Game 3 vs. Vancouver

It probably doesn't need to be said (but I'll say it anyway) tonight is pretty important.  Vancouver is down in the series 2-0 and back on their ice.  They're going to be hungry and intense.  It's up to the Americans to match exceed that hunger and that intensity.

Things got ugly at the end of Game 2, what will that mean for tonight?  Could go either way depending on how the game is going for the Giants.  They've been known to lose their shit (see December 17th game).  But they're fighting to stay alive in the playoffs so they may just put their noses to the grindstone and go to work.

The media is full of the usual:

"I think we need to play our best game of the series," Tri-City coach Jim Hiller said of tonight's game. "I'm ready for that, and I think our players are too. We've hit our stride as far as firing on all cylinders. It will be a big challenge for us to go in there and play our best game."

"We give up a couple of goals, we have to play back, and then we give up a couple more goals," Vancouver coach Don Hay said of the ebb and flow of Game 2. "You have to be more consistent in your play. You can't have so many peaks and valleys during the game."

"I think there are two teams that are going to play hard and two teams that want to win," Hay said. "They held court in Tri-City and they did what they were supposed to do. Now the ball's in our court. We have to come out and play a full 60 minutes and play at a high level." (Herald)

And from the Vancouver Sun:

“We're still confident in the dressing room,” insisted Giants MVP forward Brendan Gallagher. “We were close in both games and that's something we're going to use to our advantage. Tri-City took care of their business and won their home games and now it's up to us, and the pressure is on us, to do the same thing if we want the series to go a long way. We win the next one and it's 2-1 and we're right back in it.”

“We were desperate from the start,” said Gallagher. “In playoff hockey, you never want to loses games. Every game, you get more and more desperate, especially being down 2-0. These next two games are really crucial for us and we're looking forward to them.” (Sun)

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Justin Bourne, I've pointed out some his work in the past, not only writes for Puck Daddy but also for The Hockey News.  His latest is about four traits that make a good coach.  It's an interesting read, especially for a fan who doesn't know what goes on in the locker room or on the bench.  I found item #3--Don't Talk Too Much very interesting.  There are those who feel Hiller is too passive on the bench.  That may be a good thing:

When you hear a coach has “lost the room,” it’s usually as a result of this factor.

As a coach standing on the bench, you could flap your lips for 60 minutes and some do (which I think is more common in the minor leagues). Players aren’t entirely idiotic, they often know when they’ve messed up and know what they should’ve done differently. They can see what their teammates are doing wrong from the bench. They too can see where the open man is.

So when you’re sitting on the bench and your coach is offering a running commentary, it can devalue his words (supply and demand, brutha). You know he’s going to talk between periods in the dressing room as well and, eventually, you just tune him out. You can only say the same things so many times before they fall on deaf ears.

Good coaches pick their spots to make sure their words carry weight. (THN)

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Rene Ferran focuses on Patrick Holland in his "Meet the Ams" series this week:

"I think I've been pretty spurty, but the spurts haven't been on par with my play," he said. "I've gotten points in games when I don't feel I've played that well, and then go through a stage like November and December where I've not gotten points but I thought I played pretty well."

Still, that streakiness has proven to be a bit maddening to the Ams coaching staff.

"Consistency, that's his challenge," Hiller said. "Understanding that he can have a huge impact on each and every game. As he continues to round out his game, he has the chance to be one of the elite players in the game." (Examiner)

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Another juicy bit on the Jaden Schwartz-to-Americans speculation:

Americans G.M. Bob Tory told us that if Schwartz leaves Colorado College he thinks the AHL would be a likely destination, but that Tri City could be plan B for the Blues.

Someone close to Schwartz relayed that the 2010 first rounder is close to signing with St. Louis after just one year with the Tigers, but isn't sure how keen he is on heading west. (Coming Down the Pipe!)

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From Game 2, some young fans showing their support for their team (and hoping for the autographed stick):

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We'll be liveblogging the action tonight, click on the "Read More" to join in.