Ravens prepare for playoff rematch with Varsity Blues
Photo by: Murray McComb
Story by: Jeff Krever
The Carleton University Ravens men’s hockey team will battle the University of Toronto Varsity Blues in the opening round of the playoffs this week in a rematch of last year’s first-round matchup.
The series opens on Wednesday, Feb. 15 at the Ice House at 7 p.m., before heading to Toronto on Feb. 18 and Feb. 19 for game two and, if necessary, game three.
A year ago, the Ravens fell 1-0 in the series after a road loss in Toronto, but took advantage of home ice with wins in back-to-back home games for a 2-1 series win. Carleton advanced to face UQTR, but fell in three games.
This year, the roles have reversed after the Varsity Blues finished two points ahead of Carleton in the standings, good for fourth place in the OUA East with a 16-9-3 record. Carleton moved up to fifth in the final weekend of the season after decisive wins over UQTR and Concordia, outscoring them by a combined total of 13-3.
Before those wins, Carleton faced a difficult stretch of just three wins in 13 games. Toronto, meanwhile, finished the season hot, winning six of its last seven. A large part of that success has to do with the talents of star forward Byron Elliott (Burlington, Ont.), who recorded 35 points in 28 games to go along with 48 penalty minutes.
“I don’t know if it’s possible to stop him, but we’re going to have to try to contain him,” said Ravens head coach Marty Johnston. “He’s a strong guy, he’s got a good shot, plays on the penalty kill and the power play. He’s the focal point of their offence.”
The Ravens boast their own offensive weapon in Brandon MacLean, who finished the season with 40 points in 28 games. The Burlington, Ont. native heads into the postseason having recorded eight points in his last three games.
Goaltending will be a major factor in determining the outcome of this series, with Toronto’s Garrett Sheehan (Cremona, Alta.) and Brett Willows (Rivers, Man.) squaring off against Matthew Dopud (Pointe-Claire, Que.).
“Obviously we hope that we have the edge, but they have two good goalies on their side and we’re going to have to stick to the basics and get as many pucks to the net and get as much traffic as possible and hope that they go in, because we’re not going to get many free ones,” said Johnston.
The Ravens and Varsity Blues split their regular season meetings, with Carleton earning a 3-0 win at the Ice House on Nov. 5, and Toronto storming back from a 3-0 third-period deficit at home on Nov. 25 to win 4-3 in overtime.
