Canadiens confident heading into PJHL Western final
The chance to savour another title will be brief for the Lakeshore Canadiens.
Four days after capturing the team's fifth consecutive Bill Stobbs Division championship, the Canadiens are back in action on Thursday.
Lakeshore will open the best-ofseven Western Conference final in the Provincial Junior Hockey League against the Thamesford Trojans at the Atlas Tube Centre at 7:30 p.m.
“Sunday night was nice and getting the job done on home ice was great,” Canadiens alternate captain Kyle Walker said of the Game 7 victory over the Essex 73's. “It's not much time (to celebrate), but that's all right.”
This is a repeat of last year's conference final, which Lakeshore took in four games.
“We played them last year and we were fortunate enough to beat them in four (games),” the 21-yearold Walker said. “Most of those games were pretty close in scoring and, at the end, we were able to get the wins to move on. They're a good team and we'll get ready to play Thursday.”
Thamesford allowed just 89 goals in 40 games in capturing the Yeck Division. The club has been just as stingy in the playoffs, allowing just 29 goals in 14 playoffs games while going 12-2.
“We played them last year in the quarters and they're coached by the same guy,” Canadiens head coach Anthony Iaquinta said. “I'm sure they're a different team, but we know their tendencies and we have a few people up there that give us a background check. In the end, we're concerned about ourselves.”
Essex and Lakeshore finished first and second, respectively, in team scoring in the regular season in the entire PJHL, but both showed the ability to clamp down on the defensive side in a tight division final, with the Canadiens scoring just 16 goals in a series that yielded 30 total goals in seven games.
“(Essex) brought it every night (Essex) and every game was a onegoal game,” Walker said. “We're looking forward to producing a little bit more in the next round.”
Though it might have been a draining series in some respects, Iaquinta thinks facing the 73's will only make the Canadiens better going forward, especially on the defensive side of the game.
“Last series, with Essex being such a good team, it only makes you better and prepares you,” Iaquinta said. “We did a really good job that, when we did score and take the lead, we did a good job of limiting chances.”
The Canadiens won the Schmalz Cup two years ago and reached the final four last season. Iaquinta is confident his team will be ready to focus on the Trojans after a seven-game battle against the rival 73's.
“I think back first two years where we won our (division in 2018 and 2019), after the first year the guys were so relieved that we won the league that maybe they didn't have full focus or effort and maybe second year as well,” said Iaquinta, who saw his team fall in seven games in the quarterfinals both years. “The last two years, we're more comfortable and we just have to go out and compete. We're excited for Thursday.”