It is going to be nasty, tenacious, and gritty.
“And the team that wants it the most is usually going to be the team that wins.”
That’s what awaits the Nipawin Hawks in the quarter-final round of the playoffs, said Doug Johnson, the head coach.
The Hawks get set to kick off their quarter-final series on March 17 when they welcome the Humboldt Broncos to the Cage.
The Hawks come into that series after finishing the season with nine more wins and 19 more points, but the teams split the season series with each team finishing 3-2-1.
“We’re a much different team after Jan. 10 than we were before. We played Humboldt four times before Jan. 10 and we’ve had some good games against them, we’ve had some bad games against them,” said Johnson.
Heading into the series, the Hawks hold the upper hand on the Broncos, having won the last two meetings, but with ten days off before the start of the playoffs, Johnson said it will not be so much about having a momentum advantage but more about being confident.
They have a lot of reasons to feel good about their game and the past season, said Johnson.
“We were tied for second overall in the whole league but based on the tiebreaking procedure, we ended up fourth. Only two teams had 40 wins or more and we were one of them.”
The key to outplaying the Broncos will be sticking to playing Hawks hockey, he said.
“Put a lot of pressure on their back end, make sure we’re playing with as much speed as possible, cycling the puck, owning the puck and trying to slow them down defensively.”
Goaltending will play a huge role in this series as both teams have goaltenders who are in fine form heading into the playoffs.
Johnson noted the biggest point of emphasis for the Hawks offensively will be on doing the little things well.
“We’re going to keep putting pucks to the net, driving the net and respecting his space but we also have to put some pressure on their D and hunt for rebounds,” he said noting the power play will also need to be a difference maker.
High-end skill will also not be hard to come by for either team, as they both boast some incredible offensive talent, including Josh Bly for the Hawks, who finished third in league scoring, and Chris Van Os-Shaw for the Broncos, who finished second in the league in goals.
A key to slowing down Van Os-Shaw and the rest of the Broncos forwards will actually start in the Broncos’ own zone, said Johnson, who noted 20-year-old defenseman Connor Swystun is their most valuable player.
“I think if we can slow him down it’s going to be a huge asset for us.”
With so much talent on both sides, Johnson admits depth will play a key role in the outcome of the series, but says the top guys will still need to be their top guys to have a chance to win.
“The depth is going to be a factor but at the end of the day, if our top end talent doesn’t show up we’re going to be hurting.”
Also this week: Flin Flon defeat places Hawks in fourth
