Miners open playoffs against Bulldogs

GLACE BAY — The Glace Bay Junior Miners are heavy favourites heading into the opening game of their quarter-final playoff series against the Antigonish Bulldogs.

But head coach Kent Verbeski said the Sid Rowe Division champions are taking nothing for granted going into the best-of-seven Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League series that kicks off tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the BayPlex.

“We had a great regular season, but the guys know they can’t take any shift lightly and they can’t take any game lightly,” said Verbeski, whose charges compiled a 27-7 regular season record.

“On any given night, any team in this league can beat any other team.”

Verbeski said while the players are going to take it one game at a time, the team goal is to win the league title they narrowly lost last season in the finals to the Sackville Blazers.

“We’re taking a lot of experience into the playoffs and the boys are ready for playoff hockey and they are excited,” he said.

The statistics certainly favour the Miners who scored 191 regular season goals while conceding just 83, while Antigonish allowed twice as many goals as they scored.

For the Miners, defenseman John Michael Walsh (10-43) and rookie Tristan Unsworth (24-29) each recorded 53 points on the season.

Nate Letcher (11-9), Emerson Coulter (9-11) and Scott Coulton (12-7) were the Bulldogs’ leading scorers.

Game 2 of the series is set for Sunday at 7:30 p.m. in Antigonish.

Meanwhile, Cape Breton’s other NSJHL entry, the Strait Pirates, are tied at 1-1 with the Pictou Scotians in their quarter-final series which resumes Sunday.