Hello again Jacks fans! What an exciting weekend of hockey we get to look forward too! Anyway, I thought I would do a brief preview of the series with Allen, and give my thoughts on some things.
So lets start with the season series. This was one of the weirdest season series the Jacks participated in, not because of the results but more of what was happening in the league at the time. Yeah the Jacks were slowly pulling away from the rest of the Southern Conference, but it was the expansion Allen Americans who were still right on the Jacks tail. Allen was surprising several people in the league, including yours truly. What happened to the expansion blues?? Allen was certainly not experiencing them, like Missouri was before the post All-Star break turn around.
In the first meeting of the season, on Nov. 27th, Allen won the game 5-4 at the Jack Shack. i didn’t get to attend due to Thanksgiving plans, but I did listen to the game. After talking to people in attendance, they said that Allen really didn’t impress them, like they had others in the league. Maybe it was a Thanksgiving hang-over, but just about everyone I talked to said that both teams just played sloppy that night.
The second meeting came at the Allen Events Center, and saw the Jacks walk away with a 3-2 overtime victory. Again, I listened to this game and it really sounded like both teams were really fighting for the puck. So again, Allen traveled to the friendly confines of the Jack Shack, for a game the next night, but I think someone forgot to tell Allen to get off the bus. I’m not sure if it was just Allen playing sloppy, or the Jacks playing so perfectly in sync, but the fans were treated to a 3-0 shutout by Martin this time. And then the next Tuesday, the 5-1 beatdown by the Jacks, just left me wondering why other teams seemed to be having such a hard time with Allen. Three straight games, three straight Jacks victories.
With that being said, the team that I noticed chasing the Jacks for first in the Southern Conference down the stretch did not appear to be same team. Oh yeah, the uniforms and even personnel were the same for the most part, but there was a definite attitude change. I just wish we could have seen them at least once during the 2nd half of the season to gauge how far they had come. Unfortunately for one team, we will get to see who truly is #1 in the South.
While the Jacks were involved in an intense series with Texas, Allen was taking on perennial powerhouse, Laredo Bucks. Laredo however was not having the same kind of spectacular year they usually had, including going like 10-4 against Corpus Christi, a team they normally dominated. In addition, I believe half of their end-of-season roster had been on IR at one point or another. Despite this, the series between Allen and Laredo was very intense, and looked to be shifting in Laredo’s favor, when they took a 3-2 series lead. However, heading back to Allen was just what the doctor ordered for the Americans. Like most teams in this league, playing on home ice just helps build a teams morale, and it definitely helped the Americans. In a hard fought game 6, Allen triumphed 3-2 over the Bucks. So that meant a Game 7, the first of this seasons playoffs. And while Laredo’s playoff future was on the line, they just didn’t seem to play like it. So for the 2nd straight year, Laredo was sent packing in the semi-final round, which meant the Jacks would not have to see their hated playoff rivals for the first time since Laredo entered the league.
So that brings us to the Southern Conference series between your #1 Jacks and the #2 Americans, and for the first time since 2002-2003, a guaranteed non-Laredo winner 
For me the keys to this game for the Jacks are:
1. Goaltending — Both Martin and Toivenen need to be on the very top of there game, neither can afford to have a throw-away game now. While Juha is 10-1 in the playoffs going back to last season, Gillis can’t rely on him to be in net every night. In fact, the game 6 breakdown proved it. Luckily for the Jacks, Martin was able to come in and give the Jacks the confidence they needed to tie the game, and then win it in overtime. In fact, it was readily apparent after the game 1 loss, that Martin wasn’t going to let it phase him, and kept the Jacks in game 2 all the way to the end when a defensive mistake caused the loss with 7 seconds left in the first overtime. At the other end of the ice, the Jacks will get to pelt Allen goaltender Chris Whitley, who they saw in all 4 contests during the regular season. In all honesty, I can’t see Allen coach Dwight Mullins, putting in backup goaltender David McKee unless they are getting hammered real bad. And I definitely do not see him starting McKee, who was 2-3 in the 5 games he played at the end of the season.
2. Home advantage — The Jacks really need to take advantage of each home game they get to play, but its not an ultimate necessity. If the Texas series proved anything, it was that the psychological advantage the NyTex Sports Center once held in the playoffs failed miserably. In fact the Jacks proved during the regular season they were comfortable playing at home (26-4-2) or on the road (22-7-3). Maybe the let down of the Rapid City weekend helped to show the weakness in how the Jacks played on the road, and if its fated for the Ray Miron cup finals, the Jacks will be better this time around. Allen on the other hand, amassed a 19-12-1 record on the road, and a 23-5-4 record in front of their hometown fans.
3. Special Teams — The Jacks powerplay needs to come back from the vacation it has been taking since the end of the regular season. The Jacks penalty kill did good, allowing a powerplay goal in 4 of the 6 games against Texas.
4. Control the Neutral Zone — Plain and simple, the Jacks need to make sure passes are crisp and to their intended targets in the neutral zone, and not get sloppy, causing defensive turn overs. At the same time, they need to make sure they are covering everybody, because all it takes is one guy to get by you and POW!
5. Control the Faceoff — The Jacks have arguably the best face-off man in the entire CHL in Kory Karlander. If he’s not able to take the draw, then Circelli and Thinel are the next ones up.
6. Pepper the Goalie — This may seem like a no-brainer, but its a fact, especially with Whitley. One of the things I noticed in that Tuesday game was he would get frustrated when he was facing lots of shots from every angle possible, almost like he wished the defense would pick it up, instead of relying on him. In fact, hopefully Bodine is feeling better and can position himself right in front of Whitley down in the crease. Gruenke did an okay job in the Texas series, but there was still mistakes made.
7. Take Out the Trash — Again, a no-brainer, but its fact. The defense needs to make sure that Martin’s and Juha’s viwe is as clear as possible. If you allow one of their big guys to camp out in the crease, it will impede how our goalies operate, and they definitely operate better when no trash is in front of them.
8. Play Your Game — Herb Brooks said it best, “Play your game!” Allen has some big guys, who will try to rough up the little guys every chance they get. Don’t let them. Yes this will be a physical series, but the Jacks can’t let Allen push them around.
9. Don’t Take Stupid Penalties — I still believe Game 7 last year could have been closer if cooler heads would have prevailed. Instead, the stupid penalties were taken, and the Jacks playoff hopes were over before they even realized it.
So thats how I see it anyway. The Jacks may have the advantage, but you can never count the Americans out. However, I can’t see the Jacks losing the series either.
So my prediction: Jacks in 6, just so they can come back and celebrate the accomplishment on home-ice in front of the fans
See yall tonight Jacks fans, and as always, GO JACKS GO!
One other note:
As far as the Northern Conference series, I really don’t care who wins, but if I’m going to be able to travel to any games, it will need to be the Mudbugs. However, I’m not sure the Bugs can overcome the psychological advantage the arena in Rapid City provides. So I predict the series will go to 7 games, and whoever walks out deserves to meet the Jacks
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