Golden Horseshoe playoffs: Falcons vs. Kilty B’s, Canucks vs. Panthers
After more than a week off, the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League, Golden Horseshoe Conference playoffs finally get back to action Friday on two fronts.
The regular season champion Niagara Falls Canucks host the Pelham Panthers while the St. Catharines Falcons take on the Hamilton Kilty B’s.
The Canucks are fresh off a sweep of the Lockport Regals while the Panthers topped the Thorold Blackhawks in six games after taking the first three.
The Falcons disposed of the Welland Junior Canadians in four games while the Kilty B’s swept the Fort Erie Meteors.
Falcons vs. Kilty B’s
This promises to be a very interesting, competitive and potentially long series.
The teams split their six regular season games and both squads are very stingy when it comes to giving up goals.
The Falcons led the GOJHL in fewest goals permitted with only 106 while the Kilty B’s weren’t far behind at 110.
The Falcons do hold a big edge up front where they netted a whopping 65 more goals.
Falcons general manager/coach Frank Girhiny isn’t taking the Kilty B’s lightly for a second.
“They’re a real good team,” Girhiny said. “They have the two-time coach of the year (Ken Peroff) so you know they are going to be well prepared and they have the goalie of the year (Cal Schell) and the most gentlemanly player (T.J. Hughes). They are coming with a lot of awards so they aren’t going to surprise us.
“They play with a lot of energy. We have to match that energy and stick to our game plan in order to come out on top.”
Girhiny used the extended time off to prepare a game plan.
“It thought it went real well. We were well planned and our players responded quite well to what we wanted to accomplish. We’re ready to go.
“It’s all about being prepared. If our boys are going to match their intensity, we’re going to do well.”
The Falcons have a full roster healthy with the exception of gritty winger Noah Blakely, who is out for the season with a wrist injury.
“We have to play in their end and get to their goalie and roll all four lines. That’s our game plan for sure.”
Game 1 is Friday in St. Catharines with Game 2 Monday in Hamilton.
Prediction: Falcons in 6
Canucks vs. Panthers
The Canucks took five of the six meetings during the regular season but Niagara Falls head coach Frank Pietrangelo is well aware the Panthers can be a formidable opponent.
“They are a good team. They work hard and have a little bit of everything,” he said. “They have some size and play well defensively and they can hurt you for sure.
“We’ve had good games with Pelham all season long and expect nothing different in this series.”
Having said that, Pietrangelo said he is more focused on his team than the opponent.
“We want to make sure we’re playing the game the way we need to be in order to be successful. We know we have a very good hockey club and we know we need to play a certain way.”
The Canucks, coming off an easy sweep of the Regals, realize they will have to increase their intensity in this round.
“It’s tough to play against teams like that. Mentally, it’s not the same for the players preparation wise and the expectations,” Pietrangelo said. “This will be a completely different challenge for us. This is not Lockport we are playing. We’re not looking past Pelham, that’s for sure.
“It’s a lot easier to coach in games like this because you know the players are going to be more prepared than they were when they aren’t totally focused.”
Pietrangelo could have done without so much time off.
“I didn’t like it, to be honest. We had a few minor injuries that we used the time off to heal so it probably proved to be beneficial. I thought it was a little too long and would have preferred to keep playing.”
Pelham coach Mark Barrick said preparing for a series is a combination of knowing what the opponents do while also focusing on your own team.
“We have to be ready in our own minds and in our own game plan to go out there but on the other hand, I would be doing a disservice to our hockey club if we didn’t know what Niagara Falls was going to do or at least what they have done in the past,” he said.
The Panthers won 16 fewer games than the Canucks and realize they are the underdogs in the series.
Barrick said that can work both ways.
“I think if you’re the team that’s expected to win sometimes you put more pressure on yourself and just can’t play your game. If you’re the underdog, you start giving yourself excuses,” he said. “We’ve preached and have been a team of no excuses and want to continue that. We’re approaching it that it’s the best four-of-seven kind of like we approached Thorold. Still have to show up and still have to play.”
Barrick isn’t about to concede the series just because the Canucks are prohibitive favourites.
“We’re the top four teams in the league and all four teams think they have a shot to win so let’s drop the puck and see what happens,” he said.
The Panthers won their first three games versus the Hawks before Thorold battled back and won the next two. Pelham the put Thorold away 9-2 in Game 6.
“Would it have been nice to go 4-0 and out? Yes, but it’s also a learning process and maybe now we’ve had a little adversity in playoffs and we were able to go into an opponent’s building and pretty much dominated in Game 6,” Barrick said.
Prediction: Canucks in 5.
SUPPORT US
On the right side of our web site, you will notice a yellow SUPPORT US button.
We are asking anyone who finds value in our work and is able to financially help us to click on the button and contribute whatever amount you feel is appropriate and can afford. There is no set amount. Any amount is appreciated.
The funds collected will be used to enhance and offset the expenses of running the web site.
