Kings stop the 'Backs

• The Blog has changed addresses. Put http://www.rodgersramble.blogspot.com/ into your favourties tab. I made the change for you, the reader. I looked at the most searched phrases when trying to find the blog and "Rodger's Ramble" was head and shoulders above any other.

• Now to last night's game, where the Kings played one of their better games in the last 10 days or so. The Kings knew they had a tough opponent in the Silverbacks who, coming into the night, had won nine straight games. The team looked up to the task right from the start and continued that intensity right to the final buzzer.
• There were some hard feelings last night between the two teams which surprises me as they only met once before, and won't meet again unless they meet in a league final. The Silverbacks seemed hot under the collar from the get go and the Kings were as guilty at times with skermishes after the whistle.
• If there was a league final between these two teams it would be a treat for fans. Both teams played hard and finished checks. Both teams were skating all game and there were chances at both ends when the teams played at full strength. From a fans perspective, I would say this was one of the more entertaining games in recent memeory.
• Chad Niddery continues to find the puck on his stick when it counts. Niddery now has five goals in his last two games and extended his point streak to nine games. He double shifted regularly with the Hawryluk twins and didn't seem to skip a beat. Two goals and one assist against the league's hottest team... not bad.
• Kudos to Steven Schmidt, Andrew Pettitt and Klay Kachur. That line had the task of stopping the Silverbacks top unit of Brett Knowles, David Killip and Devon Gannon, and they did. Yes, Knowles and Killip drew assists on Gervais' goal but that was on the power-play. The 'Backs top line didn't make much noise and were held in check.
• There was plenty of debate about Mike Hammond being selected as the game's third star. In my opinion, he was the most dangerous player on the ice throughout the game for Salmon Arm. Hammond didn't register a point but had a handful of near misses. Hammond is the type of player that can turn it on at any point. Watch the video from last night, the puck was on or near his stick almost every shift.
• The Kings penalty-kill looked like it's old self against the league's best power-play. The Silverbacks did score once, but for the most part the Kings blocked plenty of shots and kept Salmon Arm to the outside.
• Finally congratulations to former King Reid Campbell. Today he was named to the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCAA Div III) All-Rookie team. Reid is in his first year with the St.Norbert Green Knights. Probably not the last time he will be getting accolades in his collegiate career.