CALGARY – Twenty-six games in the books, 21 points each, six key players overseas, two games left to play and one playoff spot available. For the Calgary Dinos and the UBC Thunderbirds, it truly all comes down to this weekend at Father David Bauer Arena in Calgary.
Calgary, a preseason favorite to challenge the Alberta Golden Bears and Saskatchewan Huskies atop the Canada West standings, had a brutal middle stretch in which they lost 12 of 13. The losing stretch not only shoved them off their perch as a once No. 7-ranked team in the country, but had them in a position not seen in 24 years – out of a playoff spot with only three weeks to go. At just the right time, a late scramble got the Dinos back into position as they have won four of their past six games, including a huge home sweep of the aforementioned Huskies.
Inconsistency has been the thorn in the side of the T-Birds throughout the season, as they have been unable to put together a string of wins larger than three. Fortunately for the UBC, however, their best portion of the season has been in the past four weeks, where they have won five of their past seven.
While both teams have played well late in the season, only one team will be given the chance to extend their recent winning ways into the postseason. The other will clean out their lockers early, knowing that it was simply too little, too late.
This weekend, Calgary's mid-season slump can be made a distant memory with one regulation win on their home ice against the T-Birds. Four late wins put the Dinos on the positive side of the tiebreaker between them and the 'Birds, as they now have 10 victories to UBC's nine. This ultimately leaves Calgary in the fortuitous position of controlling their playoff destiny.
While both teams can advance the easy way with a sweep this weekend, the 'Birds will need the most help without one. The only way that UBC can advance without winning both games will be to win one game in regulation and lose in overtime or a shootout in the other. This would give the T-Birds three points on the weekend to Calgary's two, thus leaving the Dinos on the outside looking in for the first time in 25 years.
Making the weekend set even more interesting will be the absence of six key players who will be halfway across the globe representing Canada at the Winter Universiade in Harbin, China. The Dinos lose four of their top six team scorers as Brett O'Malley, Reid Jorgensen, Travis Friedley and Torrie Wheat will make the trip, while UBC loses their two top defensemen, Craig Lineker and Matt Pepe. Absent as well will be T-Birds head coach Milan Dragicevic, who will lead Team Canada at the Universiade, and Calgary athletic therapist Brandon Thome, who will take on a similar role in Harbin.
The Dinos will rely on the recent hot sticks of dynamic forwards Kyle Annesley and Brock Nixon, who together have contributed 19 points in the past six games. Also breaking out at the right time is third year defenseman Dan Ehrman and fourth year forward Paul Gentile, who have been key offensive cogs for the Dinos late in the season, each potting four goals during the six game stretch.
The T-Birds, while bare on defense going into the weekend, keep their scoring punch intact with leading scorers Darrell May and Jeff Lynch remaining with the team. May has been the epitome of unselfish this season, working his way into the top 20 in points with 17 assists, compared to only two goals.
Jeff Weber and Francois Thuot have led the Dinos and T-Birds in net, respectively, through their recent hot stretches, and both have the biggest challenges of their season in front of them this weekend. And while they have certainly had recent success, both have been inconsistent throughout the year and will need to be locked in early in order to continue into the postseason.
The do or die weekend starts at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20, with the potential make-or-break rematch Saturday, also at 7 p.m. Both games go at Father David Bauer Arena.
Saturday night will be the final home game for defenceman Adam Redmond, who will close out his CIS career after five seasons with the Dinos. The Edmonton native is an Academic All-Canadian in the Faculty of Kinesiology and joined the Dinos prior to the 2004-05 season.
-UC-
