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Bedford doesn’t expect Bruins series to be special teams battle

Mar 28, 2017 | 5:00 PM

The Estevan Bruins and Battlefords North Stars have not played each other since Jan. 6.

In that game, the North Stars won 6-3, much of part thanks to two first period power play goals.

Power play goals were a theme of the season series, that saw each team win twice.

In those four games, the teams combined for 19 power play goals: 11 for Battlefords and eight for Estevan.

But playoff hockey is different, which is why North Stars head coach Nate Bedford said he doesn’t expect the upcoming semifinal series between the two to be similar to those special teams battles in the regular season.

“That won’t continue, I don’t think,” Bedford said. “Those 300 penalty minutes, I would assume a lot of them are undisciplined type penalties and I would say that [Bruins coach] Chris [Lewgood] would have the same type of mentality: that if we want to be undisciplined at this time of the year, then we’re not worried about the right things.

“It will be more of a physical affair, but I don’t think it will be a penalty-filled series.”

Both teams also went winless at home in the season series, as all the wins went in favour of the road teams.

Once again, Bedford doesn’t put too much stock into that.

“I think it was just the timing of the year, not necessarily where the game was played,” he said. “On the road there against them [on Oct. 15] we really needed that win early in the year. We weren’t going very well and then later on in the year when we played them in their rink, I didn’t think they played particularly well against us. I don’t think it really matters to be honest.”

The focus for the North Stars is to not let what happened to them on Nov. 18 happen again.

That game was one of only two times all season long they allowed more than four goals against. 

It was, in fact, double that: an 8-6 loss to Estevan at home.

“Focusing on playing well defensively is what makes us successful,” Bedford said. “We don’t win too many games when the other team scores more than three goals, simple as that. We’re not good at outscoring teams. We’re good at minimizing teams. We want to make sure we minimize teams and take care of our side of the puck and if we do that we can frustrate them a little bit and we’ll score enough.”

In games where the North Stars allowed four or more goals this season, they were 0-7. 

Estevan scored four or more goals in a game 32 times this season, including in their two wins against Battlefords. Even in their two losses, they managed three goals each time.

“They can score at will,” Bedford said. “They’ve got three lines that can score. Their ‘D’ on the offensive side of the puck is pretty aggresive and I think they play a physical game and they can intimidate you if you let them. It’s intimidating playing against a team that can score and be physical. It’s not too often you have a team like that.”

The interesting thing is the North Stars have a much improved record when they allow just one goal less: they are 6-1 in games where they allowed three goals in a game, which includes their two wins against the Bruins.

So if they can hold Estevan to three, which would not be ideal but also not terrible, it might be enough.

The bottom line is the series should be close.

“I kind of expect this one will be a longer type series,” Bedford said. “I think it’s a good matchup for both teams. I think both teams are OK playing the other team. We understand their strengths and weaknesses and they certainly understand ours.”

In the quarter-finals against Weyburn, the top line of Layne Young, Coby Downs, and Ben Allen combined for 24 points in four games.

Bedford said he expects more from his second line, which is comprised of all 20-year-olds.

That combination of Connor Logan, Reed Delainey, and Jared Blaquiere had five goals combined in the opening round, but one was a power play goal and two were with different linemates on the ice during a line change.

“I really value all three of them and think they can do a lot more than they have in the past little bit,” Bedford said. “They just haven’t found their strength as a line.

“Right now for whatever reason, they’re just not going,” he said.

Bedford wouldn’t name a starter for game one in goal, as both saw playing time in the Weyburn series. 

Taryn Kotchorek won all four games after Joel Gryzbowski was pulled in game four.

Bedford also wouldn’t commit to whether both goaltenders would get a start in the series.

“What way we go will all depend on what the feel is after game one,” he said. “As the series goes on we’ll just take it day by day.”

Captain Kendall Fransoo is also not too close to returning.

He has been out since suffering a knee injury against Kindersley on Feb. 22.

“All signs point to the fact that he’s not close right now,” Bedford said. 

Game one for the semifinal series is set for 7:30 p.m. on Friday night at the Civic Centre, with game two the following night, also at home.

If you can’t make it to the game, the Ultra Print pre-game show on CJNB/CJNS gets underway at 7:15 p.m.

 

 

nathan.kanter@jpbg.ca

@NathanKanter11