The McLean & Dickey Orillia Terriers' second-round playoff series with the Stayner Siskins feels like a pivotal moment for the franchise.
The Terriers finished just five points back of their North Carruthers Division rivals in the regular season but won the season series against Stayner, 3-2.
Head coach Dalyn Telford says the Terriers are "very comparable" to the powerhouse Siskins who have shared a grip on the division with the Alliston Hornets for several years.
"The games that we played in the regular season don't mean a whole lot this time of year," he said. "But we did prove in those games that we more or less set the pace."
Despite the final standings and the historical dominance of the Siskins, Telford says his team is playing under the belief that they are the favourite in the series.
"We have the ability to dictate how this series goes," he said. "We have to be disciplined, we have to have good goaltending, and our special teams has to be good again."
Telford expects the series to go the distance. He says the Terriers and Siskins are evenly matched.
"A lot of it is going to come down to who can stay healthy," he said. "It's also going to be a battle of special teams. They have a really good power play, and our penalty kill was 21-for-21 in the first round."
Beating the Siskins in the second round would go a long way to cementing the franchise as a "premier team" in the Provincial Junior Hockey League, Telford says.
"These opportunities don't come every day," he said. "With how we matched up with Stayner this year there is no better time to put ourselves in their category."
After a four-game series sweep of Huntsville in the first round Telford says the players firmly believe in themselves heading into the series.
"They believe they can get to a division final," he said. "We are excited."
The Terriers will play Game 1 on Thursday at what Telford expects to be a sold-out Stayner Memorial Arena.
"They have a loud crowd," he said. "For us to win the series, we obviously have to win at least one there."
Telford says it's important for the Terriers to have the support of their fans when they return home for Game 2 on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m.
"It makes such a difference," he said. "It's like having a seventh player on the ice when we have the energy in the building. It allows us to hold momentum."
Telford says goalie Aiden Jerry was "without question" the MVP of the Terriers' first-round playoff sweep of the Otters. Jerry had a goals-against average of 0.74 and a save percentage of .979.
"If you get those kinds of numbers from your goalie, you’re not going to lose," Telford said. "He's dialed in and his compete level is second to none in goalies that I've seen."
Jerry credits his teammates for his first-round success.
"We might have given up a lot of shots, but a lot of them were low-quality chances," he said. "There were times when I had to be sharp, but it was difficult playing a team like Huntsville because they never give up and play physical."
Jerry says the Terriers are feeling confident heading into Stayner on Thursday.
"We've shown that we can compete with these guys all season," he said. "We feel that we can compete with the top teams in this league because we are one."
Jerry says the Siskins are a skilled and smart team with a strong veteran presence.
"We have to shut down their top guys," he said. "All year our team has been built off outworking the other team. If we can outwork these guys, we will have a good chance to win the series."
Here is the full Terriers schedule for the second round of the playoffs:
- Game 1: Thursday, March 14 — 8 p.m. in Stayner
- Game 2: Saturday, March 16 — 7:30 p.m. at Orillia Rotary Place
- Game 3: Sunday, March 17 — 1:30 p.m. in Stayner
- Game 4: Tuesday, March 19 — 7:30 p.m. at Orillia Rotary Place
- Game 5: (if necessary) — Thursday, March 21 - 8:00 p.m. in Stayner
- Game 6: (if necessary) — Saturday, March 23 - 7:30 p.m. Orillia Rotary Place
- Game 7: (if necessary) — Sunday, March 24 - 1:30 p.m. in Stayner
