There is no love lost between these teams...
It only seems fitting that the Grrrowl would get a first round meeting with its hated rivals. They've been an even match-up all season and have produced had some hard-fought, physical contests, and although they cannot play one another in the finals and challenge each other for the Knox Cup, it only seems right that they duke it out in a meaningful three-game playoff series. The Grrrowl has struggled at times this season against Wooster, and on the road in general, posting a 6-13-2 overall record in games away from its friendly confines at The Cube and a 3-5-1 record at Alice Noble Arena against its cross-state rivals, which so happens to be who and where the Grrrowl will open the playoffs. The Grrrowl will have to find a way to overcome the strong home-ice advantage occupied by its heavily-rivaled opponents. When it's over, we will find out who the better team is as the winner advances and plays for a chance at the Knox Cup.
1. Coming prepared & ready to play a physical series: Each team is different when it comes to preparation. In the case of the Oilers, the Grrrowl first must establish control and composure, as its rivals will come out ready for a physical series. They will come out and try to control the Grrrowl from the start, and playing in front of their home crowd will give them even more energy. The Grrrowl cannot let them become too motivated and control the tempo early in the game.
2. Use your weapons, and don’t fall prey to their style of game: The Oilers are known for using their size and physical strength to control the tempo. Yes, their game. And when they play their game, they usually have a stranglehold on the Grrrowl, which arguably spends more time watching the game from the penalty box than on the ice. One of the Grrrowl’s biggest downfalls is getting caught up in the game of retaliation, and they spend way too much time in the Sin Bin because of it. They need to play to their strengths. The Grrrowl has its own weapons of skill, quickness and speed and energy that give them an advantage over a physical, bully-like team, like Wooster, and if they use these weapons rather than getting involved in an overly-physical game, they will beat the Oilers 9 out of 10 times.
3. Maintaining composure & focus: The Grrrowl has had some gritty come-backs this season, not all leading to wins, but they have had trouble establishing rhythm and remaining composed against Wooster. They will need some quick scores and set their own tone right from the start if they want to control those pesky Oilers.
4. Communication leads to production: Establishing rhythm and communication between lines and keeping focused and balanced on the defensive end leads to a balanced attack and, subsequently, points on the board.
5. Get it to the Big Guns: Zach Bachnak, Josh Tucker and Brock Donnelly have had a season-long rapport and getting them involved early on is crucial. Getting those guys hot right away will catch the Oilers off-guard and will also keep them hungry throughout the game. Bachnak, Donnelly, and include Topher Gendron in the mix, are among the league's leaders in offensive production, and the more involved they are the more potent the Grrrowl attack will be.
6. Defense: Another note of interest, the Grrrowl defense has remained relatively solid all season, allowing the fewest goals among the league's five core teams, however not against the Oilers. They have been outscored 42-33 by the Oilers at Alice Noble Arena this season. If they can avoid a meltdown or huge deficit, which they've been known to do, they can stay in any game and fight for a comeback.
7. Keeping the confidence: The Grrrowl is arguably the hottest team in the league right now. Since returning from All-Star weekend in January, they are 10-4 and, despite being swept by the Oilers in two games in Wooster, swept four series and won three of its final four games of the regular season against the league’s top-seeded team during that span. So keep in mind that, despite playing on their opponents’ home ice, when the Grrrowl takes the ice at Alice Noble Arena on Friday, they are no underdog. They have earned the 2-seed in the playoffs, and because they've played and took three of four from the league's best over the last two weekends, they also have confidence, some momentum and a little skip in their steps.
“We are going to the playoffs knowing we can beat any team we face. It is going to come down to who wants it more. Our keys are discipline, speed and play sound in our zone.”
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