Consistency a key for the Colts in their playoff run

Marty Williamson admits something looks familiar when he sees the Niagara IceDogs across the ice.

Young and talented, the IceDogs remind the Barrie Colts general manager and head coach of the rebuilding team he had heading into the playoffs at this time last year.

It’s why he’s been reminding his team all week they are in for a battle when the puck drops on the OHL best-of-seven first-round series Thursday night at Sadlon Arena.

It was only a year ago at this time that a young Colts team were similar underdogs and ended up giving the Oshawa Generals everything they could handle in a six-game opening-round series that could have gone the other way.

“There are some similarities and that’s what we’ve got to be careful of,” said the Barrie bench boss. “This team is very opportunistic with their scoring. They’ve got three, four, or five guys that can bury it when they get their chances, and (goaltender) Owen Flores can win games on his own. We all know what good goaltending can do, and we saw that from Sam Hillebrandt last year in a couple of games where I thought Oshawa did really well and we were on our heels a little bit and he kept us in there.

“There are no easy games in the playoffs. It’s going to be a battle.”

The regular season means nothing now, says Colts captain Beau Jelsma. That Barrie finished 13 wins and 22 points better or that they won five of the six head-to-head games counts for nothing in the playoffs.

“They’re a very young team and remind me of the team we had last year,” said Jelsma. “Niagara is better than us last year. Last year going into the playoffs teams didn’t expect we were going to give them a pushback. Our message this year is it doesn’t matter who you’re playing, they’re going to give you a good run.

“Everyone’s in the playoffs for a reason and we can’t take any team lightly. We got to give 100 per cent every night and play detailed hockey. Play Barrie Colt hockey.”

Williamson knows his team will have to be ready right from the start against the IceDogs. Slow starts hindered Barrie at times throughout the season and the Central Division winners know that come playoff time momentum is huge.

“It’s about winning four games,” said Williamson. “The emphasis I want to put on our guys is a good start. We need to be good in our building and win our games and not get ourselves behind the eight ball early.”

That means playing consistent hockey. Playing 60 minutes. Playoff games are traditionally much closer, and one brief lapse could prove to be the difference.

“Playoff hockey is different,” said the Colts’ bench boss. “Sometimes during the regular season you can wonder. Now it’s about the consistency to get through this series and being able to play that way in the next series and keep growing our game under different circumstances in playoff hockey.

“If we take this team lightly, then we’ll get on our heels. It doesn’t bode well for what we want to do. If we play well and Flores has a good game, then go out and do it again the next game.”

While they cooled off in the second half of the season, the IceDogs’ offence can be potent. Putting the puck in the net is no problem for the likes of Ryan Roobroeck (41 goals), Kevin He (36 goals), and Andrei Loshko (34 goals).

Ethan Czata pitched in with 21 goals, while veteran Alex Assadourian had 14 in a little more than half the season.

While only Oshawa (218) gave up fewer goals than the Colts (219) in the Eastern Conference and Barrie is backed by two of the better goalies in the league in Ben Hrebik and Hillebrandt, Williamson knows limiting turnovers will be key.

“The games we turn over the puck a lot are the games we get into problems,” said Williamson. “Our puck management is really important. They jump on transition so fast, they love to score off the rush, and we need to take that away from them. The best way to take it away from them is to manage the puck properly.

“If we do that and get the puck going, they don’t like to play in their own end as much. They feast off mistakes. We know there’s going to be the odd turnover. There’s going to be some bobbles out there, but if it’s limited and not consistent, that’s OK.”

The IceDogs led the conference and division standings early on and battled Barrie at the top throughout the first half of the season. The second half was a completely different story.

Niagara struggled down the stretch, losing 12 straight and winning just once in 22 games since Feb. 1st.

“Young teams go through losing streaks and that, but they’re no joke,” said Jelsma of Niagara. “We have to bring a full 60 minutes and a full team to beat Niagara because they can score goals. They have a really good goaltender. They’re physical.

“It’s going to be a good matchup, and we just got to play every night and hopefully we can come out with the win in the series, but we got to take it game by game. We know it’s going to be a tough series and the whole room is excited for it.”

This year’s version of the Colts is one built to make a long run in the playoffs. The key additions of blueliners Tristan Bertucci and Gabriel Eliasson and forwards Dalyn Wakely, Anthony Romani, Owen Van Steensel, Emil Hemming, and Brad Gardiner to a solid core that already included Kashawn Aitcheson and Beau Akey on the back end and Cole Beaudoin, Riley Patterson and Jelsma give the Colts arguably the best roster depth in the conference.

That depth should be key through a tough playoff schedule that requires teams play just about every second night.

It also makes it tougher for teams to match lines.

“We’re not a team that needs one line going and they better score goals right away,” said Williamson. “We’re a team that’s deep, and we believe our blueline is deep. We have good goaltending. Sometimes it takes us a little while to get going, to get every line rolling, and that’s when we can have those periods where we score three or four goals.

“It doesn’t worry me so much about the goal scoring in the first series, but it’s how we’re playing the game. If we’re physical, if we’re racing, then those are the things that are important.”

Fourth-line centre Jaiden Newton and winger Carter Lowe have also pitched in with some offence of late. Production that could be big in the playoffs.

“We’re going to need a full team,” said Jelsma. “This is the best team I’ve been part of.”

Specialty teams are often a factor come playoff time and it’s an area the Colts believe they will have an edge.

Barrie’s penalty killers finished third overall with an efficiency of 83.1 per cent, while the power play finished sixth with an efficiency of 24.2 per cent.

Williamson credits assistant coaches Dylan Smoskowitz and Dennis Martindale for the success of both units.

“They have done a great job,” he said. “Our specialty teams are at the top of the league. I challenged them at the beginning to get both of them in the top five. If we wanted to be serious about going deep in the playoffs, you needed to be in the top five.

“Our power play just missed it a little bit, but it’s been really good lately and we climbed the latter. Our penalty kill has been pretty well consistent all year, so it bodes well for playoffs if your specialty teams take care of themselves.”

As for who will get the call in the net for Barrie in Game 1, Williamson says he has decided but is keeping that under wraps until game time.

Hillebrandt, who was outstanding in last year’s playoffs against Oshawa, and Hrebik have gone back and forth throughout the second half.

“We’re in the position that I think both goaltenders are going to see time in this series,” said Williamson. “We know who our starter is, but we’ll leave it for (Thursday night).”

Game time tonight at Sadlon Arena is 7 p.m.

TALE OF THE TAPE

Barrie Colts (42-22-2-2) vs. Niagara IceDogs (29-31-4-4)

• FINISH: Colts (2nd conference), IceDogs (7th conference)
• HEAD-TO-HEAD: Colts 5-1
• POWER PLAY: Colts (6th, 24.1%), IceDogs (10th, 22.1%)
• PENALTY KILL: Colts (3rd, 83.1%), IceDogs (13th, 77.1%)
• GOALS FOR: Colts (250), IceDogs (247)
• GOALS AGAINST: Colts (219), IceDogs (303)

TOP SCORERS

BARRIE

1. Kashawn Aitcheson (26-33-59)
2. Riley Patterson (25-34-59)
3. Dalyn Wakely (23-35-58)

Niagara

1. Ryan Roobroeck (41-46-87)
2. Kevin He (36-39-75)
3. Andrei Loshko (34-36-70)

PREDICTION: IceDogs will be no pushover, but if the Colts play like they can, it will be a short series. BARRIE IN FIVE GAMES