Meteors gear up for Corvairs
The Fort Erie Meteors are very familiar with their opponents in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Eastern Conference semifinals.
The Meteors take on the Caledonia Corvairs in a rematch of last year’s league final won by Fort Erie in dramatic fashion in Game 7.
Fort Erie general manager/coach Nik Passero realizes the Corvairs are a challenging opponent.
“First and foremost, they’re a winning franchise and I think that matters,” Passero said. “Those kids there, they want to win, they’re experienced, they’re always in the fight and they’re not gonna die.
“I just think it’s a very formidable foe.”
The Corvairs placed fifth in the regular season with a 29-15-4-2 record but hit their stride toward the end of the schedule winning nine of their last 10 before ousting the Port Colborne Sailors in six games in the quarter-finals.
“Offensively they’re very talented and they push the pace and also they’re very creative,” Passero said. “They get offence from their back end as well, guys like (former Niagara IceDog) Sammy Douglas.
“I think they’re deep and well built and it’s going to be fun.”
The Meteors split four games during the regular season but Passero doesn’t feel that will be a factor.
“It’s starting all over again,” he said. “If it was like a 4-0 thing, it’d be kind of a mental game, but because it’s split, I don’t think it matters. I think playoffs are a whole different beast. Special teams, goaltending, and home-ice advantage I think will be the keys to it.”
The Meteors were in the hunt for first place until the final weekend of the season before being tested by a strong Cambridge squad in six games in the quarter-finals.
“I think when we were hunting for first here, we’ve been playing playoff games for a month-and-a-half so we’re used to it. We’re ingrained in the battle, and I have no qualms about our group,” he said. “I expect our group to get off on the right foot, have a good week of practice here and get fired up.”
Passero said the Meteors are at full strength heading into the series and that depth could be a huge factor.
“Every team in the league has good top-end scorers, it’s who can bring it from the bottom guys in your lineup and who can move up in the lineup when things aren’t going well,” Passero said. “In Game 6 I thought the (Zac) Mizzi and (Lawson) Sorokan lines in general were really good and they won us the game.”
Prediction: Fort Erie in 6.
Game 1
Saturday, April 5 at Fort Erie, 7 p.m.
Game 2
Sunday, April 6 at Caledonia, 7:30 p.m.
Game 3
Tuesday, April 8 at Fort Erie, 7 p.m.
Game 4
Wednesday, April 9 at Caledonia, 7:30 p.m.
*Game 5
Saturday, April 12 at Fort Erie, 7 p.m.
*Game 6
Monday, April 14 at Caledonia, 7:30 p.m.
*Game 7
Tuesday, April 15 at Fort Erie, 7 p.m.
*if necessary
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