Battle Report
BY SCOTT
HADDOW
The Sudbury Wolves have a lot to prove during the 2007
playoffs.
After an up-and-down season, in which they finished with a sub
.500 with a record of 29-30-3-6 (for 67 points), the Wolves
want to make up for it by going deep in the playoffs.
The Wolves' run starts tonight in Mississauga for Game 1 at
7:30 pm. Game 2 goes Sunday at 8 pm.
Sudbury's first home playoff game (Game 3) is Tuesday, March 27
at 7:30 pm, with Game 4 occurring on Thursday, March 29 at 7:30
pm.
If necessary, Game 5 is in Mississauga on Sunday, April 1, Game
6 back in Sudbury on Monday, April 2 and Game 7 on Tuesday,
April 3.
Wolves' head coach and GM Mike Foligno sees a great matchup
between the two clubs.
Both teams won three games each during the regular season
series.
"We know how to play against them," said the bench boss. "We
understand their strengths. It's going to be a tough battle. We
went through some adversity at the end of the season (one win
in their final eight games), but we feel it has made the team
more gritty and tougher mentally."
The Wolves need to play their game for success.
"Our defensive part of the game has to be solid every game,"
said Foligno. "We also have to be a dangerous team offensively
when we get our scoring opportunities. We have to limit their
power play chances. You can't play a run-and-gun game with
Mississauga; it's what they want. We also can't just sit back
either...we have to be aggressive and play with discipline.
It's going to be a classic offence versus defence matchup. Our
strength is defence and theirs is offence. We've seen them
stumble and not be effective with the offensive game. The team
is prepared and ready for a good challenge."
Big winger Akim Aliu, who was suspended last week for conduct
detrimental to the team, has been back practicing with the
team. Whether he dresses for any games will be determined on a
day-to-day basis.
"I don't know when he will be back in," said Foligno. "I have
to wait and see how he responds and how he handles
himself."
Another area up in the air is who will be the starting goalie,
either Sebastian Dahm or Michael Swick. Foligno gave both
players opportunities at practice to show who wants it more. As
of press deadline it was unclear who would start.
Sudbury will expect a lot from their veterans players, such as
Marc Staal, Jonathan D'Aversa, Adam McQuaid, Kevin Baker,
Justin Donati and Nick Foligno, since they've been through many
playoff battles.
"For a lot of our players, it's their last kick at the can to
make some noise at the OHL level," said Foligno. "We have a
strong core of players who have been through the grind of the
playoffs and seen what other teams have done to beat us and
advance in the past. They've learned form it and we expect them
to be great leaders for us."
Enemy Line
Last season, the Mississauga IceDogs missed the playoffs and finished as the third worst team in the OHL.
This season has been a different story completely. Mississauga
enjoyed their best season in franchise history with a record of
43-21-0-4, good for 90 points.
The IceDogs are out to prove they are the real deal by having a
strong run in the playoffs.
Mississauga meets Sudbury in the first round. The first two
games are in Mississauga - today at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 8
pm.
"I found the players were a proud and determined group all
season," said head coach Mike Kelly. "After missing the
playoffs last year, this team drew on it for motivation. They
wanted to show the OHL and hockey world there was more than
just average talent here. They worked hard for the success. We
played an offensive style game and had good success, but now we
have to switch gears and tighten up defensively. We're not
going to change the way we play a great deal though. I don't
think we overachieved this season...we had a season that
reflects the talent and commitment on this team."
Kelly is anticipating a dog fight with Sudbury.
"This could be a six or seven game series...Sudbury is a better
team than their record indicates," said the coach. "We have
respect for them...it will be hard fought to the end."
Mississauga features a couple of key Sudbury connections -
forward Jadran Beljo and defenceman Kyle Lamb.
Beljo is a Sudbury boy, while Lamb played a season-and-a-half with Sudbury from 2003 to 2005.
Beljo set career highs with 36 goals and 79 points this season.
He was also a +37, which was sixth best in the OHL.
"Jadran was a big factor in our success," said Kelly. "He's a
smart player with exceptional hands and a knack for finishing.
He doesn't get nearly enough credit for his play away from the
puck and his playmaking ability."
Lamb scored seven goals and 34 points in 68 games along with a
+23 rating.
"Kyle was very good for us and an integral part of the club,"
said Kelly. "He played the power play, killed penalties and
took a regular shift. He also is one of our assistant
captains."
Mississauga will lean heavily on rookie defender Alex
Pietrangelo, who astonished hockey experts with his smooth
transition to the OHL.
Pietrangelo recorded 52 points in 59 games, along with a +40
rating, which was third best in the OHL.
"Alex got better faster than I ever could have imagined," said
Kelly. "He plays like a 19-year-old, not a 16-year-old. He's
probably our most composed player in all situations...he's also
very humble. He has a bright future in hockey."
