 0 0 0 0
4 2
Sundin 14 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 4 0 2 0 0 0 1 1
5 1
Kovalchuk 16 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 2
Tkachuk 14 1 0 1 5 0 0 0 0 -2 0 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
3 1
Elias 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
8 0
Konowalchuk 12 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0
2 0
Guerin 13 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 2
Palffy 15 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 1
Mrn.Hossa 14 0 1 1 5 0 0 0 0 -2 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
6 0
Lehtinen 15 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 3
4 0
Norstrom 19 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 6 5
4 1
Lidstrom 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 4 5
11 1
Chara 19 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 3 2
9 1
Pronger 19 1 0 1 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1
9 1
S.Niedermaye 26 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 -2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 5 5
14 2
Johnsson 17 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
5 1
Roloson 59 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0
Kiprusoff 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0

TOTALS 60 2 4 6 36 1 0 0 0 -10 10 28 16 2 28 0 0 0 28 26 97
16

-- GOALTENDING --
PLAYER SV GA W L T EN SO
------ -- -- - - - -- --
Roloson 23 3 0 1 0 0 0
Kiprusoff 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
TOTALS 23 3 0 1 0 0 0

All-Stars Premier
----------------------------- -- GOALS -- FO FO Fight
PLAYER MIN GL AS PT SOG PP SH GW GT +/- PIM W L BS HT W L D CW CL PC
PI
------------ --- -- -- -- --- -- -- -- -- --- --- -- -- -- -- - - - -- -- --
--
Sakic 14 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 5 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
4 2
Forsberg 14 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 4 0 5 0 0 0 1 1
4 0
Holik 13 0 1 1 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 5 4 0 2 0 0 0 1 2
9 2
Lang 17 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 4 0 1 0 0 0 2 3
7 3
R.Nash 16 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 3 2
3 0
Smyth 15 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 2 2 5 0 4 0 0 0 3 1
5 2
Damphousse 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
1 1
McEachern 13 1 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 2 0
4 1
Satan 16 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 2
7 5
S.Walker 13 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
2 2
Alfredsson 12 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
6 2
Jagr 18 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 0 0 0 3 4
3 0
Timonen 21 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 3
8 3
Niinimaa 16 1 2 3 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
6 1
Leopold 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 1
3 3
R.Blake 24 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 1 1
5 1
Kubina 19 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 3 1 0 0 0 2 2
7 1
Visnovsky 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
8 2
Brodeur 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0
Luongo 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0

TOTALS 60 3 5 8 26 0 0 1 0 10 8 16 28 3 33 0 0 0 26 28 92
31

-- GOALTENDING --
PLAYER SV GA W L T EN SO
------ -- -- - - - -- --
Brodeur 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Luongo 34 2 1 0 0 0 0
TOTALS 34 2 1 0 0 0 0

Days 81-82: Weekend Sweep

St. Pete's, FL (AP)

The Rovers flew south to St. Pete's a day early to hit the beach, then the next day they hit the Wicked Ale for a 4-2 road victory. For the second straight game captain Olli Jokinen tallied the winning goal, this one late in the third period in a 2-2 game that was close only for the efforts of Patrick Lalime in the Ale nets. Lalime was ambushed to the tune of 47 shots against, but held the Ale in the game for 57 minutes. Glen Murray and Pavol Demitra gave the Rovers a 2-1 lead after Martin Straka opened the scoring early in the first. Eric Brewer iced the game 33 seconds after Jokinen's go-ahead marker. Chris Mason won his second straight start, stopping 19 of 21 shots for his seventh win of the season.

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

A quick flight home saw a short turnaround to the next Baffin game at home against Albany for the second time in four days. Unlike Thursday, however, this game was not close as the Rovers overwhelmed Ed Belfour for four goals on 17 shots in the first period to take a 4-0 lead into the lockerroom. Kris Draper scored twice in the frame, as did Mark Recchi and Jeff Halpern. It was a lead they would not relinquish as they maintained the pressure in the second, again outshooting the StrapHangers by a 16-5 margin. Mark Recchi notched his second of the game early in the third and Nathan Horton pushed the lead to 6-0 minutes later to conclude the Rover scoring. Sergei Samsonov's goal 13 seconds after Horton's was the only blemish on Chris Mason's evening as he stopped 22 of 23 for his third consecutive win.

The three wins moved Baffin Island four points ahead of the Mounties for first place, with Kitchener holding one game in hand. The Rovers now have three days off before entering a curious stretch of nine days during which they play the Selects twice and the Vampyres four times.

Day 79: Olli-Olli Oxen Free!

"Awesome", Rovers captain Olli Jokinen on how it felt to skate on the top line and score the winning goal against the StrapHangers on Thursday.




Iqaluit, NU (CP)

When Rover Report visited with Olli Jokinen last week, he felt he was still contributing to the team even though he was not seeing the icetime he has been accustomed to in recent years. Now, a day after the coaching staff tabbed him to center the #1 line in a line shuffle, he feels even better. Jokinen scored twice, including the game-winner in the third period, in the Rovers 3-1 win over the StrapHangers. "Everyone wants to play lots and score big goals, but opportunity isn't something you directly control", Jokinen said after the win. "But when you get your chance, you have to take advantage. Tonight was awesome".

Jokinen made his mark early, deflecting home an Eric Brewer point shot on power-play just over three minutes into the game. Kevyn Adams tied the game with his third of the season just past the midpoint of the frame. The Rovers outshot the Hangers 12-6 in the period and increased the pressure in the second, only to be repeated stymied by ex-Rover Ed Belfour. Outshot 18-6 in the second, Belfour stood on his head. Time and again he robbed Rover shooters of what seemed to be sure goals, his best effort coming on a sliding pad-stack save off an Alexander Frolov attempt while on a long 2-on-1 with Pavol Demitra. "Eddie always plays us tough... has ever since he's been in Albany", Stringer said of his former netminder. "It seems like it's always a battle against him, so we were lucky to squeeze enough by him to get the win".

With the StrapHangers retreating into a tight defensive shell to start the third, it was open season on Belfour. However it wasn't until the 13 minute mark of the period when Jokinen broke the deadlock, taking a breakaway pass from Danny Markov and going in alone to beat Belfour with a quick snapshot low to the glove side. Nathan Horton added an insurance goal later in the frame, tapping home a gorgeous cross-crease pass from Jeff Halpern on a play that caught the StrapHangers defense napping. Chris Mason, getting the start for Martin Gerber, stopped 13 of 14 shots for the win, while Belfour was stellar, making 40 saves in defeat.

The win moved the Rovers two points clear of the Mounties for tops in the Champions Conference. Both teams have played 39 games. Baffin now has a day off before travelling to St. Pete's to meet the Wicked Ale and then returning to again host the StrapHangers.

Notes: Sports talk radio in Iqaluit was buzzing with speculation that the Rovers were about to make a major trade with the 500s. Stringer addressed the situation after the game.. sort of. "Yeah, Indy seems to be active in the trade market right now. If we become active, you'll all hear about it. But right now, we aren't".

Champs Conference All-Stars: Inside the Selections

Yellowknife, NWT (CP)

Talk leading up to the All-Star game was relatively quiet regarding player selection as tight battles at the top of each conference continued to rage and league standing had enraptured the media. However, as the spotlight began to shift north to the I&S Mine Shaft, site of the RHL15 All-Star games, speculation as to the All-Star lineups began to grow. That said, Champion Conference head coach Steve Stringer took to the podium this afternoon in front of a packed room to announce the All-Stars for his conference. The complete lineup is as follows:

C - Sergei Fedorov - CAP (s), Pavel Datsyuk - FUN, Mats Sundin - MOU, Steve Rucchin - SPE
LW - Ilya Kovalchuk - CAP (s), Keith Tkachuk - ROA, Patrik Elias - SOC, Steve Konowalchuk - VAM
RW - Bill Guerin - FUN (s), Marian Hossa - SEL, Zigmund Palffy - STR, Jere Lehtinen - 500
D - Nicklas Lidstrom - SOC (s), Scott Niedermayer - FUN (s), Chris Pronger - ROV, Kim Johnsson - ROV, Zdeno Chara - MOU, Mattias Norstrom - WIC
G - Miikka Kiprusoff - MOU (s), Dwayne Roloson - CAP

"With any All-Star team, there are way too many guys that deserve to make it but can't because of the numbers game", Stringer said about the challenge of assembling such a team. "It always comes down to having to choose one or two guys out of a group of eight or ten and you know that every guy there could do the job and do it well".

One eyebrow-raiser among the omissions was Fredrik Modin, the conference's second leading scorer. "Modin was a real tough choice. It came down not only to numbers, but to team representation. Many slots were spoken for before we had to make real choices". The Rovers are represented by their top defensive tandem of Pronger and Johnsson, though no Rover forwards made the cut, and neither did starting goalie Martin Gerber. "Kim and Chris obviously deserved to make the team, so I made sure they were there", Stringer said of his Dmen. "But then when we got to the forwards, we had to fit in so many teams that there weren't many spots remaining. Demitra got serious consideration, but Sundin deserved it more. Marty [Gerber] is certainly deserving, but Roloson simply had better numbers across the board and deserved it just that much more. Like I said, wasn't easy".

The inclusion of defensive forwards Konowalchuk, Rucchin, and Lehtinen also drew questions. "Like I said, team representation was a key factor. With Mark [Benvenga] dismantling his team so quickly, it put a big challenge to us. Suddenly instead of Sundin, Tanguay, and Schneider, there weren't many guys left. Jere was his leading scorer, but is best known as a defensive guy. Then, looking around we saw Rooch and Kono were also leading their teams in scoring, so it was the natural thing to do to select them all, filling the representation and gaining a shutdown line and all our PK guys in the one shot. Draper was another guy that was considered, but it came down to those three being the best reps for their respective clubs. That defensive line became the first unit chosen just because of the circumstances of those three teams, then we filled the remaining two offensive lines last".

Other players that just missed the cut include Martin St. Louis, Dany Heatley, Markus Naslund, Wade Redden, and Sergei Gonchar, as well as numerous others. More than 40 players were debated for the 20 slots. Team breakdown saw the top five teams in the conference land multiple players, with the Mounties, Capones, and Funboys sending three apiece while the Rovers and Sockeyes each send two. The remaining seven teams have one representative. The All-Star games are slated to be played tonight.

Shuffling the Deck

The Rovers prepare to host the StrapHangers with new line combinations.




Iqaluit, NU (CP)

As the Rovers head into a stretch of games against two struggling teams in the StrapHangers and Wicked Ale, the coaching staff are going to experiment with a new look down the middle. Olli Jokinen, with four goals and two assists in the three games prior to the Funboys loss, finds himself skating on the top line alongside wingers Cory Stillman and Glen Murray. Pavol Demitra, Murray's long-time linemate, drops to the second line with Alexander Frolov and Mark Recchi, while Kris Draper will shift to third line centre between Jeff Halpern and Nathan Horton. The fourth line remains intact with David Legwand centering Antti Laaksonen and Adam Hall.

The move is an attempt to improve the overall production of the group as Jokinen is the team's top rated passer among forwards at 82.3%, while Draper was completing less than 70% of his pass attempts. "Kris has played very well for us as his eleven goals indicate", Stringer said during the scrum after practice, "but we want to see if Jokinen's playmaking can jolt the top lines. We've felt all season that this group has more to give, so we'll continue to tinker until we get them playing to their potential".

After the game, Stringer had a roster selection meeting via conference call with fellow All-Star coaches Brad Schott and Paul Myers. Stringer will guide the Champion Conference All-Star squad this season, and the lobbying among his players to get on the team has been intense. "I won't lie, we've all been in his ear", Chris Pronger laughed when asked about the situation. "I think even Moose [3rd string goalie Johan Hedberg] has been chirping about getting on the team. Personally I think my mom would make a better choice in net than him, but don't tell him I said that".

Day 76: No Fun in Saskatoon

"What can I say? We kicked their asses" - Funboys forward Eric Lindros

Saskatoon, SK (CP)

So long, farewell. The Rovers won't be shedding any tears leaving Saskatoon for the final time this regular season. After splitting the two previous hard-fought contests at Saskatchewan Place, the Rovers were handed their biggest defeat of the season, a 5-2 drubbing that snapped their nine-game unbeaten streak. It was only the second time all season that the Rovers allowed five goals (a 5-5 tie with Waterloo early in the season being the only other), and it was the first loss of the season by more than two goals. "No doubt about it.. they thumped us", Stringer said of the loss. "They got us running around and taking penalties, then they killed us on their PP. We've just got to forget this and move on".

The Funboys carried the play from the opening whistle, taking a quick 2-0 lead less than five minutes into the game on goals by Sullivan and Lindros and outshooting the Rovers 13-4 in the stanza. The Rovers fought back in the second, scoring early on a Kris Draper wrister and late on a Kim Johnsson slapshot to tie, but All-Star starter Scott Niedermayer put the Funboys back on top for good a mere 22 seconds after Johnsson's equalizer. Saskatoon iced the game with two more power-play tallies in the third from fellow All-Star starter Bill Guerin and Lindros, his second of the night. Martin Gerber dropped the decision allowing five goals on 33 shots, while Michael Leighton kicked out 20 of 22 for the victory.

The loss drops the Rovers percentage points behind the Mounties, who now have a game in hand with which to overcome their one point deficit to Baffin Island. The Funboys pull to within four points of the Capones for fourth place, though the Vampyres still separate the two having games in hand on Saskatoon. The Rovers now have two days off before a stretch of three games in four nights against the StrapHangers and Wicked Ale. "We're looking forward to a few days off and re-charging before taking on Albany. They've been struggling, so we can't afford to let up. We'll be ready for them".

Notes: - Sean Hill did not accompany the team to Saskatoon, but had responded well to treatment over the past 24 hours for his injury. He is expected to be ready for the Albany home game later this week.

Day 75: Stillman Stirs PP

Cory Stillman dekes Roadkill netminder Roman Turek for the first of three Rovers power-play goals on the evening.



Iqaluit, NU (CP)

Cory Stillman notched a goal and two assists on the power-play, while Olli Jokinen scored two goals at even strength to push the Rovers past the Waterloo Roadkill 5-1 Saturday evening in Iqaluit. The win extends the team's unbeaten streak to nine games, giving them 12 victories in their past 14 games.

Jokinen opened the scoring just over a minute into the game, snapping home a slap-pass from Chris Pronger for his fifth of the season. He struck again midway through the period for his second of the game, finishing off a lovely three-way passing play with linemates Nathan Horton and Jeff Halpern. Two minutes later with Roadkill defenseman Pavel Trnka in the box for interference, Stillman took a stretch pass from Mark Recchi and deked Roman Turek with a slick backhand-to-forehand manoeuver. The Rovers took the 3-0 lead into the intermission despite being outshot 8-7.

The second period saw the Roadkill press the issue as they carried the play, outshooting the Rovers 10-5 in the frame. However Martin Gerber withstood the barrage to keep the 3-0 lead intact heading into the third period. Then, 27 seconds into the 3rd, the Rovers struck again on the PP as Glen Murray converted a goal-mouth feed from Jokinen for his team-leading 13th of the season. Doug Weight and Recchi exchanged late goals to cap the scoring. Gerber stopped 27 of 28 shots for his 16th win of the season. "Our special teams played real well, and Marty [Gerber] was great again for us", Stringer said after the game. "We could still be a bit more involved at even strength, but Olli's line was really going so we have to be pleased with the effort".

The win kept the Rovers one point ahead of the Mounties for first place in the division as the Mounties had defeated the Capones 4-3 in an afternoon matchup. The Rovers now travel to Saskatoon to meet the Funboys for their third consecutive road meeting. The Rovers took a 4-3 decision in their last game two weeks ago and lead the season-series two games to one thus far.

Notes:
- Defenseman Sean Hill didn't come out for the third period, suffering what team officials are calling an upper-body injury. He will not make the trip to Saskatoon, but expects to be ready for the upcoming pair of games after the Funboys matchup. Rookie John-Michael Liles will replace Hill in the lineup tomorrow night, making his second appearance of the season.
- Defenseman Danny Markov made his Rovers debut, skating 17 minutes primarily alongside Chris Pronger. He was a +1 and completed 9 of 10 passes, and also killed penalties with Robyn Regehr.

The Joker: Still Smiling

Olli being Olli.

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

It's hard to find Rover center Olli Jokinen in poor spirits. He's always smiling and cracking jokes (usually at the expense of unsuspecting teammates) and is general upbeat about things. This season, however, has been a mixed bag for Jokinen. The long-time Rover finds himself on a team that is in first place, but he is not contributing to it as much as he is accustomed. After averaging a hair under a point per game over the past two seasons, Jokinen has been mostly skating on the third line, and has only registered a dozen points through the first half of the season. But one thing is for sure; you won't hear him complain about it.

"The thing is, we've got a good team", Olli said of his current situation. "Drapes [Kris Draper] has really stepped up his game, and we've got a lot of great wingers in Fro [Alex Frolov], Rex [Mark Recchi], and Stills [Cory Stillman]. Sometimes I've spelled Drapes on the second line, but Nate [Nathan Horton] and I have played well together, so we just have depth. That ain't bad".

The current Rovers ironman (he has 254 straight games since being acquired in RHL11), Jokinen can see the goal of the team, and knows his future in it is secure. "You ask me would I like to play more.. well, who wouldn't? Sure I would, but I'm not. But I know what we're trying to do and am willing to play when I can. We're all focussed on the playoffs here, and that's it".

When asked about his new teammates, Jokinen's playful character shone through. "Cory and Mark are great guys, always good for a laugh, but Laaks [Antti Laaksonen] is the best. That guy cracks me up. I'm surprised San Diego let him go. All I know is that he's having a riot with us, so something must be right".

Four Rovers contend for All-Star starter

The league's annual All-Star ballot was released yesterday, with the format of Champions vs Premier conference returning from last season. Four Rovers are listed among the nominees. Newcomer Mark Recchi is on the ticket for Right Wing and is the only Rover forward on the ballot. Standout defensemen Chris Pronger and Kim Johnsson are vying for the same starting job at Right Defense, while Martin Gerber is a starting candidate in goal. Starters will be announced on March 12th, with coaches selections rounding out the roster after that. Rovers coach Stringer is suspected to be part of the Champions coaching staff. Best of luck to all Rovers.

Notes: - Danny Markov's first practice with the Rovers saw him practice alongside Chris Pronger during defensive drills. "Chris is an amazing player, and you don't fully appreciate him until you line up with him. I can't wait to play here", Markov said after the spirited practice. Markov is also expected to see time on the penalty-killing units. The Rovers entertain Markov's former team, the Roadkill, tonight.

Markov Marked for Rovers

Defenseman Danny Markov (file photo) doing what he does best, crushing an opposing forward into the glass.

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

As first broken two days ago on Rover Report, Danny Markov is joining the Baffin Island Rovers for their playoff run. Acquired from the Waterloo Roadkill along with a draft pick, the Rovers send veteran Cale Hulse, prospect Jeff Tambellini, and cash considerations to Waterloo in exchange. "We're really pleased to get Danny", Stringer said at the news conference. "We've actually been after Danny going back to last season. Waterloo was in a fight for promotion at that time and wouldn't part with him. They succeeded in gaining promotion, and we continued to talk about him, but with their strong start they still resisted. But when they recently announced publicly that they'd listen to offers for some players, we jumped again and it came together quickly".

Markov led the Roadkill in ice-time this season, playing over 25 minutes a game while playing in all 36 Waterloo games. Not particularly known for his offense, he has notched four goals and seven assists for eleven points, second amongst Roadkill defensemen to PP specialist Bryan Berard. But what Markov excels at is the physical aspect of the game. His open-ice hits and board play are excellent, which is what the Rovers were looking for. His 46 PIM lead the Roadkill as did his 21 blocked shots, and he was second on the club with 90 hits (which now ranks second on the Rovers behind only Chris Pronger). "I like to hit people", a sheepish Markov said when asked what part of the game he likes best. "I'm no Paul Coffey or someone like that.. I just play defense".

"Cale was tremendous for us; his +/- was among the team leaders, but when Markov became available we felt it was a big upgrade at a reasonable cost for the future. We think Jeff will be an excellent RHLer in the future, but fortunately our scouting staff has stocked our farm with enough quality prospects that we could afford to make the deal. Markov will be able to kill penalties for us and gives us another guy that can play top four minutes should an injury occur now or in the playoffs".

The Rovers have another day off today so Markov will get his first Rovers practice in and allow the coaching staff to assemble new lines for tomorrow's game against, of all teams, the Waterloo Roadkill. "Yes, it will be strange to play those guys so soon after being traded", Markov said of the timing. "I just hope they're ready, and they keep their heads up".

At it Again?

Rover Report has learned that the Rovers are about to add a defenseman from another team in the Champs conference. More as we get it.

A Brief History of Time

The Rovers recent 2-2 tie with the Kitchener Mounties was the 300th game in the still short history of the team. Since their inception, the club has posted a regular-season record of 136-130-34, as well as a 26-15 mark in the playoffs where the team has won six of seven playoff series and one Kings Cup championship in RHL13.

Assistant captain Sean Hill remains as the only player still with the team from their expansion draft (the team signed expansion draftee Cale Hulse as a free agent this year after two seasons away from the team), while David Legwand, acquired in the RHL11 preseason, has played 297 of the team's 300 regular season games. Legwand, Hill, and assistant Olli Jokinen are the only three players still with the team that suited up in all five Rover campaigns.

Pavol Demitra, acquired in the RHL12 preseason, recently scored his 100th goal as a Rover and leads the team in goals (100), assists (134), and points (234). Demitra, Murray, and Jokinen figure most prominently among the franchise scoring leaders with one of the three leading almost all regular season (Demitra) and playoff (Murray, Jokinen) scoring categories. Kim Johnsson has established himself as the leading scorer among defenseman in his three seasons with the club, being the only blueliner to crack 100 points with the franchise thus far.

The club has used goaltender by committee in their formative years, with Ed Belfour being their first marquee netminder (RHL12-13), then Roman Cechmanek coming in to lead during the two finals appearances (RHL13-14), and now Martin Gerber taking over this season. Cechmanek still leads in games played, wins, and shutouts, but Gerber's half-season numbers place him first in franchise GAA and sv. pct. The goaltending may be in for another shakeup in the future as the club expects their first ever draft pick, RHL11 first overall Kari Lehtonen, to debut in RHL17 and challenge for the #1 job.

So what does the man in charge think of the first 300 games? "Really, if anyone had told me that by season five we'd have a championship, another finals appearance, and would be in first place right now, well, I'd have had them committed", GM Stringer said in exclusive sit-down with Rover Report. "Obviously things have gone way better than anyone could have expected, but all winning a championship early in our history does is make our fans expect us to win again.. and that's exactly what we want. We want our fans to believe that we can win every year; that's what makes it exciting. They keep us on our toes and doing the best job possible every year. The only way to follow up winning is to keep winning, so that's what we want to do here.. this year, and every year. Now it might not always happen, but as long as the fans can see an exciting product and a clear vision for the future, then we'll be doing the right thing".

Day 72: Fit to be Tied

Mounties goalie Miikka Kiprusoff (file photo) pauses to catch his breath, something he had little chance to do on Friday night.






Kitchener, ON (CP)

For the third time this season, the score was to be settled between the two top teams in the Champs conference, but for the third time the Rovers and the Mounties skated away from each other tied after 65 minutes. The latest battleground was Kitchener, where the Rovers had previously earned a 2-2 draw in the first month of the season. Last night's result was no different, a 2-2 tie which left the Rovers both encourgaed and discouraged at the same time. The story of the game was the Rovers relentless barrage of shots versus arguably the story of the season, Mounties netminder Miikka Kiprusoff, who turned aside 53 of 55 shots in earning the draw.

The Rovers knew that they had to jump on the Mounties early and try to get them to come out of their patented neutral-zone trap, so they threw everything they had at Kiprusoff in the first period. After facing and stopping 20 shots in the period, Sergei Gonchar snuck a rocket by the blocker side of Martin Gerber to give the Mounties a 1-0 lead going into the intermission despite being outshot 20-3. The second period would finally see the Rovers be rewarded for their efforts, as their 17-7 margin of shots produced two goals two minutes apart by Alexander Frolov and Olli Jokinen.

Trailing going into the third, the Mounties were forced to open up slightly and produced the equalizer under two minutes into the frame on a Daymond Langkow marker. The former Rover converted a mad scramble in front of Gerber to square the affair at 2-2. From that point the Mounties were content to sit back and play for the tie, which is what they did. The Rovers continued to gain quality scoring chance after scoring chance, but Kiprusoff stood tall. 15-8 were the shots in the third and 3-1 in OT for a final margin of 55-19 for the Rovers, who had the puck in their offensive zone a full six minutes more than Kitchener did. "He [Kiprusoff] really was the story tonight", Glen Murray said after the game. "He stood on his head. He stole the tie for them, no doubt".

The tie allowed the Rovers to maintain their three point lead on the Mounties for first place, though the Mounties still have one game in hand. The Rovers now have two days off before hosting the Roadkill and then travelling to Saskatoon to face the Funboys. Nathan Horton, who took the warm-up but didn't dress against Kitchener, should be ready to go vs. the Roadkill.

Day 71: Eight is Enough

Tomas Vokoun stares at the ice wondering when the nightmare will end.

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

The Rovers kicked off their second half at home on Thurday night by laying an 8-2 beating on the Guelph Spectres. The win represented their biggest margin and highest output of the season, and was their seventh in a row. Mark Recchi and Cory Stillman each had their best game as a Rover, tallying one goal and two assists each.

In the first period it appeared as though Tomas Vokoun was going to frustrate the Rovers all night, as he turned aside 11 of 12 shots, yielding only a point shot from Kim Johnsson that was deflected by his own defenseman. Taking the 1-0 lead into the second, the Rovers hit their stride with Olli Jokinen setting the tone by scoring only six seconds into the period. Goals by Stillman, Recchi, rookie Patrice Bergeron and Jeff Halpern highlighted a five goal period that saw the Rovers take a 6-1 lead. Kris Draper and Glen Murray scored 21 seconds apart in the third to cap the blowout win. Martin Gerber stopped 23 of 25 shots for the win, while Vokoun allowed eight goals on 32 shots. The Rovers dominated, taking the edge in faceoffs, hits, corner battles, possession, and passing. "It was a good win. You need to play your game against all teams, even those down in the standings. Letting up can only lead to bad habits", Stringer said in a quick press conference after the game.

The win now sets up a huge battle at the top of the Champs Conference as the Rovers travel to Kitchener to tangle with the second-place Mounties. Having tied both meetings thus far, no team has established an edge and both are looking to hold or re-take the #1 seed. "Kitchener is a great team and a brutal place to play. We need an effort like this to win there. It'll be anything but easy", Jokinen said of tomorrow's game.

- Nathan Horton will make the trip to Kitchener but is unsure if he will be available to play against the Mounties. He continues to receive treatment for his sore shoulder and will be a game-time decision.