The Bonnyville Pontiacs will be “as healthy as we've been all year” heading into the second-round playoff series against the Fort McMurray Oil Barons, says Pontiacs coach and general manager Chad Mercier.
The best-of-seven series, which kicks off Saturday evening in Fort McMurray, has all the makings of a classic as there is very little to choose between the two teams, who finished only a couple of points apart during the regular season in the Alberta Junior Hockey League's North Division.
Game two is set for Sunday evening in Fort McMurray, with games three and four set for Bonnyville next Wednesday and Thursday evening at the R.J. Lalonde Arena.
If game five is necessary, it will be played in Fort McMurray on Saturday, March 12. Game six, if necessary, will return to Bonnyville on Monday, March 14. If a seventh-and-deciding game is necessary, it will be played in Fort McMurray on Wednesday, March 16.
With regulars Dante Borelli, Tyler Henry and Marc Antoine Juneau all returning to the lineup in the first-round sweep against the Sherwood Park Crusaders, the Pontiacs will ice a healthy lineup for the first time in months when they face off against the Oil Barons Saturday night, said Mercier.
“We had to have healthy scratches for the first time in a long time in the opening round, but that's OK because we know we're going to need every single guy in our lineup against Fort McMurray,” he said. “We're going to need to use everybody and be ready to go to battle because we're now into best-of-seven series and we expect this to be a long and very difficult battle.”
The Pontiacs won the first four regular-season meetings against the Oil Barons during the regular season, before dropping a pair of games to their arch rivals late in the campaign.
Because there is so little to choose between the two clubs, Mercier said he expects the winner of the series to be the team that wants it more.
“It's going to come down to who is going to execute better, which team sticks to their game plan and which team is more committed to the grind of a very tough series,” said Mercier, who was recently named the AJHL Coach of the Year.
Admitting Fort McMurray is “a very difficult place to play in” because they attract a large and boisterous crowd to every home game, Mercier said the Pontiacs have played very solid hockey on the road most of the season.
With so much on the line, he's confident his players will be ready to play their best hockey of the season against the Oil Barons.
“We've got to make sure the level we play at increases over what we did during the regular season and what we did in the first round,” he said. “You have to get better as the playoffs progress and I think our players are ready to take it up a notch.”
Mercier said the long-term goal is to win four games against the Oil Barons, with the short-term goal getting his team ready for the first period in what should be a madhouse in Fort McMurray Saturday night.
“Our focus right now is to get prepared for the opening 10 minutes, because that team really feeds off the energy of the crowd,” he said. “If we can get through the opening 10 minutes, I think we'll be up for the challenge.”
Pontiacs tickets for the second round are now available by calling 780-812-3400. They can also be picked up in person at the Centennial Centre.
