WEDNESDAY - GAME 3

MUST WIN?

Let's be honest, every playoff game is a Must Win or at least a It'd Be A Nice Win. But for some reason Game 3's have always stood-out to me as very important ones. Home Team or Away, Up Two Games, Down Two Games or Tied - a Win in Game 3 carries some much leverage.

If you're down Two Games to None and you win Game 3, you've just planted a seed of doubt in the opposition's mind, if you're Up Two Games to None and you win Game 3, you've just created an almost insurmountable lead and, well, if you're like the Olds Grizzlys and the Okotoks Oilers and you're series is tied - you've just gained an edge - you've just sent a loud message - you've just said, "You're lucky this series isn't any shorter, or you'd be in big trouble" to the opposing team.

Maybe it's just me - but then again, maybe it's not.

Since 2005-2006, of the 21 "Best of Seven" Series played in the AJHL, teams that win Game 3 win the series 62% of the time.

Or, also since 2005-2006 , of the 7 times teams have entered a Game 3 tied at a game a piece in a "Best of Seven" Series in the AJHL - teams that win Game 3 win the series 71% of the time.

At the end of the day - Stats are nothing more than numbers that, truthfully, can be swung in any direction, believe me, I used to work at a rated radio station where we were Number 1! (On Weekdays from 6 to 9 AM) - but with that said I rather be rated be Number 1! (On weekdays from 6 to 9 AM) than Number 4 (out of 4 - All the time) - Or - I would rather be in the 62 and 71 percentile I referred to earlier as opposed to being in the 38 and 29.

GRIZZLYS' KEYS TO THE GAME

• Consistency. Set the tone early and don't let up, as I mentioned in yesterday's post, if the Grizzlys truly leave it all out on the ice, every player on every shift, there isn't a team that can beat them.
• The Power Play - when going "0 for " with the man-advantage, the Grizzly lose. It's just that simple.
  
• Marc Boulanger. He'll be a key this entire series. Okotoks is a skilled group of players who can make something out of nothing in the offensive end and he'll have to be at his best to keep the puck out of his net.