RoughRiders, Green Bay alike teams

CEDAR RAPIDS - If they weren't wearing different uniforms, the only way you'd be able to tell apart the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders and Green Bay Gamblers is hair.

The Riders are the blond guys.

“It is really similar, all the up way and down through the lineups,” said Riders center Stu Wilson.

“I wouldn't say exactly a mirror image, but, yeah, we do have a little bit of similar teams,” said RoughRiders forward Michael Parks. “I think we're both very good skating teams, can skate really well from the (defensemen) all the way up to all the forwards. Both our teams pass the puck really well and play well-rounded games.”

They played seven times in the USHL's regular season, with every game decided by either one or two goals. Two of them went to a shootout, both won by Green Bay, which took four of the seven games.

They finished first and second in points: the RoughRiders winning the Anderson Cup with a 42-12-6 record and 90 points to Green Bay's 41-15-4 and 86. Cedar Rapids had a goal differential of plus-61 to Green Bay's plus-58.

They were the two least-penalized teams in the USHL, winning 17 road games each. Cedar Rapids is 27-2-3 at home this season, playoffs included, to Green Bay's 26-4-2.

Cedar Rapids had 12 guys score 20 or more points in the regular season. Green Bay had 11.

In other words, hold on, because this best-of-5 Eastern Conference playoff series should be an absolute doozy. Games 1 and 2 are Friday and Saturday at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena before things shift next weekend to Wisconsin.

“It's two even teams, two teams with lots of depth and good goaltending,” said RoughRiders Coach Mark Carlson. “Two teams that are going to go out there and make some plays and play with some pace.”

“Playoff hockey you're not really going to see any blowouts or anything,” Parks said. “So seeing a bunch of one-goal games is something that is definitely possible in this series. We had some really great games during the regular season, and I don't see any reason why the playoffs would be any different.”

The teams rely on their speed and skill, preferring an up-and-down, fast-paced style. Green Bay Coach Eric Rud was an assistant for Carlson from 2002 to 2004, so there's a lot of familiarity there as well.

There's not even much that separates the goaltenders in this series. USHL Goalie of the Year Brady Hjelle set a regular-season record with 40 wins, finishing second in goals against average and save percentage?

The guy that nudged him out in those departments? Green Bay's Ryan McKay.

“No different than it would be for any other series,” said Carlson. “We've just got to go out there and play our game. Have real good execution, focus and concentration. We do those things, then everything else will take care of itself.”