Days 111-113: Slaying the Giant

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

Finally, for the first time all season, there was a decision in a Rovers - Mounties game, and it went Baffin's way. After four straight ties in the season series, the Rovers behind Chris Mason pulled a 1-0 shutout win from Kiprusoff's Mounties. Cory Stillman sniped the only goal of the game in the final minute of the second period to provide the margin of victory. Mason stopped all 26 Mountie shots, while Kipper allowed the single goal over 20 shots in defeat. "Mase was absolutely huge for us", Stringer said after the win. "We've always knew that he could do the job if called upon, and tonight was his night to shine". The win will do nothing to quell the burgeoning goalie controversy on Baffin Island as Mason has now started four straight games. "Marty will be back in, don't you worry", Stringer answered when asked if Gerber would ever see the ice again.

Lethbridge, AB (CP)

Heading to Alberta to face the Selects, Martin Gerber was back in net and displayed no rust at all. After four games off, Gerber stepped back in to stop 23 of 24 Selects shots in a 3-1 Rovers win. Chris Pronger, Danny Markov, and Glen Murray tallied for Baffin, who posted their fourth straight win. "It's good to see us picking up the pace after that dry spell", Stringer admitted. "If we keep this up, we will have a chance to be where we want to be in the end".

Where they want to be is first place, and they currently sit two points back of Kitchener with a game in hand. They now return home to host the 500s.

Days 106-109: N/Arry a worry

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

After losing to the StrapHangers on the weekend, the Rovers were feeling pretty down on themselves as they headed to Kitchener to battle the Mounties. Trying to stem their worst slide of the season, the Rovers started Chris Mason and he provided the spark they needed, stopping 24 of 26 shots to earn a 2-2 tie. Alexander Frolov and Glen Murray scored late third period goals to dig out from a 2-0 deficit to gain the single point. The tie came at a cost, though, as both Pavol Demitra and Eric Brewer went down with injuries.

The next day saw the Rovers back on the ice at home facing the Capones, the team that started their current funk. Sticking with Mason in goal, the coaching staff decided to take the unorthodox approach of not replacing Demitra and Brewer in the lineup and instead playing with only 11 forwards and 5 D. The move paid off as the Rovers got a hat-trick from Cory Stillman and Mason stopped 29 of 32 shots for a 6-3 Rovers win. "We've got a lot of guys that could play more minutes if we asked them, so we figured we'd let them all pick up the slack with double-shifting, etc. Everyone really responded to the extra ice". When questioned as to whether this was a calculated move or whether the coaching staff was simply lax in setting new line combinations, Stringer bristled. "Come on, how stupid do I look?"

Two days later the Rovers were in Waterloo to face the Roadkill. Opting to ice the shorthanded lineup again and starting Mason for the third straight contest, the Rovers won 5-3 as five different scorers contributed, including Murray's team-leading 18th. "I wonder if we should bother ever replacing anyone who's out of the lineup if these results continue to hold", Stringer mused after the win.

The Rovers now have a day off before hosting Kitchener in a critical matchup. They currently sit four points back of the Mounties and two points ahead of the Capones with each having twelve remaining games. Neither Brewer nor Demitra is expected to be ready for the Kitchener game, so the coaching staff will again have to decide how to handle their lineup. We'll wait and see how they respond as game day approaches.

Day 102: Strappies Send Rovers Reeling

Iqaluit, NU (IFPW)

A third straight loss has this writer lost for words. Where has this team gone? Ok, so you can drop two decisions to the Capones, but this isn't cool. The StrapHangers? I've talked to their coach Adam Ardis, and he's a nice enough guy, but his team sucks and the Rovers should not be losing to them on home ice. And don't give me that "Belfour always shows up against Baffin Island" nonsense. That's a bunch of tripe that the Rovers have been feeding the public as they scramble to hide the fact that they aren't beating inferior competition.

And in the midst of the worst slide since the first week of the season, you can bet that the team won't do anything at the trade deadline either. "We spent our money already!", they'll say. "Don't you like Cory Stillman?!?1", they'll say. Listen, I'm here to tell you that the Rovers can make plenty of moves, but are too wrapped up in their shiny prospects to budge. How's that for a 'thank-you' to the fans that are showing up this season? Not much of one in my book.

So what are they going to do? If you suckers are waiting for any magic beans to come along, they aren't. Maybe they'll shuffle the lines; yeah, that should do the trick! There is more than enough talent on the team to be in first place, but if the coaching staff can't do more with them than they are, then there needs to be a change. There's something rotten in Denmark, and a short playoff run may well be the spoiled fruit of this burgeoning malaise that has suddenly engulfed the organization.

Let's see what team comes to play in Kitchener tonight. Prove me wrong, fellas.

For Iqlauit Frozen Puck Weekly, I'm I.C. Stair.

Day 100: Deja Vu All Over Again

Different location, same result for the Rovers.

Chicago, IL (AP)

The Rovers aren't married to the mob, but they sure have done a good job playing the bitch recently. The home-and-home series with the Capones is over, and the results weren't pretty for Rover fans. Two games and two shutout wins later, the Rovers suddenly find themselves more worried about keeping second place from Chicago than trying to get first place from the red-hot Mounties.

The Capones 3-0 whitewash on home ice was accentuated by a dominant faceoff performance and a superior display of passing. The Rovers held off the potent Chicago attack through most of two periods, but in the last minute of the second Adam Foote struck for a late powerplay goal that seemed to deflate the Baffin hopes. "That first goal was a real back-breaker", Stringer said. "We almost played two perfect road periods and then to give up one late, they rode the momentum in the third to the win".

Third period goals were added by Trent Hunter and Simon Gagne, allowing Dwayne Roloson's 31 save effort to stand up as his second consecutive shutout. Martin Gerber stopped 24 of 27 shots to take the loss. "I don't know what to say; they simply beat us up", a perplexed Stringer said of the two losses. "We've got to find a way, some combinations that can work against this lineup should we meet them again. We've left ourselves with a lot of work down the stretch to shore things up".

Not only do the two defeats represent the first time the team has lost consecutive games since the opening week of the season, but it drops them a full four points behind Kitchener for first, while the Capones have closed to within three for second place. All teams have 16 games remaining. The Rovers return home to host the StrapHangers, and are suddenly under the gun to answer a lot of questions in a short period of time.

Day 99: Rovers Gunned Down by Chicago

The Capones firepower was too much for the Rovers to overcome.

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

The Chicago Capones rolled into Baffin Island looking to take a bite out of the Rovers' lead for second and put on a dominating performance, outshooting the Rovers on home ice and owning them in the faceoff circle on their way to a 4-0 road victory. The Capones' top line of Kovalchuk, Weight, and Hunter scored three of the four goals and combined for seven points in the win. Martin Havlat added the other Capones marker, whose offensive weaponry was too much for the Rovers to combat. "They've got so many guns on that team, it's scary", Stringer said of the opposition. "I mean, Fedorov wasn't really going and there's Gagne as well, not to mention their Dmen. And Roloson was on his game tonight. We just got beat up tonight, and will have to find some answers. We have to work harder; bottom line".

The loss combined with a Mounties tie against the 500s increases Kitchener's lead atop the conference to two points, while the Capones closed the gap for second place to just five. They can further eat into that cushion as the teams travel to Chicago tonight to complete the home-and-home set.

- Kris Draper took the pre-game skate but was unable to dress due to his lower-body injury. Manny Malhotra took his place in the lineup. Draper will make the trip to Chicago and is expected to be ready to go.

Day 96: Rovers Race to Victory

The Rovers led wire to wire and took the checkered flag in Indy.




Indianapolis, IN (AP)

Finally done with the Vampyres for the time being, the Rovers were anxious to face some new opposition in the 500s. The trip to Indy proved to be a successful one, as they skated away with a 3-1 road win. Adam Hall's shorthanded goal opened the scoring in the first, and Cory Stillman added a second early in the middle period. Ramzi Abid answered as the third got underway, but Glen Murray stemmed any possible comeback with another shorthanded effort, this his 16th of the season. Martin Gerber stopped 23 of 24 shots for the win, while Jussi Markkanen made 29 saves in defeat.

The win maintained the status quo atop the division as the Mounties also won to keep their one point cushion over Baffin. The race stands at 69 pts to 68, each with 18 games remaining. The Rovers now face the third-place Capones in a pivotal home-and-home, with the first leg getting underway tonight in Iqaluit.

Notes: - Kris Draper left the game in the third period with a lower-body injury. It is not considered serious, but he will be a game-time decision for tonight's contest against the Capones.

Day 94: Captain Clutch

Rovers captain Olli Jokinen celebrates the first and only goal of the game with five minutes remaining in regulation.

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

Needing a big effort to down the Vampyres on the heels of a 3-0 loss, all hands came out firing in Iqaluit, peppering Vesa Toskala with 38 shots. But it wasn't until late in the third when the captain, Olli Jokinen, one-timed a quick wrister past Toskala that the ice was broken. The goal stood up to be the game-winner as the Rovers earned a hard-fought 1-0 win.

The Rovers had the intensity cranked up from the get-go, and outshot the Vampyres 10-8 in a scoreless first period. The second saw more of the same as Baffin contined to pressure Calgary at every turn. Shots favoured the Rovers 16-5 in the frame, one which saw Vamps winger Gary Roberts leave with a shoulder injury. He did not return. The third period was more of the same, with the Rovers firing everything (including the kitchen sink) at Toskala while the Vamps hung on for dear life. Finally Jokinen broke through, one-timing a snap-pass from Glen Murray past the Vamps keeper with just over five minutes to go. Calgary were unable to come back, mustering only 3 shots in the period. Martin Gerber posted his third shutout of the season, making just 16 saves. "I tell you what, whoever gets Calgary in the playoffs will have their hands full because that guy [Toskala] can steal a series from anyone", Stringer said of the opposing tender. "I'm glad we've got a guy like Marty that can hang with him and battle him save for save, but they'll be tough in the playoffs, no doubt".

The Rovers continue to trail the Mounties at the top of the division by a single point. With 19 games remaining each, Kitchener has 67 points and Baffin 66. The Rovers now travel to Indy to tangle with the 500s. The season series sits at 2-1 Baffin, but this is a very different 500s team since they last met with the departures of Sundin, Tanguay, Kovalev, and Schneider to name a few. That said, the Rovers still expect a battle. "Is the guy behind the bench still there [referring to GM Benvenga]?", Stringer asked of a reporter who suggested that the 500s would be easy pickings. "He is? Well then, we won't get anything for free. Mark's a battler and I don't expect him to start giving me gifts anytime soon".

Day 93: Friggin' Vampyres...

Will the Rovers ever find the stake necessary to kill Calgary?

Calgary, AB (CP)

Returning to Calgary after downing the Vampyres on home ice 4-2 over the weekend, the Rovers faced a rejuvenated host that clearly benefitted from spending some extra time in their coffins before the game. The 3-0 score was the same as the Vampyres last home win over the Rovers two weeks ago, but this was a different team, one that came out and took the play to Baffin, outshooting them and putting on a display of precision passing that the Rovers could not match. John Madden opened the scoring inside of two minutes by stripping Kim Johnsson of the puck on the forecheck and surprising Martin Gerber with a quick backhand deke. The Vamps maintained the one goal edge into the third where Gary Roberts added the insurance in the first minute and Marek Zidlicky iced it with a late power-play tally. Gerber stopped 30 of 33 shots, but Vesa Toskala's 30 saves gave him his fifth shutout of the season.

The loss drops the Rovers a point behind the Mounties for first place. The Rovers are back at it again on Wednesday night when they host, you guessed it, the Vampyres for their third straight meeting.

Over the Hill?

"Talk to my agent, I don't bring that stuff in the lockerroom", was assistant captain Sean Hill's only comment on his reported contract demands.




Iqaluit, NU (IFPW)

It's stretch time, and the playoffs are near. So what are we at Iqaluit Frozen Puck Weekly going to talk about? Money. That's where it is folks, and more specifically how much of it will the Rovers spend on retaining some key free agents. There are close to a dozen players who will be looking for new contracts in the offseason, but a few stand out to this writer, and most of those are on defense.

Sean Hill, assistant captain and the only original Rover remaining from the RHL11 expansion draft, has reportedly asked for major dollars to avoid free-agency. While we're not sure of the actual amount, we've been told that he's using Rob Blake and Adam Foote as comparables, so you do the math. Now we like Sean Hill and think he provides value to the club beyond his on-ice role, both as assistant captain and being a link to the first Rover club, but it sounds like he's trying to write a one-way ticket out of town. Maybe he just wants to test the waters and will re-sign with the club during free agency. That's a possibility, but when the floodgates are opened and the offers come in, it can get out of hand pretty quickly.

Two others that are of particular importance are Robyn Regehr and Danny Markov. If Hill is all but gone, resigning one or both of these guys will be very important. Stringer has shown a willingness to take care of his RFA defensemen in the past, signing Kim Johnsson and Eric Brewer to long-term deals, so it remains to be seen what will happen with these two. But you have to think that if the price is reasonable, they'll get a call.

Up front Jeff Halpern is a guy that the Rovers should look at keeping. He kills penalties, wins faceoffs, and can even score a goal or two when called upon. We were told that when Recchi and Stillman were acquired that they were rentals, but if they want to return to the club at a discount, then perhaps that might happen.

The three remaining guys have fewer options being young guys in the league. Look for Gerber and Hall to return while Montador, who has yet to see the ice as a Rover, may or may not be in the plans. Overall you have to wonder how much money the Rovers will actually have to spend if they plan to retain any of these guys. Signing bonuses cost money, and they've been spending like drunken sailors this season, amassing the payroll that is second only to the Thundercats. But payroll be damned; it's about winning, and if this team wins this year then they'll be proven right. If not, there will be a lot of questions to be asked.

I.C. Stair for Iqaluit Frozen Puck Weekly

Days 90-91: Rovers Take Two

Cory Stillman scored in both weekend games, leading the Rovers to two wins.

Lethbridge, AB (CP)

Finishing up a home-and-home series, the Rovers rolled into Lethbridge after a 3-1 home win over the Selects and followed it up with a 4-1 road triumph. Cory Stillman and Glen Murray each had a goal and an assist, while Kim Johnsson and Robyn Regehr added goals from the blueline. Dan McGillis snuck the only puck past Martin Gerber, who won both ends of the home-and-home, stopping 19 of 20 shots in the victory. Marc Denis made 29 saves in defeat.

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

Returning home on short rest after winning in Lethbridge, the Rovers hosted the Vampyres for the first of three consecutive meetings. Baffin proved to be too much for Calgary on this night, downing the Vamps 4-2. Cory Stillman, Mark Recchi, and Kris Draper gave the Rovers a 3-0 lead by the midway mark of the game, and goals by Gary Roberts and Shayne Corson were not enough to overcome the deficit. Chris Pronger hit the empty net to ice the win. Martin Gerber was not busy in net, facing only 13 shots.

The wins push the Rovers into sole possession of first place, as the Mounties were only able to muster a 2-2 draw with the Spectres. The Rovers now sit with 64 points, one better than Kitchener. Both teams have 21 games remaining. Baffin Island has a day off before heading to Calgary and then returning home to host Calgary again.