Boosted by the sudden momentum they’ve found in the past week, the Carleton Ravens men’s hockey team opened the playoffs against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues with a 6-2 win Feb. 15 at the Ice House.
Taking advantage of their only home game in the best-of-three series, the Ravens stretched their win streak to three, outscoring their opponents 19-5 in the process.
The Ravens were up by three goals until halfway through the second period, when Toronto scored two goals a minute apart to keep the Ravens on their toes.
“I think our power play came up with a big goal to get that fourth one and sort of change the momentum because they certainly had it after those two quick ones,” said Ravens head coach Marty Johnston.
The Blues didn’t score another goal all game, leaving the Ravens to run away with the win.
Jeff Hayes continued his hot streak with two goals against the Varsity Blues, bringing his tally in the past week to a whopping seven points in just three games.
Sophomore goaltender Matthew Dopud also had a strong game for the Ravens, stopping 32 of the 34 Blues’ shots on goal.
“It’s definitely good to get the home ice win,” Hayes said. “It’s big starting off at home, especially in a three-game series like this. It’s definitely good to get a good start and hopefully we can take it into the game [Feb. 18] and win again.”
Johnston was sure to give the men some praise for finding their feet late in the season after a less than satisfactory second half.
“I think that we’ve had a bit of a struggle in the second half,” Johnston said. “And we’re starting to turn it around and it starts with the guys in the room. We have strong leaders and it’s a testament to them.”
Moving forward, the team has some tough games ahead Feb. 18-19 as they face the Varsity Blues on their home turf in Toronto. For second-year Ravens’ centre Jordan Deagle, this series is a little different for him than it is for his teammates.
Deagle’s younger brother, Kevin, is currently playing in his first year as a Varsity Blue.
“It’s strange when you’re out there,” Deagle said, following his first time playing against his brother in a playoff game. “I’ve played with him before but I’ve never played against him. It’s definitely a strange element, but it’s actually fun watching him play and competing against him.”
Deagle also acknowledged that the next game against the Blues will be a tough one.
“Their arena is tough to play in,” Deagle said. “It’s small, and they just seem to know how to play pretty well in that rink. Us coming in, I think it’s going to be important we keep the momentum going in and get up on them early. If we can do that, then I think we can have some success.”
With 962 penalty minutes this season, Carleton had the most in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS). They had 241 minutes more than the team closest to them.
“That’s another key,” Deagle said. “We did have the most penalty minutes in the league this year, and they know that, and they’re trying to get us off our game. If we can take a step back after whistles and keep our cool, that keeps us out of the box and out of trouble.”
Johnston also acknowledged that the next game won’t be an easy one with the Varsity Blues in a do-or-die situation.
“Their backs are against the wall,” Johnston said. “But I know that they’re well-coached and they’ll have a lot of jump in their rink.”
