Playoff Preview: First Round
Kelowna Knights vs Prince George Firebirds

With the season coming to a close it is now time to look forward to the playoffs. This season the back to back Presidents’ Trophy winning Knights will be facing the last place Firebirds in the first round.The Knights will be coming into this series not only as the better team, but looking for revenge. The Firebirds swept the Knights in last season’s semi finals. I’m sure the members of both teams will have that on their mind as they come into this seemingly lopsided affair. We know that the Knights have a clear advantage in this series, but let’s take a look at where the advantages lie.


Matchups

Goalies
Jason Aittokallio <a href='index.php?showuser=232' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-24'>JayWhy</a>
Aittokallio had a great season with the Knights, posting a respectable 29-10-5 record.He earned just about twice as many wins as losses this season, and if Charlotta Caspari had not required ice time he easily would have surpassed 30 wins. However, wins are not completely due to the goalie, and obviously the fact that he’s on the Presidents’ Trophy winning team helped him in the wins department. His wins were not the only bright spot in this phenoms’ season. He posted 90.3% save percentage, which was good for second in the league. All credit goes to Aittokallio for his save percentage, as a stacked team does not affect that as much. In addition to his save percentage, he posted the league best goals against average of 2.12. This was a whole 0.13 better than Rudnikova, who was second. Aittokallio has been a large part of Kelowna’s success the past two season, so look for him to continue his dominance into the playoffs

Ben Waters <a href='index.php?showuser=2267' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-13'>Waters</a>
Waters had an outstanding season for the Firebirds. The Firebirds had a conference worst of 44 points, which was 13 points behind the Mammoths for third in the conference. So, Waters’ record of 19-20-4 is not very impressive, but if you look at his team he did not have much to work with. His save percentage was 90.1% this season which was good for third best in the league right behind Aittokallio. This is very impressive considering that Waters faced the most shots in the league with 1109. This is 151 more shots than his upcoming opponent, Aittokallio, faced all season. Despite stopping so many shots, Waters was only able to manage a mediocre 2.64 goals against average. But, like his record this can be attributed to his weaker team. If Waters had been on Kelowna, there is no doubt that his GAA would have been similar or better than that of Aittokallio.

The goaltending in this series looks as if it will be fairly comparable. Both goalies are high calibre and can steal games for their teams. The winner of this series will not be determined by the goalie, unless either Aittokallio or Waters decides to add a few more bricks into their wall, which seems almost impossible.


Goal Scorers
Alex Light <a href='index.php?showuser=2325' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-3'>Zoone16</a>
Light came into this season looking for some redemption after performing below his own expectations last season. Being given the captaincy then put even more pressure on him. But, he did not fold, instead he thrived. After putting in a lot of work over the offseason to become more of a complete player his goal scoring has flourished. Light pumped in 26 goals this season, which was good enough to finish top in the league. He beat out Reed Laing by three goals, which is a fairly significant amount when player only get to around 25 goals at best. It’s fair to say that Light is the best sniper in the league this season, and comparing any player to him is unfair.

Eduard Selich <a href='index.php?showuser=2285' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-17'>Tomen</a>
To make this comparison even more unfair, Selich is not a natural goal scorer. The only reason he is being compared in this category is because the Firebirds do not a have a natural sniper that produces goals on their team. That’s not to say, however, that Selich is a scrub when it comes to scoring. The two-way forward put up 21 goals this season, which was good enough for fourth in the league. If you consider that Selich was playing with a far weaker line than Light, then Selich may not be too far behind Light in terms of goal production. Selich will be the focus of whether or not the Firebirds will be able to produce enough offense regardless of how he compares to Light.

Light is going to be given the advantage in this match up, however Selich will still be a definite threat in these playoffs. If Selich goes on a tear, it would not be surprising to see him outscore Light during this series.


Playmakers
Geronimo Otto <a href='index.php?showuser=2279' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-3'>tweedledunn</a>
Otto came into the season a new man. He wanted to be the go to first line center this season. He definitely accomplished this, putting up a remarkable 32 assists, which was good enough for second in the league behind only the phenom Hohenberg. It is fair to say that Otto has found some chemistry with his linemates of Vasily Horvat and Michael Burrows. Going into the playoffs this line should continue to produce a large amount of offense for the Knights. It’ll be tough for the Firebirds to shut him down, as Otto has been dominating them all season long. He will be a large part of how this series unfolds.

Frederick Boone <a href='index.php?showuser=2333' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-17'>ccarico</a>
The Firebirds’ top passing winger is Frederick Boone. Boone put a solid 21 assists this season, to put him at 25th in the league for assists. However, for a team’s top playmaker that is not that excellent. In Boone’s defense he was playing on the lowest scoring team all season. If he had been playing with some competent goal scorers like Horvat or Burrows all season he would have a bit higher of an assist number. I am sure that there were a number of times throughout the season where Boone made a gorgeous pass only for Girard to miss the net. Wolf on the hand is a solid linemate, so the difference between Otto and Boone does not come down to completely linemates.

The advantage is going to be given to the Kelowna Knights’ Geronimo Otto in this department. Boone is not quite on the elite level of Otto in regards to setting up a goal with a great pass. With his superior numbers there is no reason to believe that Otto will not continue to produce more than Boone going into the playoffs.


Defenders
Cara Hohenberg <a href='index.php?showuser=2169' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-3'>psocoptera</a>
After this season Hohenberg could be considered one of, if not, the greatest defenseman of all time. She put up an unheard of 61 points in 50 games. That is a whole 7 points more than Light, who finished in second overall for points. Her 61 points consisted of 18 goals and 43 assists. So, she is a threat when, both, shooting and passing. I’d even declare that she ranks higher than Kornel Kasparek for greatest Knight defender of all time. Not only was Hohenberg putting up big numbers, but she was consistent throughout the whole year. She never slumped. Based on this, I’d say it is fair to assume that Hohenberg will continue her dominance into the playoffs.

Barack Obrana <a href='index.php?showuser=1119' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-10'>artermis</a>
Comparing anyone to Hohenberg would be unfair after this season. So instead of comparing, because Hohenberg is the clear winner, we will look at what Obrana was doing for the Firebirds this season. Obrana was their clear cut number one defender. Obrana is a solid player in both the defensive and offensive zones. He finished the season as the league leader in shots blocked with 10 more than the player in second. This is a testament to his great defensive play and positioning. Not only is he great at getting in the way of shots but he can produce some solid offense from the back. He put up a respectable 36 points including 30 assists. This was enough assists to tie him for third in the league. If the Firebirds are to pull off this upset, like Selich, Obrana will be a huge part of it. Obrana is the Firebirds man, and he would he a great player on any team.

Advantage has to go to Hohenberg for this one because she had an unbelievable season. However, that does not mean that Obrana is no threat. Obrana is also a very good player and if he was compared to anyone defenseman in the league except Hohenberg he would have a chance to come out on top. An argument could be made for Obrana being the second best defender in the league.


Depth
Trevor Wilson
Wilson started out this season on the top line playing alongside his unofficial twin, Geronimo Otto. Wilson was having a bit of a rough go, however, on the top line. A little before midway into the season, Wilson was moved back to the third line to produce some depth scoring. At first Wilson was shocked that he could be taken off the first line, but in the end it turned out for the best. This move was a catalyst for both Wilson’s goal production as well the Knights success. The Knights were in last place when Wilson was moved, and then they skyrocketed to the top of the standings. Wilson put up a solid 40 points to finish tenth in league scoring. This was a little less than last season, but with a large draft class that is now all capped the level of play has greatly increased. Not to mention that every team currently has a capped goalie. These 40 points consisted of 15 goals and 25 assists, so clearly Wilson is a threat for shooting and for passing. He also put up a solid amount of shot blocks and hits with 11 and 40, respectively. Wilson may very well be the unsung hero of this season, as produces great shut down defense and dependable depth scoring on the third line.

Kristy O’Sullivan <a href='index.php?showuser=2427' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-3'>Kristy95</a>
O’Sullivan was the Firebirds top scoring third liner. He put up just a weak 5 points this season, in 42 games. This is O’Sullivan’s first season in the SMJHL and he was playing alongside two other rookies to make up the third line for the Firebirds. He was also not very impressive on the defensive end. He finished the season at -12 rating with only 1 blocked shot. However, it is worth mentioning that O’Sullivan is a rookie and should not have been put into a position where he needs to carry a line. I am sure that he will improve and be an asset going into next season, but that will not affect the current playoffs. Considering that this is the Firebirds best depth player is fairly embarrassing. This lack of depth is not all the fault of the GMs, as they had some key suspensions to their players. Noticeably, Levi Watkins who was supposed to be the Firebirds first line center this season, but he was suspended for life after being found to be a multi. This really hurt the Firebirds depth as a lot had to be shuffled forward in the lineup to make up for this loss.

For this matchup I only looked at the highest scoring player on the third line for each team to make it more fair. This matchup is really no comparison, as Wilson has 35 more points than O’Sullivan. O’Sullivan will not really have any impact on the Firebirds success in the series. Whereas, if Wilson can keep his line rolling then the Knights should have no problem creating enough offense to outscore the Firebirds. There is such a large difference in depth scoring on these two teams that it could become almost impossible for the Firebirds to keep up with the Knights’ offensive production.


Rookies
Cory Knouse <a href='index.php?showuser=2363' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-17'>ckroyal92</a>
Knouse came into this season as the Knights second round pick. He looked to be a similar player to Wilson as he was a pass first two-way forward. Knouse has had the honour of playing alongside Light all season long. Knouse was a definite part of Light’s success this season and lots of credit should be given to him. Knouse put up a respectable 13 goals and 13 assists for 26 points. It is nothing too spectacular, but it is also nothing shrug at. Knouse just has to keep up what he is doing in these playoffs, as it is working for the Knights.

Teodors Cukurs <a href='index.php?showuser=2364' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-3'>iOBESE</a>
Cukurs was a highly touted prospect coming into the draft at the start of the year. And it would seem that he lived up to the hype. Cukurs had a fantastic season for the Firebirds, putting up a rookie leading 31 points. He was third highest point scorer for the Firebirds with 10 goals and 21 assists. Cukurs is a big part of the Firebirds’ team as he has been playing all season on the first line alongside Selich and NoRetornable. Cukurs won’t be as important to the Firebirds as guys like Selich or Waters, but he can definitely have an impact. Cukurs is the type of player that could go on a tear and help win this series for Prince George.

The Firebirds are going to be given their first advantage in this match up, as Cukurs is a first overall potential prospect. This matchup most likely won’t have as much impact on the overall series as the rest. Knouse and Cukurs don’t really have any business being compared to each other as their only similarity is that they are rookies. Also, if you look at more than one rookie per team the Knights even have better rookie depth with Samee Iqbal having 25 points or 4 more than Noctis Caelum, the Firebirds second highest scorer.


So based on these matchups it looks like the Knights will have a huge advantage coming into this series. The Knights possess the advantage in every category except for goaltending, which is tied, and best rookie. Hopefully, for the city of Kelowna’s sake, the Knights will not choke to the Firebirds for two years in a row.


Season Results

Looking back at the season series between these two teams, the Knights have a large advantage. Out of the seven times that the two teams face the Knights won six of them. In the seven games the Knights out scored the Firebirds 25 to 9. The Knights had over 2 and half times as many goals, as the Firebirds. This is the largest goal differential between any two teams in the league all season. If the series unfolds similarly to the results in the regular season, then this series could become a no contest.


Players’ Thoughts

Here is some of the players’ thoughts coming into this playoff series. There is a clear difference between the Firebirds’ attitudes and Knights’ attitudes after talking to the players. The Firebirds seem almost resigned to losing and do not seem to have too much faith in their team. On the flip side, the Knights players’ seem fairly cocky coming into this series. Alex Light, the Knights captain seems the think that this first round is just a formality. This sort of attitude could work against the Knights if they come into this series thinking it is going to be a cake walk. However, if that is going to happen then the Firebirds are going to need to improve their attitudes.

When we asked Eduard Selich how he felt about facing the Knights, he did not seem to have too much faith in his team, as he said this:

Quote:“Obviously this playoff series will be a really hard one for PGF. PGF lost to KEL 6 out of 7 times in the regular season and we got outscored by a LOT. But you honestly should never underestimate us just like last season. Upsets can always happen if Waters will stand on his head. But yeah the odds would be like 75 to 25 for Kelowna in my opinion. I am just very realistic about our chances which are small but still possible to upset Kelowna.”

Goalie, Ben Waters, seems to have a bit more faith in his team, as he had this to say:

Quote:“I think that this series is winnable for PGF. we were on the down low last season and swept KEL, and I know we got absolutely destroyed in our season series but I am confident we can do it again.  KEL will be a tough challenge, no doubt, but if we stick to the hockey we know best, and play playoffs hockey and not regular season hockey, we can definitely pull this off.”

The members of the Knights that we asked appear to have a lot more faith in their team than those of the Firebirds. Knights captain Alex Light had this to say about the upcoming series:

Quote:“Last season we were swept by Prince George. We were frustrated at our lack of execution and self-destructed as a team. This year however is different. Once again we come into the playoffs as the best team in the league. Once again we will prove as to why we are contenders for the Four-Star Cup. ONCE AGAIN, we will show the Firebirds why the Kelowna Knights thoroughly crushed them in the season series!”

Knights' rookie, Samee Iqbal, had the following to say regarding the upcoming series:

Quote:"This is my first season in Kelowna, and let me tell you, the Knights are one of the best squads in the league. Now it's playoff time. Last season we were swept by PGF, we didn't bring our best.  This year, we are going to bring our best game to the playoffs, and with that... I think we can beat out the Firebirds."

And Knights alumni, Michael Talo <a href='index.php?showuser=2143' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-17'>akamai</a> , had the following to say about his former team:

Quote:“I think the most compelling storyline is that the Knights are the team who've gotten a late knockout two seasons running, and then besides that you've got a team of hungry veterans on a hot streak going into the playoffs to win the President's trophy. The team has really become a family and you can see that with the tie for second alternate.”

As you can see by the matchups and season series between the two teams, this is a very one-sided affair. The Knights have better goal scoring abilities, better passing abilities, the best defender in the league, and much better depth scoring abilities. The Firebirds best chance at winning this series relies completely on their goalie, Ben Waters. Waters did an unreal job of shutting down the Knights offense in last season’s playoffs, so we know that it is possible for Waters to play at an elite enough level to steal a series. But even if Waters can shut down the Knights offense, the Firebirds will still need to beat Aittokallio at least once a game. That could be asking a lot, however, as Aittokallio is just as qualified to steal games as Waters. If the Knights can simply keep their game even mediocre and not get too cocky this should be a fairly quick series. Assuming the Knights take their success into the playoffs, it would seem that the only real question mark in this series is whether it will end in 4 games or 5 games.