A Washington Stealth Fan Blog
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Bob Hamley works fast and got the Rush on the right track in just his first full week as head coach and GM. Despite missing Mike Accursi because of illness the Edmonton Rush defeated the Portland Lumberjax in front of 7500 fans at the Rose Garden.
All Star Jimmy Quinlan got things started quickly for the Rush scoring on Matt King 1 minute in to the game and it was followed up 35 seconds later by Dan Stroup, leading a bad night for Matt King where he only saved 66% of shots and was pulled in the 3rd quarter. Rookie Steve Hutchins had 1 and 5 in just his second game ever while filling in for Accursi.
Portland out shot Edmonton almost 2 to 1, but still managed to lose because all those shots were in Curtis Palidwor chest. Overall, rather pathetic and unlike the Jax in their previous four games. Coach Keenan was quoted in the Oregonian after the game as saying the Jax were looking past this game having beaten the Rush twice already this season. This is unacceptable and more proof that Keenan is not leading this team, but instead standing on the bench and expecting raw talent to win these games.
Portland beat the Paul Day coached team twice, but this last match was against a new coach and practically a new team with new Hamley influence on them. In just three days Hamley got the Rush in position to take a lead in to the 4th quarter against a better Stealth team. With the whole week to be talking to his players and getting them ready to play the whole 60 minutes which they did for the first time this season.
Congratulations to the Rush. You exposed the Lumberjax as pretenders who have only won games against weak or injured teams. The last 7 games for the Jax will be very difficult to win even one. The Rush take their first step towards the playoffs with this win and with Calgary and Portland playing each other the 4th place team will still only have 3 wins.