Nationals stun Maroons in opener

[Port hockey1]

Agree about London deserving more credit. It would've been easy to pack things in and not show up. But they've played like they know they can win, and as if they have something to prove.

Chatham...It does look like kids are trying to do things on their own. How has Ford played? I was a little concerned that he is on his third team in two years.

[insanity]

Ok Maroons, you are in deep now but it is not impossible. If I am not mistaken I think the Maroon team that won the Suthie were down 3-0 in the first series and went on to take it all. Play hard, play smart, play your own game, and play for each other. Good things will happen. You are far too good a team to be held back. Look ahead, not back. Rock on.

[GoWest]

Even though I called Chatham to win this series, I for one would love to see the underdog pull it off. Classic David vs. Goliath.

Go Nats Go!!!

[Port hockey1]

Even though I called Chatham to win this series, I for one would love to see the underdog pull it off. Classic David vs. Goliath.

Go Nats Go!!!

I wouldn't go that far...Maybe if Pelham was to upset Caledonia, that would be classic David vs Goliath. Imo: People tend to act like it's a huge deal for Chatham to lose. But it would be just a big of deal if Sarnia loses to St.Thomas. Polasek isn't anything special in net, just average. Sarnia is loaded to the gills with fire power. They brought in a good defencemen...And traded for Masters.

St.Thomas lost two of their best forwards and are still giving Sarnia all they can handle. The D London got from St.Marys is having a big impact on London. He's played better than most thought he would.

Obviously Chatham has a very deep team too. But they've had more drama in their room the past two years than most organizations have in a decade. It does affect the players, not to mention a rookie coach.

Not saying being down 3-0 isn't big news...But I personally think if Sarnia loses their next game it will be just as big.

[Marcie]

It's pretty rare though. Only once in league history has a 7th seed (St. Thomas) upset a 2nd seed (Strathroy). Then they knocked off the top seed (London). Ron Horvat is certainly building on his resume of being able to get a lot out of a lower ranked club.

[Port hockey1]

I don't think there's a person out there that would've bet London would be up 3-0. But it did feel like a bit of an odd season. Sarnia starting out on fire. Chatham playing .500 hockey. It got stranger when Sarnia seemed to struggle while St.Thomas started winning.

Strathroy had a slow start, then they were on fire, then they were .500. London looked solid at times and not so much at others. LaSalle was another case of ups & downs. Leamington looked great all year, even Lambton looked good for a while.

Chatham was similar. Ups and downs followed by a scorching winning streak. But having a rookie behind the bench I think started catching up to them the last couple of weeks of the season when teams were stepping it up. I figured the veterans and very skilled forwards would get them to the finals though.

They may still make it. Winning 4 straight was like a walk in the park late in the season. The players just need to get back to what got them to where they finished the season. Whoever works the hardest wins in the playoffs. The Maroons need to think about that. Too much talent to go out like that.

[RocketGirl]

It's pretty rare though. Only once in league history has a 7th seed (St. Thomas) upset a 2nd seed (Strathroy).

Wrong, it's happened at least twice that I know of in the last 10 years. In the 2011-2012 season, Strathroy was 7th and took out 2nd place Leamington in the first round and then 1st place Sarnia in the second round to lose to 3rd place London in the finals.

But, this would still be a huge upset for London to take out Chatham. And it is a David vs. Goliath. This is the Mighty Maroons, who nobody thought in a million years would be looking at a possible sweep in the first round.

[Marcie]

Right you are RG. I keep forgetting about that one because the Rockets actually finished tied for 6th but were awarded 7th on the tie-break. That also made London one of only a couple 3rd place teams to ever win the West. (I think the Sarnia Blast was the other when they finished tied for 2nd but were seeded 3rd on the tie break, then won the Sutherland Cup.) We used to call 3rd place "The Seed of Death" because no one ever seemed to win who finished in 3rd. Sarnia might be feeling the curse now.

[Port hockey1]

I don't see how they're the "mighty Maroons". If they had finished first I'd agree. If this is David vs Goliath...I can only imagine
what it was those two years when bottom feeder Port took out Niagara Falls in round 1, also being up 3-0...

There is no David vs Goliath in this conferences playoffs. Except for St.Marys & Leamington, teams were up and down all season. Chatham had a great run late in the season. In fact everyone was saying how losing Verboom made them less of a contender. Same was said about having a rookie coach.

This is quite funny. Chatham has a better team on paper. Just like Sarnia does over St.Thomas...But no David, Goliath there.

How can a team that everyone started writing off after Davis & Verboom left be Goliath??? The only David, Goliath playoff series is Caledonia vs Pelham, and Goliath is mauling David.

But this gave me a good laugh...Outsiders...Is this David vs Goliath in your opinions?

[Qwerty]

Just a good old fashioned upset. Maroons have been over-rated and the Nationals under-rated. Had Morgan been on the ice and Bessette in the net, well, may have been a very different story right now... or maybe not. We'll never know.

[RocketGirl]

They've always been referred to as the Mighty Maroons, since their dynasty era with Dave Torrie at the helm.

You don't win 7 league titles in 10 years and not be mighty.

Even their mascot is named Mighty.

[Port hockey1]

They've always been referred to as the Mighty Maroons, since their dynasty era with Dave Torrie at the helm.

You don't win 7 league titles in 10 years and not be mighty.

Even their mascot is named Mighty.

But that's about a dynasty. History doesn't stay the same...Just don't see how they're Goliath. Last season, for sure.

[GoWest]

I think you're taking my "David vs. Goliath" comment a little too literally. The point is one team is the underdog and the other is the favourite.

[Port hockey1]

I think you're taking my "David vs. Goliath" comment a little too literally. The point is one team is the underdog and the other is the favourite.

Fair enough, I got too into the debate.