2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs Have Arrived!
November 3, 2014, the Kings, coming off of a Damascus Cup Finals appearance, hit the court against a new look Jets. The Jets had seen their roster gutted and rebuilt, and no one was sure what to expect. They would fall to Kings 5-3, who looked dominant after a solid off-season that only saw their roster get stronger, but the Jets looked like a team who would find their shape quickly. The Cyclones, who also saw a rebuild occur, lost to the Sharks 6-5, who in their own right, were coming off the loss of their All Star & Vezina winning goaltender.
But that was Day 1. 5 months and 18 games later, we've reached the post season! Much has happened in the days and games between these two points in time. Jets lost top scorers, Maurice Ducharme and Seth Henderson for a month, Kings started the year on an 11-1 run, the Cyclones went winless in their first 7 but knocked off the Kings three separate times in their final three meetings, and the Sharks struggled through consistency but found it in the last 5 games of the season going to a shootout in four of their last six.
Which brings us to April 27, the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. After the first month of the season it looked like we could book two teams into the final but after an exciting final month, it's anyone's guess who will be playing on May 11 & 12 for their right to call themselves Champions.
Jets (1st) vs. Sharks (4th)
The Jets finished the regular season in first place, edging out the Kings in the final two weeks, who had occupied that spot up until April 13, 2015. The high flying trio of Fillion, Ducharme & Henderson, took the league by storm, tallying 139 points between them. Their possession and passing has been a big reason the Jets are entering the playoffs in the top spot. Fillion, who lead the Jets in scoring, finished the regular season with a career high 66 points, more than double his previous best of 35 back in 2012-13. Coupled with their high scoring, they achieved success on their back end as well, with newcomer, Andrew Courchene in goal, and defensive defencemen, Cody Wood & Cameron Nattaway. Nattaway left the team in January but was replaced by Jordon Groves, who was then dealt to the Sharks, along with a prospect, for rookie Tyler Clark.
The Sharks season started well but they soon realized they weren’t quite fit to hang with the top teams. After beating the Cyclones in their first game they lost ten of their next eleven games, where they were outscored 102-57. This was partially due to inconsistent goaltending and undisciplined defense. But that changed when they made the deal with the Jets. Along with Groves to solidify the crease, the prospect would be Jordon’s cousin, Tyler Groves, who has added to the Sharks’ passionate play. Since then, they have done a complete 180 in their play. Their positional play has been top notch and have taken their opponents to a shootout in a four of their last six games. Despite the shaky start and 6-12 record, veteran, Morgan Hobbs had a career year, scoring 24 goals and 47 points.
Match up: Both these teams have been on the rise as of late. The Jets ending the season with a tight 6-5 win over the Cyclones and the Sharks putting in the best performance of the year with an 8-4 win against the Kings. The Jets took the season series 6-1, but have gone to a shootout in each of their last three games. The Jets have the “Terrific Trio” but the Sharks have shown in recent weeks that their play is right up there with the top dogs. Even though this is the 1v4 match up, it’s not going to be an easy series for either team.
Kings (2nd) vs. Cyclones (3rd)
The Kings were the hottest team to start the season. They won 11 of their first 12 games and having just come off a surprising Damascus Cup Finals appearance, were the pre-season favourite to return to ‘Ship’. Reigning MVP, Cody Saunders tore up the league this year with a record setting performance. Breaking Justin HuntingHawk’s goal scoring record of 54 last with 59 this year, Saunders found himself just five points shy of HuntingHawk’s points record of 88. Unfortunately for the Kings, Saunders’ record setting year was overshadowed by a year-end slump that saw them lose five of their last six games, including three to the (at the time) last place Cyclones.
The Cyclones season was a polar opposite of the Kings’, starting the season 0-7. They had made some roster changes in the off-season that saw Jets veteran, Derek Orne, and sophomore, Dylan Gagnon, come over in free agency. The Cyclones were also working with new coaches. Damascus Cup winning coach, MNMP joined the Cyclones along with player turned coach, Lindsey Campbell. With a different roster and new coaching staff, it took some time for the team to find their identity. But in there first game of the New Year, things shifted. They beat the Sharks 13-10, which saw the team band together and pull out a win even after starting the game without a goaltender. From then on, the entire attitude of the team changed. They also picked up goaltender, Sam Custer off waivers, which added consistency in goal. To end the year, they rattled off four wins in their last seven games, including three against the Kings. Jacob Holloway also saw a career year, with 17 assists and 38 points, good for 6th on the scoring list.
Match up: The Kings took the season series 4-3 but lost the last three meetings. This is a tale of teams in different directions, the Cyclones on the up and the Kings on the down. How the Kings’ respond to a season ending slump will be the deciding factor to this series. All the pieces are there for another Cup run but that won’t happen unless they can put what’s happened in the past and band together as a team, supporting each other and working off each other’s strengths. If they can get back to unselfish hockey and use everyone, then we’ll see the Kings team that went 11-1. As for the Cyclones, can they balance the intensity they’ve shown in the latter half of the season with level heads and safe play. If they can play aggressive without letting their emotions dictate their play, there should be no reason to see them in the Finals this year.
