Photos: Bobcats goalie Garrett Sheehan will need to be at his best in the first round of the AJHL playoffs if the ‘Cats want to come away with an upset win over the Storm. - File Photo
By Robb Fenton
It’s been an up and down year for the Lloydminster Bobcats, but they are putting all that behind them as they open up the AJHL playoffs tonight in Grande Prairie.
For the second straight year, the Bobcats will take on the Grande Prairie Storm in the opening round of the playoffs, but this season, they are ready for the upset.
“We have nothing to lose. We have a goal we want to accomplish and obviously that is to win, but they’re the favourite team, they’re a great hockey club and we’re looking forward to playing them, that’s all we’re talking about with our guys,” Bobcats head coach Brian Curran said. “We have to bring ourselves to another level of hockey and I believe we’re capable of doing it. We can talk all day about it, but I am going to keep that in the minds of our players.”
The Bobcats have played the Storm tough and regardless of the results, have been in every game so far this season meaning if they play to their potential, this could be the first round upset the ‘Cats are hoping for.
“It’s a great building to play in. I wouldn’t have picked a better team than Grande Prairie. The place is electric, their team is going to be ready to go, we’ll be ready to go,” Bobcats captain Brody Foster said.
“We’ve had a great series with them so far this season and we all know what to expect, so it’s going to be a battle.”
“The guys’ spirits are all high and hopefully we can take that spirit in to GP,” second year forward Brett Slobodzian said. “If I could pick a team to play in the first round I would want it to be them. After last year, we want to get revenge on those guys. It’s a great challenge and I’m sure we can pull it off.”
For veteran Chad Hohmann, things have been building for a long playoff run since he was traded to the Bobcats in the off-season and now that the playoffs are here, he is ready to go.
“This is what we’ve been building for and everyone is at zero points for the playoffs,” Hohmann said. “We’re excited to go up to GP and try to pull an upset off.”
“Hopefully when we go play GP we play with an attitude of never die, never quit and we’ll see where everything goes,” Curran said.
The ‘Cats hosted the Storm to open the season up, playing them twice at home and earning the split.
A 6-3 win and a 7-5 loss was how the season kicked off for the ‘Cats, but that was a very different lineup than the one hitting the ice tonight.
The next two games between these teams in Grande Prairie saw the Storm edge the ‘Cats twice – 4-3 in overtime and 2-1 in regulation.
And to wrap up their season series, the Bobcats shutout and played a near pefect game against the Storm in January before falling 4-1 on the road in early February.
Foster had five points against the Storm this year, Hohmann had two and Slobodzian had three in the six games head-to-head.
“When you think of playoffs, every coach in hockey will tell you the general idea of playoffs is special teams and goaltending. And our special teams are going,” Curran said.
Foster echoed Curran’s comments noting it’s going to take a team effort, but power play and penalty kill may decide the series.
“In playoffs the two biggest things are goaltending and special teams, so if we can go in with one of those clicking that’s big,” Foster said.
Games 1 and 2 go in GP tonight and tomorrow with Game 3 back at the Civic Centre Sunday at 7:30 p.m. and Game 4 Monday at 7 p.m. at the Civic.
“We’re very excited, but we know we’re playing a top five team in Canada, so they’re not going to roll over. They are champs from last year and if you want to dethrone them, you have a big task ahead of you,” Curran said. “We’re not going down there to lay down so they can walk away from the first series. We’re going to be there, put a lot of pressure on them and maybe we end up with a victory.”