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The Nipissing Lakers did something no other team in Ontario men’s university hockey did during the home stretch — win eight of their final 10 games.
But the slate is wiped clean and with little difference between teams in the tight OUA East, the Lakers’ season could still be finished by this weekend.
Third-place Nipissing (17-7-4) opens the best-of-three OUA East quarter-final on the road Wednesday, when they face the sixth-place Ottawa Gee Gees (14-13-1).
Game 2 of the series will be Friday at Memorial Gardens at 7 p.m.
“I know it’s a cliche, but playoffs is a whole new season,” said Lakers captain Brodie Beard, about to play in his fourth OUA post-season. “For the guys coming in who haven’t experienced it, it’s quick.
“I’ve been out in two straight, I’ve been through to the second round. The guys have to realize the season could be over this weekend and we’re going to determine whether we’re playing longer or not. How we’re playing is going to be the biggest factor.”
The Lakers are coming off a 6-4 win at Queen’s Saturday and a 4-3 win over Ryerson on Friday.
The Lakers’ 8-2-0 record over the final 10 games was the best in the OUA.
“I think we finished the second half pretty good,” Beard said. “We had a couple of games where we kind of got away from the game plan. But these last couple of games and over the last few weeks, we’ve been playing well.”
Head to head against the Gee Gees this season, the Lakers earned a 5-2 win at home on opening night in October, but suffered their worst loss of the season Nov. 19, dropping a 7-1 decision in Ottawa, a game in which they surrendered four third-period goals.
“The last game we played against these guys, they hammered us, so of all the teams we could have faced in the first round, Ottawa is probably one of the ones maybe we want revenge on,” Beard said. “We have to know they can beat us and they have embarrassed us. So the guys have to get on the same page and stick to the basics and stick to the game plan.
“As long as we’re skating, not too many teams can play with us.”
The Gee Gees, under new head coach Real Paiement, were among the more improved teams in the OUA East this season, having finished 11-14-3 a year ago. The Gee Gees also had three points taken away from them in November for use of an ineligible player.
Lakers head coach Mike McParland said his team must be aware of the Gee Gees’ top line of Luc Olivier Blain (31 points), Matthieu Methot (28 points) and Stephen Blunden (22 points), while Alexandre Touchette (19 points) and Kyle Ireland (11 points) have also had success in the past. Ottawa defenceman Dominic Jalbert, who put up 22 points, is among the top blueliners in the OUA.
“We have to play big, or at least play as big as we are,” McParland said after Monday’s practice. “The other thing is, everything has to be team-first. You can’t be playing for goals or assists. Who is going to help us is who is going to be out on the ice.
“We really have to take that mentality. There really isn’t much difference between all the teams. We have to count on (goaltender) Daniel Spence being better than (Russell) Abbott and hope that our first line is better than theirs.”
The Lakers used a well-balanced attack to score 120 goals, the second-highest total in the OUA this season. They have also pared down their goals-against numbers in the second half, surrendering 26 goals over the final 10 games, while scoring 47.
Without singling anybody out, McParland is counting on a few players to up their games for the post-season.
“I think we have one or two guys who have to play better,” he said. “There are a couple guys spinning their wheels a bit, guys who we expect more from. They know who they are and for us to have success, we need everybody playing well.
“It’s going to be all about the form and if your good players produce and your goalie plays well and we play aggressive and disciplined, we should win. If we’re not ready to sacrifice, we’ll be in tough.”