For the Owen Sound Attack mistakes will have to be at a minimum in the second round of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs.
One of the Ontario Hockey League’s hottest teams heading into the playoffs, the Attack will enter the second round of the playoffs against a Soo Greyhounds team that has been equally as good, and it has the makings of a series that could be tough on both clubs.
The Attack struggled out of the gate this season, but the strong finish lifted the team into a position to finish fourth in the OHL’s Western Conference and earn home-ice advantage in the first round.
“It’s been a tough year from start to finish but we’re starting to peak at the right time,” Attack Coach Todd Gill said. “We have to just continue to do what we’re doing. Just keep scoring goals and keep the puck out of our net. I don’t mean to sound cliché but that’s what it comes down to.
“Against a team like the Sault, we can’t cheat to score goals,” Gill added. “We have to make sure we’re doing things right and score the right way. And it they don’t go in, you have to be ready to win a game 1-0.”
Entering the series on the heels of a four-game sweep of the London Knights in the opening round of the playoffs, Gill was pleased with the series.
“I was really happy with the series overall,” Gill said. “We kept our goals against down expect for one game but overall, (London goalie Joseph) Raaymakers played a very strong series and we never got frustrated with not scoring goals after him making some big saves. We just stuck to it and won the hockey games. At the beginning of the year, that wasn’t happening for us. We were finding ways to lose those games. That’s a sign of confidence. We know we can play a tight-checking game and win the games.”
The Attack will rely on goaltender Olivier Lafreniere, who was acquired from the Ottawa 67’s in mid-December. The team was looking to fill a goaltending void and take some strain off rookie Mack Guzda down the stretch.
“He came in and was asked to be our No. 1, which I don’t think he really ever had been before,” Gill said. “He got a great opportunity. Guzda has played very well for us but you can’t ask a 16-year-old to carry you into the final run. We added Olivier and he’s played well. I tell any player or any goalie on our team, ‘You don’t have to be great, you just have to be good.’ If everyone is good, then we’re going to be a tough team to beat.”
The team also acquired veteran forward Brett McKenzie from the North Bay Battalion prior to the trade deadline and the overage forward has filled a key role on the team.
“You can never have enough experience and he brings that,” Gill said. “Against London, his line (with Maksim Sushko and Ethan Szypula) was very solid for us. Against a team like the Sault, you’re going to need more than one line scoring. He brings that element and you can have him out in a defensive situation.”
Both Gill and his Greyhounds counterpart, Drew Bannister, expect a tight series.
“It’s going to be a quick series, both teams are very fast and skilled,” Gill said. “That’s going to play into both game plans. It’s going to come down to the team that makes the fewest mistakes will win the series.”
Bannister, who spent time as an assistant coach with the Attack before taking the head coaching job locally, is looking forward to the series.
“It’s two really good teams that have played well, especially towards the end of the season and obviously in the playoffs,” Bannister said. “We expect a very difficult task here in front of us with a very highly-skilled group of forwards that play a fast, competitive, and relentless game. For us, we’re just going to have to continue to play our style of hockey and make sure that we match their competitiveness and their tenacity.”
Game one is Thursday night at the Essar Centre at 7:07 p.m.
For more on the series from a Greyhounds perspective, click here.