Games of the Week - 3/6
The Breakdown:
With all due respect to the other teams in D2 South, when the brackets came out these were not only the most likely match-ups but also the ones that many neutrals were craving. These are serious rivalry games between teams that bear grudging respect for each other, but quite a bit of animosity as well. This should be two days of hard-hitting, pressure-packed hockey that emphasizes the depth and strength of the Hockomock League. Both sets of teams had a pair of regular season games decided by a single goal, which should lead to fireworks in Bourne.
No. 1 Canton vs. No. 4 Oliver Ames - Wednesday, 5:30 @ Gallo
Canton has lost only once since the calendar turned to 2013. On January 2nd, the Bulldogs were shutout 1-0 and have not lost since. Their opponents that night were the same as on Wednesday, the Oliver Ames Tigers. During Canton’s long unbeaten run, it got revenge on the Tigers with a 3-1 victory in a ill-tempered clash at the Metropolis and it would be safe to assume that no one will be backing out of any checks at Gallo.
Goals will be at a premium as both teams are among the best defensive teams in the Hockomock, but the teams do it in different ways. OA is a big, physical team that utilizes its strength to win battles in the corners and to block off shooting lanes. Of course, it helps having one of the top goalies in the league in sophomore Jimmy Tierney to clean up any mistakes, as he did early in the game against Coyle on Saturday. Against the Warriors, OA stepped up at the blue line and in the neutral zone to break up attacks before Coyle could get into the attacking zone, a strategy that might be even more difficult against the skilled attackers that Canton will throw at them. In the zone, the Tigers keep the defensemen narrow to push teams towards the boards, where their size will be a bigger weapon. Canton likes to cycle the puck behind the net, but that may not be the best strategy against the size of OA.
Canton tends to be more proactive defensively and puts pressure on the opposition by never allowing the puck to get out of the attacking zone. The ability for Canton’s defensemen, particularly Kurt Leavitt, to pinch in and keep attacks alive can wear down a team down over three periods. That strategy can also lead to scoring chances for OA, if it can find the quick transition pass to the forward, as North did for its lone goal on Saturday, but it is not easy and requires a great pass. Canton goalie Rich Nee has been underrated this season because of the strength in front of him, but he is also capable of making big stops to keep the Bulldogs in the lead. If the Bulldogs forecheck is effective, Canton can take better advantage of its depth to create numerous chances and start to wear down the Tigers.
The attack is where Canton has separated itself from the pack this season. Brian Brooks, Pat Ward and JC Marcone have been outstanding all season at combining in the zone and cycling the puck. The concern for Canton is if the top line does not get on the board, frustration sets in and they can be lax on the defensive duties. If the team is not aggressive forechecking, then it can get stretched through neutral ice, which opens attacks for the opposition. Those are the spaces that OA will look to exploit with all-action sophomore forward Tyler Provost and top scorer Justin Davidner. The Tigers showed unexpected firepower against Coyle with 18 shots in the second period alone and will need that aggression in the attacking zone to match the Bulldogs. Canton will hope its attacking depth, including Michael Denehy, Matt Lennon, and Ben Lodge (among others) can provide support for the top scorers.
This is a games that seems evenly matched 5 on 5 and could be decided by a team taking advantage of a power play or two. If both teams limit their time in the box, then this could be another game headed for overtime.
No. 6 Mansfield vs. No. 7 Franklin - Sunday, 1:15 @ Gallo
Both teams had to come from behind just to get into this round and, after the Panthers knocked Mansfield out at the sectional final stage a season ago, Mansfield and Franklin are looking forward to a rematch that both teams wanted. Franklin also came from behind for a 2-2 tie and a 2-1 win over Mansfield in the regular season, but it would be fair to say that the Hornets were as good if not better in both games. The Panthers have learned how to win ugly and Franklin has the confidence that it will win no matter the situation (back-to-back sectional championships always helps build confidence). The Hornets will feel similar confidence after their quarterfinal shootout win over North Quincy, but they will want to finally get the better of Franklin in their quest for a title.
The key match-up of the game will be the top line of Mansfield (Brendan Murphy, Kevin Flynn, and Adam Blackman) against Franklin’s top defensive pairing (Kyle Powers and Ryan Lessard). Murphy, who is a constantly moving two-way forward, has logged a lot of minutes and has looked tired recently but is always a threat to get into the right positions to score. He draws a lot of attention (and rightfully so) and that has freed up Flynn and Blackman, who both were excellent in Saturday’s third period comeback, including the play that produced the game-tying goal. One area of concern for Mansfield will be finding offense beyond the top line. The second line did not create many clear-cut scoring chances against the Raiders and will need to do more to take the pressure off the top scorers.
It is harder to pinpoint where Mansfield should focus defensively. Cam Curley is arguably Franklin’s most skillful player and has had an excellent playoff run through two games, but the Panthers secondary attackers, in particular Aiden Isberg, Troy Donahue, and sophomore Alec Borkowski have been consistently creating chances as well. In fairness, this will be the best defensive team (and Rich Shipman the best goaltender) that Franklin has faced in the playoffs so far. Coach Spillane talks about his team having to score ugly goals this season (although Dennis Pisani to Curley for the third against the Vineyard was very pretty) and it will be important for Eric MacKinnon and Bryan Hurley to clear Franklin away from the crease and win the battles behind the net to limit the Panthers scoring chances.
Both teams went to overtime on Saturday and both games during the regular season had overtime potential, so expect this game to come down to the wire. Mansfield wants to avenge last year’s playoff defeat, but Franklin has shown the resiliency that has made them champions in the past – hard to call a favorite going into Thursday.
The Pick:
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HockomockSports.com Picks | ||||||||||
Ryan Lanigan |
Josh Perry |
Dan Libon |
Andrew Cyr |
John Botelho |
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HockomockSports.com Staff | ||||||||||
#1 Canton vs. #4 Oliver Ames Wednesday, 5:30 @ Gallo |
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#6 Mansfield vs. #7 Franklin Sunday, 1:15 @ Gallo |
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Hockey | Lanigan 3-2 | Perry 3-2 | Libon 4-1 | Cyr 4-1 | Botelho 4-1 |
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Boys Basketball | Lanigan 9-2 | Perry 8-3 | Libon 8-3 | Cyr 8-3 | Botelho 2-3 |
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Girls Basketball | Lanigan 5-2 | Perry 6-1 | Libon 6-1 | Cyr 6-1 | Botelho 1-0 |
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