Since neither team has been reviewed yet, and because they are in different divisions and thus my comparison of them to each other does NOT influence anyone's decisions for ranking within divisions...
Today on the VI,...
an interdivisional MLD10 preseason game
between the Adirondack Red Wings and Labatt Blues
PREVIEW:
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Welcome to the first postcast of the MLD10 preseason, this afternoon live from the Adirondacks, brought to you thanks to the game's sponsor
THE LOCKER ROOM REPORT:
Spirits are high in the Red Wings dressing room, as coach Jimmy Skinner kisses his 1955 Stanley Cup ring, coughs and addresses the Red Wings, comfortable in the role, having coached three NHL all-star games before as well as leading the NHL's namesake to a 123-78-46 record. Team captain Dunc Munro says a few words, knowing this contest like this entire season will be more difficult than the 1924 Olympic gold-medal team he captained, the very same team in which MLD10 Dark Blues center Moose Watson scored an incredible 36 goals in 5 games. Wings alternate captain Doug Young wears his trademark cowboy hat and doesn't need to tell his teammates about the first Stanley Cup he captained for the NHL Red Wings franchise, nor the second Cup he captained from the bench, sidelined by injury. The other alternate captain Tom Lysiak remains quiet, letting his two-way play on the ice speak for itself, though he has a history of starting slowly and taking some time for fans to warm up to him, needing the right environment to thrive, and being a captain isn't so natural to him as to the other two, though regular season success in upstate New York this MLD10 season, with a sniper in Kehoe on his right and a two-way PCHA-all-star Harris on his left, is optimistically expected to do for him what a few years did for him in Atlanta.
Over in the visitors dressing room, bottles of Saranac are left unopened as the Blues opt for a Labatt's to raise in cheer, as another, more experienced Stanley Cup-winning coach of the NHL's Red Wings brings his 231–118–61 record into the new season with a new team. His choice of captains is a bit of a surprise in the inexperienced defensive defenseman Dave Langevin, whose supporting role on the dynasty Isles is expected to translate into a lead-by-example role on a MLD10 team of stars. Further surprising, his alternates, right wingers Redmond and Christian have less than two years of experience between them in captaining a Blues team that's full of untapped character at the center position, including 4-year ex-Rangers captain Kelly Kisio. Don't be surprised if he, Reay, Pahlsson or Gomez become a captain before the season ends.
THE GAME:
The home team jump out to an early lead thanks to the evident chemistry of their second line, the pre-WWII NHL trio: Lady Byng Romnes and his ol' teammate right winger March hoping to add a third trophy this season to the two Stanley Cups they earned in Chicago, with slapshot artist Shibicky on the left side. The Wings Lysiak with help from Harris spend more time backchecking the fast though diminutive Blues centers, skilled as they are in passing to wingers who go the net, energetic Cain from Gomez, bustling Courtnall from Reay and hard-nosed Lamb from Kisio. The Blues get many scoring chances and benefit from playing a Red Wings team without much muscle at centre ice, though they need all their speed and passing to avoid bone-crunching checks by Wings defenders, most notably heavy minute McNamara and the youngest captain in Rangers history Maloney in his secondary, third pairing role in Adirondack, using his speed and physicality to knock Redmond and Cain around. The Blues eventually tie it up on a Christian powerplay marker from Reay and Stackhouse. Then Gomez sets up the go-ahead goal on a hard shot by Loughlin from the point. A young Bulin Wall keeps the gates shut despite defensive gaffs by the pairing of Redden and Stackhouse and the visitors steal the game 2-1, Peeters recording the loss despite 31 saves and solid play from the blueline.
