It was a case of not knowing what to expect, really. Sure, Saskatoon came into the Subway Centre leading the league and with a record of 8-2, but their opponents to date were unknown to Calgary and not regarded as top tier teams. The only measuring stick that United had was the Accelerators’ games against Edmonton and there was no denying that the Drillers had thrashed them 13-2 in Edmonton. Saskatoon had repaid the compliment with a 12-2 drubbing of the Drillers in Saskatoon, but this was because Saskatoon plays on a rubberized tile surface and not turf, surely.
The game began with Calgary dominating possession as their opponents dropped back into a disciplined ‘trap’. Saskatoon defenders regularly sacrificed their bodies to block shots and goalie Jeff Dobchuck pulled off a string of spectacular saves. Luck wasn’t running with United either when Calvin Campbell cracked a shot off the inside of the post, wheeled in celebration with an arm in the air only to quickly cut his celebration short when the ball rebounded back into play, defying the laws of physics.
Calgary dominated but something was missing. There was no sense of urgency and players regularly tried to force balls through the trap with no hope of a positive outcome. However, it was still a shock when Brett Levi scored with 2:51 remaining in the second period. No need to panic, just sharpen up a bit and everything will fall into place.
