The Lethbridge Hurricanes are playing their last two games against the Medicine Hat Tigers to prepare for the playoffs after a successful weekend.
After a 5-2 win on Friday and a 3-2 comeback victory in overtime on Saturday against the Red Deer Rebels, the Hurricanes lost to the Calgary Hitmen in overtime on Sunday.
A Hurricanes representative said that playing three games in three days is tough and they ran out of energy, but it was a good weekend overall.
All three games were hard, and earning points was important to secure a spot in the postseason for the Lethbridge team. The battle for the final playoff spot is still open in the eastern conference, so every game matters, according to Hurricanes Captain Joe Arntsen.
Arntsen explained, “We had to fight until the end, and I'm proud of the boys for doing that. But now we have to keep going with the momentum we gained from this weekend.”
The final rankings of teams in the regular season will determine their playoff opponents. Except for the Saskatoon Blades and the Moosejaw Warriors, a difference of four points can change the positions of teams, impacting home ice advantage and the number of games played in their home arena. In case a series extends to a seventh game, the higher-seeded team will play at home in front of their fans.
Lethbridge is facing its Highway 3 rivals back to back to conclude the regular season, which is great preparation for the postseason, according to Miguel Marques, the team’s leading points scorer.
“They’re a good team, fast, quick, physical, smart, and skilled,” Marques said.
The team’s coach, Bill Peters, has previously won a Western Hockey League (WHL) championship and a Memorial Cup with Spokane in the 2007/08 season, and the Lethbridge players have confidence in his coaching style.
“There are limited days left in this final stretch of the season, especially for our over-agers, and we want to continue that,” Marques explained. “So, come to the rink, focus on tomorrow, and get better every day.”
Arntsen, in his last WHL season, emphasized the importance of staying focused.
“Bill and the coaching staff will devise a game plan for us that we need to execute, and I believe if we do that, we will be successful,” said the team captain.
“We haven’t had the playoff success we desire, so I'm really looking for that this year. I don’t think we should overthink it right now. Let's focus on the weekend and then see who we end up playing in the first round.”
Harrison Menighin, the team’s starting goalie, shares his coach’s philosophy. Menighin is considered by some as a potential WHL goalie of the year.
“I’m just approaching it like a regular game and not trying to do anything too different. What’s been effective for me all season, I believe it will probably work in the playoffs,” Menighin said.
Assistant coaches stated that the team is prepared for almost any challenge.
“There has been a lot of fluctuations since the trade deadline,” said assistant coach Matt Anholt. “I believe that will make us stronger as we go through tough times.”
The final home game of the regular season will begin at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 22 at the Enmax Centre.
