FAMILIAR FOES MEET IN STOBBS FINAL
Lakeshore Canadiens looking to avenge last year’s playoff loss to the Essex 73’s
Lakeshore Canadiens head coach Anthony Iaquinta has a pretty good idea of what makes the Essex 73’s such a formidable opponent.
After all, the Canadiens firstyear head coach spent parts of four seasons playing for the 73’s and was also an assistant coach for the club.
Now, Iaquinta and his topseeded Canadiens will try to dethrone the defending Bills Stobbs Division champions in the Provincial Junior Hockey League playdowns.
“It’s one of the best organizations in all of Ontario,” Iaquinta said of the 73’s. “Their history and standard that they carry, it’s almost expected that they make it this far.”
The best-of-seven final starts on Sunday at the Atlas Tube Centre at 7:30 p.m. Game 2 is Tuesday in Essex.
“We kind of expected it,” Canadiens forward Mejoe Gasparovic said of facing the 73’s in the final. “We know what we’re dealing with. They’re a great team.” This is the eighth time in the last 11 years the Canadiens and 73’s have met in the playoffs and five of those have been in the final.
Lakeshore was the top seed last season, but was swept by the 73’s in the final.
“We weren’t mentally ready,” the 21-year-old Gasparovic said. “We’re obviously looking for a little revenge.
“We’ve changed a lot. We’re a lot more disciplined and a lot more defensive.”
The defensive game has probably been the biggest change for the Canadiens since Iaquinta took over.
“They seem to have taken on a more disciplined game and are more defensive,” Essex defenceman Anthony Cristofaro said. “It’s kind of the style we model ourselves after.” Iaquinta got his team to drop nearly half a goal a game defensively this season. In the playoffs, the Canadiens are a perfect 8-0 and have held the opposition to two goals or fewer in seven of those wins.
“The team I took over was real offensive and sometimes that means giving up chances in our own end,” Iaquinta said. “For me, at this level, it’s who competes harder.
“Nothing can change for us. Just compete harder then the other team. Hopefully, that continues against Essex, but it’s a much tougher task. Their work ethic is extremely, extremely hard.”
The season series was tight and Crowder expects nothing less in the final.
“There’s not really much to divide the two teams, if you look at goals for, goals against and record,” said Crowder, whose team finished four-points back of Lakeshore in the regular season. “They play a similar style to what we like. It’s going to come to a bounce here or a bounce there.” Most of these players have spent years battling on the ice from minor hockey right through junior.
“Essex and Lakeshore always have something going on,” the 21-year-old Cristofaro said. “We both respect each other. Even though we swept them (in last year’s final), we had to battle
The team I took over was real offensive and sometimes that means giving up chances in our own end.
every game.
“Off the ice, I know a good chunk and I think it’s going to be a great series.”