Lakers looking to create some playoff magic

The Nipissing Lakers have been very much a Cinderella Story in the OUA. They started the season on a 6-1-1 tear which even included a national ranking – an amazing feat for a first year team in the OUA.

While the team stumbled in November and early December, they found their way in the new year and captured the 7th seed in the OUA East Division.

That sets the stage for a clash with the #2 seeded McGill Redmen Wednesday night in Montreal and a chance to create some more Laker magic in the second season.

The Lakers practiced Tuesday morning and then boarded a bus early in the afternoon for the long 6-hour journey to Montreal where they will have a full day to prepare for game one of their best-of-three series.

While the expectations around the league are that the Redmen will come out of this series on top in 2 straight, the Lakers insist they aren’t listening to any of that talk.

“Our expectations are that we are going there to win and try and upset McGill,” said head coach Mike McParland as he avoids the “not expected to win approach” that Team U.S.A. Olympic G.M. Brian Burke has been using to describe the expectations of his club in the Olympic Hockey tournament.

“I think naturally everything would have to line up perfectly but I think McGill is the team in our league that could be ripe for the upset and we will definitely go there with the goal to win and for us naturally we are the underdogs and after the season we had and expectations we had before this season I think to make the playoffs and to have as good a season as we did - we’ve done very well but it would be great if we could ever steal a game, naturally, if we could make it two games it would be outstanding.”

The Lakers met the Redmen twice during the regular season falling 7-2 at home during the November to forget and then lost a tight 5-3 battle in Montreal in late January.

Lakers sniper Andrew Marcoux is expecting a heavy dose of checking from the Redmen as they will try to contain the Lakers 23-goal scorer. However, the Rockland, Ontario product believes an unsung Lakers hero is ready to emerge and take the pressure off the Lakers lethal first line of offence.

“You never know what’s going to happen going into the playoffs that’s what I think everyone loves about it,” said Marcoux shortly after the Lakers last practice on Memorial Gardens ice before game 1.

“You have your first line guys and you always expect them to do well but sometimes they shut them down and you rely on guys on the 2nd and 3rd line to chip in and sometimes when guys step up and find their game its awesome for the team to see guys step up and have heart in the playoffs like that and we are hoping for that too just like every team and we’ve seen it throughout the years some guys stepping up and what not so hopefully we can carry that into this series.”

Perhaps local hard working forward Nathan Hewitt is the player to provide that spark. The feisty forward will continue to wear a facemask to protect his healing jaw which kept him out of 10 games but still finished the season wth 6 goals and 11 assists for 17 points in 20 games.

“We are considered pretty heavy underdogs, we know what we are up against we have already seen them twice this year and you know coaches have devised a game plan here that we are going to follow and we’ve got faith in them and they’ve got faith in us in excecuting it,” said Hewitt.

In Billy they trust

There was no secret as to who will get the first playoff start in Lakers history. McParland made it clear the Lakers will ride the hot hand of Billy Stone who won both games on the weekend as the Lakers tried to build some momentum for what they hope will be a memorable playoff run.

“Billy has come in and played very well he will get the start in McGill tomorrow night and we hope he is able to carry the ball,” said McParland about the NOJHL veteran goalie.

“He played there last time and played very well of course we just have to stay away from penalty trouble; they have an outstanding power play.”

The Lakers will be back on home ice on Friday. Game time is 7:00 p.m. at Memorial Gardens.

Photo of Billy Stone during practice Tuesday morning