For two games at home, Muskegon resisted the Golden Eagles' attempts to create error-causing pressure in its defensive zone, always answering with a snappy outlet pass and a rush toward the Eagle goal. In Game 3 on Saturday in the Salt Palace, the Eagles' tactic prevailed, and they climbed back into the series with their first win in the three games.
Game 4 is Wednesday at 7 p.m.in the Salt Palace and, with most of the sick and wounded expected back in the lineups and everybody rested up and acclimatized, it ought to be as true a strength-to-strength tug of war between the two best teams in the IHL as is possible when one team has home ice.The Eagles are down a game and really need to win Wednesday and Friday at home - that will be their last home appearance of the 1988-89 season - but now they have tangible evidence that their aggressive fore-checking, overall speed and physical ability will work against the poised and wiley Lumberjacks, who are craftsmen at passing and positioning.
"They were on us a lot quicker in their zone the last game," said Muskegon Coach Blair MacDonald. "We try to move the puck, and the guys do a good job, but when you only have a millisecond, sometimes the passes go just wide.
"We just have to be a little quicker and make that pass earlier."
One thing that should help the Lumberjacks is that IHL scoring leader and MVP Dave Michayluk ought to be back in the lineup after suffering a cut arm Friday. Steady-scoring Brad Aitken should also be back from his strep throat of Saturday, leaving only forward Mitch Wilson (shoulder dislocation) out of the lineup.
With regulars back, timing should be improved.
"They'll buckle down," warned Eagle forward Rick Hayward, who made two of the biggest plays of Saturday's game. He made a hit behind the net that popped the puck loose, then moved in front of the goal to tip in a shot by Jim Johannson. Later, he drew the defense and sent Peter Lappin in untouched for the game-winning goal.
"They always have an outlet," marveled Eagle forward Stephane Matteau, seven games into his professional career and still looking for his first goal.
Matteau indicated that the Lumberjacks' crisp passing is one way they counter the Eagles' speed. "The puck is much faster than the skater," Matteau observed.
"They don't waste any time with the puck," agreed Eagle Coach Paul Baxter, who figures his team must do the same things it did well the other night but do them more consistently. "I would think they'll be a lot stronger, and we'll have to be better."
That will mean more mean hits as part of the pressure forechecking scheme. "We left our defense alone quite a bit; it looked like they were getting planted into the boards," noted Muskegon's Wilson, an unwilling spectator since his shoulder will require six weeks and possibly surgery to heal. "I don't think we played as good as we have been. We all know we weren't happy with our performance."
Wilson said that the Lumberjacks seemed upbeat and "in a good mood" to practice the past couple of days.
Still, the Eagles hope their hard and fast style has started to take its toll, and that's something Wednesday's game will either contradict or affirm. "Certainly the plan is that that'll have an impact," said Baxter. "We can only go at them with our strengths; size and enthusiasm have got to account for something in the series."