The only other choice is to make like another cultural reference, Alfred E. Neuman, and ask: What, us worry?
The Royals head into the Western Hockey League playoffs without their MVP and leading scorer Alex Gogolev, out for the season after leg surgery, and their captain Tyler Stahl and starting goaltender Patrik Polivka listed as day-to-day.
So it鈥檚 all the team needed when forward Brandon Magee went off briefly Tuesday during practice with a bloody mouth. He was fine, however, which is more than can be said for other key members of the roster.
Blueliner Stahl was on the ice for portions of practice Tuesday but was not on the ice at the end of Tuesday鈥檚 session. Polivka, dealing with a lower-body issue, skated Tuesday but did side drills while it was Coleman Vollrath and Michael Herringer who took part in the main drills.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a little better and I鈥檓 feeling good,鈥� said Polivka, the Czech import who had a 3.24 goals-against average, .894 save percentage and 28-16-5 record in 53 appearances.
The Western Conference sixth-seed Royals open the best-of-seven first-round playoff series against the third-seed Blazers on Friday and Saturday in Kamloops, before the series swings to Bear Mountain Arena next Tuesday and Thursday.
鈥淚鈥檓 doing my best [to be ready],鈥� said Polivka.
Asked if he thinks he will get the call Friday, Polivka replied: 鈥淎sk coach.鈥�
But Royals bench boss Dave Lowry was giving away nothing Tuesday.
Rookie Vollrath has taken on the lion鈥檚 share of work lately, making six straight starts before Island Junior B League call-up and Royals listed player Herringer, a native of the Comox Valley, started the regular-season finale and made an encouraging 36 saves in a 4-3 overtime win Saturday in Everett against the Silvertips.
鈥淚 am controlling what I can control,鈥� said Vollrath, who had a 3.54 goals-against average, .888 save percentage and 4-12-2 record in 27 appearances. 鈥淚 will work hard this week to [hopefully] earn the start Friday.鈥�
In the WHL, 16- and 17-year-old players auger well for the future but it鈥檚 the older players who win playoff series in the here and now. Yet, of the Royals three allowable 20-year-olds, Gogolev is out and Stahl problematic, leaving only forward Jamie Crooks.
鈥淣othing is different, nothing changes. We play the same way,鈥� said 33-goal scorer Crooks, of the club鈥檚 approach to the playoffs, regardless of who is in or out of the lineup.
On the injury bright side, Royals forward Trent Lofthouse, rated the 165th North American skater in the mid-season rankings for the 2013 NHL draft, practised without apparent hindrance Tuesday after missing most of the last part of the season and could be set for a return.
