In the closing moments of the Sudbury Wolves series win over the Barrie Colts, my spine was tingling and chills went up and down my back.
The raw energy emanating from the frenzied fans made for one of
the best experiences I have ever had in my entire life.
It's rare to get to enjoy such a great performance on home ice
and witness a big, emotional series win.
Sudbury swept Barrie in the second round of the playoffs,
securing their ticket to the Eastern Conference final for the
first time since 1995.
If Wolves fever hadn't hit Sudbury yet, the community will
definitely be feeling the chilling now.
I can honestly say I've never seen a sweep of Barrie, who
finished with 19 more wins and 30 more points than Sudbury,
coming at all.
Anyone who said they saw it coming is flat out lying.
I've lived in Sudbury my whole life. I've shared all the
agonizing defeats over the years, especially in the mid 90s and
into 2000 and 2001.
There have been some tough losses to the Colts over the years,
so it was nice to see the local boys pull one out for the
fans.
The team is on a big roll and everyone is doing their part.
Players are playing their roles. Guys are blocking shots and
sacrificing their bodies to make the extra effort.
It has been magical to watch guys like Marc Staal and Nick
Foligno lead the charge.
To say those two have been playing out-of-this-world hockey
would be a gross understatement.
I think one of the biggest aspects about this surprising
playoff run is the bounces Sudbury has been getting.
In the past, those bounces just never seemed to go the Wolves
way. Whether it's a player hitting the goal post in overtime to
just a crafty play to create a riveting game, it all is falling
into place for this club.
Now, they face a bigger task, literally. They face Belleville
in the conference championship and it's going to be one heck of
a series. Belleville plays on an Olympic-sized ice surface,
known as Yardmen Arena, which is 199.5-feet long by 99.5-feet
wide. The Sudbury Arena on the other hand is 200-feet by
85-feet wide. It may not sound like a lot, but trust me, it
does make a difference in the way a team must play there. The
Wolves will have some careful planning to do.
Without a doubt, it will be an interesting matchup.
There's the Donati twins factor as Justin competes for Sudbury
while Tyler plays for Belleville. Oh, and Sudbury has two
former Bulls players - rugged Andrew Self and starting goalie
Sebastian Dahm - who have something to prove to their former
team.
Sudbury has been playing rock-solid hockey. They have won seven
straight games against the two best teams, points wise, in the
conference - Barrie and Mississauga - who finished with 97 and
90 points respectively.
But the Bulls will be tough. They feature a solid lineup
through their four lines, a physical and experienced defence,
and most importantly, a goalie who can steal games - Kevin
Lalande.
The regular season doesn't mean a thing in the playoffs.
In the regular season series, the two teams went 2-2 against
each other, with both teams winning one road game and one home
game.
Sudbury beat the Bulls 3-2 at home back in October. Their road
victory was most impressive as Sudbury overcame a 3-0 deficit
to win 5-3. Belleville won their games by scores of 3-2 at
home, and 4-2 in Sudbury.
So buckle up tight fans, it's going to get even crazier now.
This series should provide even more thrills and chills.
Keep your eyes glued to NorthernLife.ca as we bring you
extensive coverage of the Wolves as they try to defend the den
against a charge from big, nasty Bulls.
It's go time!
