Our media outlet spoke again with Falcons winger Ola Wagstrom before commencement of the Round 2 series, which will feature the Detroit Falcons and the St. Louis Scarecrows. Since this interview, 3 games have been played, with Detroit currently leading 2-1 in the series. While the saga has already begun, here is a series overview to provide team comparisons.

DETROIT FALCONS

Standings: 5th Place-- 26 wins, 22 Losses, 2 OT Losses (54 Points)
Leading Scorer(s): Hippo Passamus--15 goals, 20 assists (35 Points) and David Fentobens--14 Goals, 21 Assists (35 Points)
Top Scoring Defenseman: Tig Murphy-- 2 goals, 29 Assists (31 Points)
Starting Goaltender:  Cedric Robinson-- 24 wins, 18 Losses, 2 OT Losses (2.55 GAA, 0.899 Save Percentage)

ST. LOUIS SCARECROWS

Standings: 2nd Place-- 27 wins, 17 Losses, 6 OT Losses (60 Points)
Leading Scorer: Nicholas Williams-- 22 goals, 19 assists (41 Points)
Top Scoring Defenseman: Kiko Rytmeyr-- 8 goals, 20 assists (28 Points)
Starting Goaltender: Aleister Cain-- 22 wins, 15 Losses, 6 OT Losses (2.90 GAA, 0.881 Save Percentage)

While the Scarecrows place significantly higher in the standings, this looks to be another close, action-packed series. St. Louis has gotten slightly more scoring from their top line, but the Falcons have the edge in goaltending. Cedric Robinson's 0.899 save percentage greatly exceeds his counterpart's 0.881 save percentage. Detroit will need to find an added level of offense, but thanks to adding Muhammad McLovin as a rental, they have more talent on right wing, and overall, greater depth and fluidity on their lines. The teams' top offensive defensemen both produce similar quantities of points and are consistent in their own end as well. While St. Louis gets the nod as a favorite based upon standings, the Falcons may be closer than many pundits think.

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Good evening! How did it feel to beat the Kelowna Knights?

"It felt awesome! Everyone pegged us to lose the series, and then not only did we win, but we won in six games! All of the pundits were surprised, but we as a team always knew we could do it. We're not surprised we won, but we're quite elated! We had quite the celebration, you know. I don't even know where all the champagne came from, but we had a crazy time in the locker room after we advanced. A lot of drunk guys passing out in the showers. Poopity Scoop started blasting Queen's "We Are the Champions", but I think it's a little early for that."


You personally haven't gotten much ice time since Detroit grabbed a deadline rental. What are your thoughts about that?

"It's been hard to stomach getting bumped to Line 4 for sure, but I know it's temporary. Seeing very little ice time, yeah it's frustrating, but I'm going to try to keep a positive attitude and just look ahead to next season and the draft. I came to North America from the KHL used to top line minutes and glamorous stardom, and perhaps I needed to have the wind taken out of my sails, needed to be brought back down to Earth. I was spoiled in Russia, but now I have to be more efficient, make use of what little time I get. I have, at least, enjoyed playing with Franz Cooper, and I hope that pairing will last into next year. I can also take pride in scoring my first playoff goal!"

Yes, that's right, congratulations! Having that first playoffs goal is a big milestone for a sniper. Could you describe the moment?

"I can try. Things are such a blur when you're actually on the ice. I remember David Fantobens was working hard out there, harassing the opposing skaters. One of the Kelowna guys tried to just get rid of the puck, sloppy pass really. Fanto was on it like lightning, and Wolfhard Richter didn't hesitate to jump up in the rush. He has such a great mind for offense, especially when you consider that he's a defenseman. I saw that the defense was out of position and struggling to get back, so I just drifted toward the crease. Richter saw me and passed it to me, and I unleashed my one timer. I don't think their goalie, Benjamin Blue, ever saw the puck; he never even got his glove up. Seemed kinda frustrated fishing it out of his net. I got a lot of whistles and hollering from my teammates as I drifted by the bench, the fist bumps were pretty enthusiastic. I felt like a million bucks."

Many hockey players are very tight-lipped in interviews nowadays, but you've been very forthcoming and honest in our sessions. Why are you willing to be so open with the media?

"A man who has nothing to hide has nothing to be afraid of saying. I think people would like to see more of a real side of celebrities, not just stock responses. To see that sports figures are human too. I love to talk about what I'm doing and to tell stories from my past, so why would I give these stereotypical one word answers and catchphrases? I mean, who really believes the whole, 'I'm feeling better than ever' thing? Of course I'm going to say positive stuff about myself and my team, but there's no harm in pointing out the downsides and toning it back a bit. Some of this praise that players lavish on their teams is so absurd, because it's just too much."


That's a pragmatic approach. So, with Round 2 coming up, how do you feel about your team's chances against the Scarecrows?

"St. Louis had a great season this year. Everything really came together, but I feel like to a certain extent they just got all the right bounces. They got goals at the right times, their stars came through, and they did just enough to get points. We had some hard losses and bad stretches, but overall, I feel like we have the best lineup. We're solid at every position, there's no weaknesses. I think we definitely have the upper hand in terms of goaltending, so we need to be aggressive and press the attack. I believe that we can do it. We have it in us if we bring our A-game."

Can you elaborate on what you'll have to do to win?

"We need to put pressure on their goalie, Aleister Cain, and see if he'll falter. I trust Ceddy Robinson to hold down the fort, so I think we should throw guys up on the attack. I'd like to see our top line take their game to a whole new level, because I've seen the magic they can work in practice, and I know they've been saving their best hockey for the playoffs. I think pure shot volume can work here, so no clinging to the puck or endless cycling. That goes for special teams too. We need to convert on powerplay chances, because they're the times when you have the numbers. Opposing defensemen are vulnerable then, so we want to make those 120 seconds feel a lot longer to them."

What will you do if you make it to the finals?

"Obviously, we'll try to win it all; we want to bring the Cup to Motown. But we'll worry about that then; right now, my head and hopefully everyone else's is focused on the task at hand. This series won't be easy, so we shouldn't have the audacity to start planning as if we're guaranteed to advance. Far from it, this series will go down to the wire, mark my words. It will be a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, and it'll push us to the edge of our capabilities. We're going to need our veterans to use their seasoning and experience to outsmart the opposition, and the rookies can spark the motivation with our energy and relentless desire to prove ourselves. So much of hockey is mental, so we need to start by having the right attitude."

Final question for today; this will be a fun one. You told us when describing your upbringing and background that you speak 4 languages. How comfortable are you with each of them?

"My first language was Swedish, so obviously, that's my native tongue and the one I'm the most fluent in. But I am totally at ease with English; I learned it in school from a very young age. I think my English vocabulary is probably just as sophisticated as my Swedish, because I use it more in my daily life and I live in the United States right now. I'll be honest, my Russian and my French are pretty garbage, I know just enough to be passing on the ice, to survive a conversation, or to be able to interpret a grocery list. I studied French in high school, when I lived in Canada, so unlike Russian, I got a formal education in it. However, I haven't used it in much longer, so it's a lot rustier."

Thanks again, Ola; best of luck! We hope to speak to you again soon.

Word Count: 1616 Words

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Good luck to you!

Aleister Cain - S42-S57
HOF GOALIE- CLASS OF S60- SECOND BALLOT
S54 CHALLENGE CUP
S54 RAZOV

Ville Kurri - S57-S70
BEST SMJHL DEFENSIVE FORWARD S60
That's pretty much it

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Thanks, and to you!

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