The Delta Icehawks provided what Vancouver Canucks head coach Willie Desjardins would coin as a ‘Good test.’
Starting tonight, the Grandview Steelers hit the final exam.
The Steelers square off against the Mission City Outlaws in Game 1 of their best-of-seven Pacific Junior B Hockey League playoff championship final, having secured a 4-2 series semifinal win over Delta.
It’s a completely new test when it comes to the Outlaws.
“(Mission’s) a pretty good, veteran team and were in the final last year,” noted Steelers coach Aldo Bruno. “They’ve got good size, good speed and will be a handful.”
The Outlaws posted the league’s second-best record at 31-11-2, and swept all four games against Grandview during the year, with one game decided in overtime.
Bruno said that while Mission’s lineup features the league’s top two scorers in 20-year-olds David McGowan and Bryce Pisiak, the biggest asset may be its mobile, puck-savvy defence.
“They’re big and they can move the puck very effectively,” said Bruno of the Outlaws blueliners. “It’s a pretty skilled defence and we’re going to need to get on them to create our chances.”
The Steelers do have a balanced attack, led by Timothy Chow, Brandon Volpe and Jake Holland, who each have tallied 12 points in 11 playoff games. The top-four point-getters in the post-season all wear Mission colours.
Containing them will be a team responsibility, said the Steelers bench boss, with netminder Cole MacInnes under the spotlight.
“He’s been great all playoffs,” Bruno said of his No. 1 netminder. “He’s been our MVP and the team feels pretty confident.”
Last Sunday's 5-2 win put Grandview in a position to close it out, thanks to Chow's hat trick.
Tuesday’s 4-1 win in Delta, which clinched the series, saw Grandview build up a 4-0 lead before the Icehawks pushed back.
Goals by Holland, Nico Bruno, Chow and Ian Prevost put the visitors in the driver’s seat and while the Icehawks fired 36 shots at the Grandview net, MacInnes turned back all but one.
Things turned physical when Delta showed its frustration midway through the third, trailing by four goals, and were handed four misconducts, en route to 85 minutes in penalties.
“We came out and jumped on them right away to get an early lead,” said Bruno. “That quick goal burst their bubble abit and by the third they were showing their frustration.”
Getting under Mission’s skin will be a key advantage, as the Steelers have posted a playoff-leading 24.07 per cent powerplay success rate. They’ve also been the second-best team when it comes to killing penalties, while Mission, one of the top teams in both categories during the regular season, have put up middling numbers.
Game 2 goes Saturday in Mission, with the series returning to the Burnaby Winter Club for Games 3 (Monday) and Wednesday (both 7:15 p.m. starts).
