Playoffs begin
Campbellton Tigers visit for Game 1 on Thursday night
The Summerside Western Caps open the playoffs with a home game on Thursday when they welcome the Campbellton Tigers for a 7 p.m. match.
The Summerside D. Alex MacDonald Ford Western Capitals begin the 2018 post-season Thursday.
The Capitals host the Campbellton Tigers in Game 1 of the best-of-seven semifinal series in the Eastlink North Division of the MHL (Maritime Junior Hockey League). Puck drop at Eastlink Arena is 7 p.m. “The matchup against Campbellton is a little tricky,” said Capitals head coach Billy McGuigan. “We haven’t been great up there, and it’s a little different playing in their barn – it’s a bigger rink and is the only one in the league with the big (Olympic-sized) ice.
“We have been a little behind up there in certain games. It’s going to be a tough task for us. They have, I think, the best defensive core in the league, good goaltending and a real hard-working forward group that plays a heavy game. They don’t score a lot of goals, and we are hoping that’s a positive for us.”
The Caps finished second in the division and third overall in the 12-team league at 33-16-1-0 (won-lost-overtime losses-shootout losses), despite having six rookies, including four midgetaged freshmen, and six sophomores playing regularly. That means over half of the Caps’ lineup every night featured firstand second-year junior players.
“Our rookies were outstanding this year,” said McGuigan. “We probably have the best rookie group in the league as a core, and probably had the most of them. “Then you add in those sophomores and older guys who really dominated.”
The Tigers finished tied for third with the Miramichi Timberwolves in the Eastlink North Division with 52 points. Campbellton (24-22-2-2) got the nod for third place over the Timberwolves (23-21-1-1) based on more regular-season wins. Ironically, the Caps defeated the Timberwolves 5-2 in the regularseason finale for both teams on Saturday.
“Basically, we went into that game with the thought process we are a team that is here to win hockey games, we are a team that’s going to work hard and battle to win every hockey game and this one is no different,” said McGuigan. “We went out and played our best, and won the hockey game.”
That outcome set up the series against Campbellton, a club the Caps split the regular-season series with. Each team won three times on home ice
“The good thing is we have home-ice advantage,” chuckled McGuigan. “I think there is some growing hatred between the two teams, and it’s going to be exciting playoff hockey.”
It is also the second time in three years the Caps and Tigers will meet in Round 1. Summerside overcame a 3-1 series deficit to win in seven games in 2016. When asked what will be keys for the Caps against the Tigers, McGuigan answered: “We have to really focus on getting pucks in behind their D. The key to their hockey team is their D. If we can get pucks in behind them and really bear down on our forecheck and defend well, we will have a good series.
“I’m hoping, as time goes on in the series, we will get stronger. We have to limit their chances, and make sure we are making their D turning around to get pucks and making sure we are on them often.” McGuigan also emphasized the Caps, who will have a full roster available for Game 1, need a total team effort.
“You can’t rely on six guys to do all the scoring,” said McGuigan. “Our depth is going to have to play a part in this series.” McGuigan said Dominik Tmej, who was named the MHL’s top goaltender on Tuesday night, will get the nod in Game 1. Tmej and Alex Bishop give the Caps one of the league’s best goaltending tandems.
“We have been rotating them back and forth, and it will be Dom’s game,” said McGuigan. “We will go with Dom, he’s pretty hot on home ice and has played well for us there. Either one of our guys can go, and we are going to try and keep that ball going.”