Here are some key match-ups to consider:
Colin Chaulk vs. Jason Dale: Dale is the one player for Bloomington who is good enough to take over this series. There was a 20-game stretch around the all-star game where he was the best player in the league. Keeping the puck away from him has a lot to do with winning faceoffs.
Tab Lardner vs. Travis Granbois: Can the PrairieThunder's superpest get under Lardner's skin. You know he's going to try. This won't be about someone else standing up for Lardner, either, but about Lardner avoiding retaliation penalties.
Jon Booras vs. Bobby Phillips: Yes, Phillips is minus-16, but he was minus-9 after the first 11 games when he played with a different blueline partner every night. Over the last 30 games, he's been matched up against the opponents' top line most nights and has done an exceptional job. Booras has had a slow year for him, but he's still extremely talented and dangerous.
Here's another key stat: Bloomington scored first seven times in the 10 games against the Komets and won seven games. That's not a coincidence.
