IceDogs ready for Gens
Forward Jack Studnicka is a key for the Niagara IceDogs as they prepare to play the Oshawa Generals in the second round of the playoffs. Photo by: VIVID EYE PHOTOGRAPHY
Niagara IceDogs head coach Billy Burke isn’t expecting an easy series as his club prepares to tangle the Oshawa Generals.
The IceDogs host the Generals Friday in Game 1 of their best-of-seven Ontario Hockey League semifinal playoff series and are aware the Gens are a formidable opponent.
The Gens finished just three points behind the IceDogs in the regular season standings and tied them with 44 wins. The clubs split their two meetings, with Oshawa winning 4-3 in overtime in November before the IceDogs prevailed 6-2 just before Christmas.
“It’s going to be difficult and it’s not going to be any easier, but that’s what playoffs are all about,” Burke said. “It’s a very good team. We cannot be handing them things. We have to play them hard and bury everything.
“We haven’t really seen an Eastern Conference like this in a really long time with four really good teams left. All four teams left (Sudbury and Ottawa meet in the other semifinal) could absolutely come out of this conference.”
The Generals feature some top notch forwards including Grimsby’s Brandon Saiegon, sniper Serron Noel, former Sarnia Sting Anthony Salinitri and centre Kyle MacLean.
“Right off the bat, they have a very good forward group,” Burke said. “They have two or three lines who proved they can score so we have to make sure our attention to detail defensively is as good as it can be.”
The Gens also feature a solid netminder in Boston Bruins draft choice Kyle Keyser.
Matt Brassard/ VIVID EYE PHOTOGRAPHY
“They have a big, solid, older group of D men. We have to make sure we are forcing them to skate and challenge their feet. That could be an advantage for us and Keyser is a world-class goalie,” Burke added.
The IceDogs topped the North Bay Battalion to advance to the semifinals and Burke said the club learned some lessons from that series.
“Everything is important. You can’t afford to have an off game, especially as you go forward and teams get better,” he said. “You might play well and lose one so you certainly can’t give one to them.
“We were able to match their desperation and exceed it and I think that’s where we need to keep going. We did a lot of good things against North Bay, but we weren’t perfect and we have to better against Oshawa than we were against North Bay.”
The series pits Jack Studnicka and Matt Brassard versus their former team. The duo were acquired from the Gens in a blockbuster deal for young defenceman Lleyton Moore and six draft choices in January.
“Playing Oshawa in the second round, we got their best players and they got our young star,” IceDogs general manager Joey Burke said. “The pressure is on us here. We traded Lleyton Moore to this team, if we don’t go out and beat this team, that does not look good on me.
“The pressure is certainly on us but if I could go back, I would do it all again, 100 per cent.”
Billy Burke said the coaching staff recently had a meeting with Studnicka and Brassard about their former team.
“They’re pretty smart guys. We grabbed them yesterday and picked their minds on a couple of systems and more importantly, the players that they played with for four years,” Billy Burke said. “What these guys are like in the dressing room and what their character is like. I think that’s a pretty big advantage.”
Forward Kirill Maksimov is still listed as day-to-day for the IceDogs.
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