Playoff Bound
Wildcats firmly in third as regular season winds down
Entering the final week of the MHL regular season, the Valley junior A Wildcats were looking to keep their recent momentum going over their final two regular season games and into the playoffs.
With an 8-2 win over Amherst March 2 – the tenth win in a row for the Wildcats – Valley is now locked into third place in the Eastlink Division, says head coach Nick Greenough.
The Wildcats are five points behind second-place Yarmouth, and with a seven-point lead over fourth-place Truro, needed only the March 2 win to officially clinch third.
The victory over Amherst – which saw all but four Valley players add points – follows a 5-2 against first-place Pictou County 5-2 Feb. 27 in Berwick and a second 9-2 win over Amherst Feb. 28.
“We’re playing well right now. Everybody is contributing,” Greenough said. “It’s a good time of year to be on a roll.”
The Wildcats will face second-place Yarmouth in the first round of the playoffs. The teams had played five times this season, with a sixth and final meeting scheduled for March 7 in Yarmouth.
The Wildcats have won all three meetings with Yarmouth in Berwick (5-2 on Oct. 12, 5-4 in a shootout Dec. 13, and 7-3 on Feb. 22). They had not been as fortunate in Yarmouth, losing 3-2 on Oct. 10 and 5-2 on Jan. 9.
“A couple of our games with them were early on,” Greenough pointed out. The Wildcats have been a different team since Christmas, especially over the past two or three weeks.
Part of that comes from Myles McGurty, a defenceman acquired in early January, who had two goals and an assist Feb. 27 against Pictou. He added another goal in the Feb. 28 win over Amherst and an assist in the March 2 game.
“Myles has made a real difference for us,” Greenough said, “both with his skill at his position and with the experience he has from playing at the levels he has.”
The March 7 game in Yarmouth will be a dress rehearsal for the playoffs, not to mention an opportunity to send Yarmouth a message, he added.
“I don’t know why we haven’t had more success (in Yarmouth),” he said, “but I’d gladly put us up against anybody the way we’re playing right now.”
The Wildcats’ last loss was Jan. 17, 1-0 in a shootout in Truro. Over their 10-game winning streak, they had scored 58 goals and allowed just 24.
“Since Christmas,” Greenough said, “we’ve been treating every game as a playoff game. During the past two weeks, we’ve been trying to get into more of a playoff mentality. We’re looking to win our last three games and keep our streak going.”
With a game against South Shore March 6 and the March game against Yarmouth still remaining, Greenough was hoping for no injuries or suspensions. Right now, he said, the team was very healthy.
“I’m confident playing both Pictou County and Yarmouth. If we concentrate on our game and doing what we do, I’m confident playing anyone. We match up well, even with the top teams.”