Ready

Playoffs begin this week

The Wellington Dukes and Cobourg Cougars will be familiar with each other when they face off in the first round of the playoffs, beginning this week (dates were not set at press time). These teams met on Monday night for the second time in eight days.

The Dukes will need the hard work and focus Keenan Eddy has brought all season long. And that touch around the net. Eddy had three game-winning goals this season, behind only Andrew Rinaldi and Frank Vitucci.

With little at stake in this the final game of season, both teams rested some players, elevated others.Tanner Beals got the nod in the Dukes net.

Wellington slipped behind early, trailing the Cougars 3-0 after the first period, including a short-handed goal. But in the second the Dukes mounted a bit of a comeback. First by controlling the play. Then late in the period Dawson Ellis and Keenan Eddy combined to put Wellington on the board. Early in the third Frank Vitucci scored to draw the visiting team within a goal of tying the game.

But once again the Dukes were undone by penalties. Slashing. Tripping. Two power play goals. And the game was out of reach. Adam Usinger added a goal, seconds after Cobourg’s second power play goal. But that was it.

UP NEXT: PLAYOFFS
The Dukes head into this first round as underdogs. In six regular season head-to-head matches the Cougars won four, the Dukes took two. Yet each of the losses, save for Monday’s game, was decided by a single goal.

Likely the most telling game was played just over a week ago. The Dukes demonstrated that they know how to compete against the East Division champs. They have the confidence in their speed. They understand that tenacity and forechecking can shake the Cougars off their game.

But it won’t be easy. The Cougars have a lot of veteran talent. Seven 20- year-olds. Eight 19-year-olds. They are bigger. For most of them, they understand this is it. The opportunity to shine in Junior hockey is here.

Toughness, however, is a more difficult thing to measure. While the Dukes lag Cobourg in sheer mass, they have shown spells of grit and determination.

Coach John Druce will have his players ready, with a plan to topple the Cougars. But it will come down to the measure of the heart they put into this series. If they come ready to compete for the puck—every second of every shift—this could be a wild series.

Buckle up.

SCHEDULE
Game 1 – Saturday, March 2 in Cobourg – 7:30 p.m.
Game 2 – Sunday, March 3 in Wellington – 2 p.m.
Game 3 – Tuesday, March 5 in Cobourg – 7 p.m.
Game 4 – Thursday, March 7 in Wellington – 7:30 p.m.
*Game 5 – Friday, March 8 in Cobourg – 7 p.m.
*Game 6 – Sunday, March 10 in Wellington – 2 p.m.
*Game 7 – Monday, March 11 in Cobourg – 7 p.m.
*If necessary