By Patrick King, Sportsnet.ca
The Ontario Hockey League's Western Conference table is set; and the top two seeds will go head-to-head for a berth in the final.
The top-seeded Kitchener Rangers, who are also Memorial Cup hosts, will meet the conference's second-seeded Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in the league semi-finals beginning Wednesday. As Rangers head coach and general manager Peter DeBoer indicated, this matchup is one he anticipated all along.
"I think everybody has known for a while that us and the Soo have been on a collision course," DeBoer told Sportsnet.ca. "It's appropriate the first- and second-seed teams in the conference are facing off in the final."
It's a sentiment shared by his opponent.
"It's great to see the two best teams facing off," Greyhounds head coach Craig Hartsburg said. "We've got a great deal of respect for them but at the same time we really like our team. We like how we play. We like what we stand for and we're going to try to give it our best shot every shift."
The Rangers will undoubtedly feel more pressure in this series. Not only did they set franchise records for wins with 53 and points with 110 in a season, but as regular-season champions and Memorial Cup hosts they're expected to win the title.
As far as DeBoer is concerned, however, the pressure of being the favourite is not a negative.
"We want to be considered the favourites and we want to be expected to win," he said. "That's good pressure and that's the kind of pressure we welcomed all year."
The pressure facing the Rangers dates further back than this season though. Some questioned the league's decision to award DeBoer's team the 2008 MasterCard Memorial Cup a year ago and his team has been playing with a chip on its shoulder ever since.
"Our guys have heard the whispers all the way back to last summer when we were awarded the Memorial Cup that maybe we weren't the best choice as far as strength of team went," he said. "These guys have been on a mission all year to prove that we belong in the Memorial Cup and this (series) is another step in doing that."
The Greyhounds will present the Rangers with their toughest test of the playoffs. Sault Ste. Marie was the quickest team out of the gate this season, posting a 12-0-1 record to open the season.
Unlike Kitchener's first- and second-round opponents in Sarnia and Plymouth, the Greyhounds match up very well in terms of talent, but could have an advantage in size and physical play.
"I expect a lot of hard hitting," Greyhounds co-captain Brandon MacLean said. "We are very similar, but one thing that I think we have over Kitchener is a little bit of size."
The Greyhounds disposed of the Guelph Storm and Saginaw Spirit en route to the Western Conference final. Hartsburg is aware this series will present his team with the toughest test thus far.
"The farther you go in the playoffs, obviously you play better teams," he said. "We're going to play a really hard-working team that can defend and also score. We're going to have to be our best in all areas. It's going to be a big challenge."
Kitchener goaltender Steve Mason is listed as day-to-day after receiving what DeBoer termed a "minor injury" in Game 3 of their second-round series against Sarnia.
"I expect he'll start Game 1, but if he doesn't we're real comfortable with Josh (Unice)," DeBoer said.
Hartsburg is familiar with both Mason and Rangers forward Matt Halischuk after coaching them at the world junior championship over the Christmas break. Mason was Hartsburg's starting goaltender while Halischuk scored the overtime winning goal in the gold medal game.
Hartsburg will now be looking for ways to contain and neutralize the effectiveness of the duo that helped win Canada its fourth consecutive gold medal in the under-20 tournament.
"I know their strengths," he said. "Matt is obviously a hard worker and very responsible player with a great attitude. Steve is a goaltender that we've seen a lot here in the Soo. There aren't many weaknesses in his game and he's certainly a big-time goaltender."
Not only will this series present each team with their toughest opponent of the playoffs so far, but also the most experienced. Since the window of opportunity to win in junior hockey is so small, Greyhounds co-captain Dustin Jeffrey is hoping the veterans will be prepared to take advantage of the opportunity.
"We have a lot of older players and for a lot of guys it's going to be their last shot at a real championship," he said. "A lot of guys have put in their time here and we're really excited to get this Western Conference final started."
The same can be said for each team's fans.
"These are two real hockey crazy towns that have supported both of these franchises through good and bad years over the past decade plus," DeBoer said. "It's going to be exciting in both cities."
If the anticipation building from this series is any indication, OHL fans should be in for an exciting and unpredictable series.
