Here we go again. It’s round two of the KIJHL Teck Cup Playoffs and once again, the Neil Murdoch division final sees the Nitehawks take on the Grand Forks Border Bruins for the second consecutive season.
Both teams have had 10 days off since sweeping their respective first round series. The Hawks dispatched the Leafs comfortably in four games, while the Bruins took care of business with the Rebels.
Now for the second straight season. Grand Forks and Beaver Valley will meet in the second round, the only difference this year is the Bruins hold home ice advantage.
Soaring into the Second Round
As mentioned the Nitehawks took care of the Nelson Leafs in four straight games, wrapping up the series last Tuesday night with a 4-2 win. Connor Stojan started all four games for the Hawks, posting a shutout in game one and allowing just four goals over the course of the entire series. Defensively the Hawks were sound in front of Stojan and even when they weren’t their goaltender was there to bail them out. Something they will need to be at their best against at high scoring Bruins team. On the scoring side the Nitehawks flexed their scoring muscles in the first round, with 10 different players finding the back of the net in the series against the Leafs, with Roan Crowe scoring four times and sitting second amongst goal scorers in the league. Meanwhile Hunter Hansen and Connor Drake both pulled the strings, with Hansen leading the team in points and assists with five, while Drake had three himself. Special teams are likely to play a large role in the outcome of this series. The Hawks, for most of the year, boasted the best penalty kill in the KI while leading the league with shorthanded goals. The teams penalty kill comes into the second round above 90%, matched with the Bruins and Revelstoke Grizzlies for the best in the post season, while the Nitehawks powerplay got some timely goals in round 1. Discipline will be key on both sides of this series with the scoring talent both teams have at their disposals.
Big Bad Bruins
The Bruins come into this series looking for revenge from last years playoff defeat. The Hawks advanced past the Bruins in six games in last years Neil Murdoch Division Final, sending the Bruins home earlier than they anticipated. This year, the team and the program at large took another step forward, claiming the teams first ever KIJHL Regular Season championship and their second Neil Murdoch regular season banner in three years. The Bruins scored their way through the regular season, scoring 224 goals, the only team to pass the 200 goal mark, while having a +107 goal differential. 52 of those goals came on the powerplay for the Bruins who finished the season with a 26% conversion rate through 44 games. In net the Bruins are well equipped as both Jasper Tait and Eric Kahl saw game action and were the Bruins tandem down the stretch drive to securing the Presidents Cup. The key for the Bruins will be keeping Levi Astill and Tyler Burke going. The Bruins tandem had 91 and 72 points through the regular season, but were kept fairly quiet in the first round. Time and space becomes a luxury, but the Bruins have had strong secondary scoring to start the post season, something they will want to continue, and something they will have to defend for with the Nitehawks also getting goals throughout the lineup.
Series Schedule –
Mar. 14 at Grand Forks 7:00 pm PDT
Mar. 15 at Grand Forks 7:00 pm PDT
Mar. 18 Grand Forks 7:00 pm PDT (Hard Rock Anthem Night)
Mar. 19 Grand Forks 7:00 pm PDT
Mar. 21 at Grand Forks 7:00 pm PDT
Mar. 22 Grand Forks 7:00 pm PDT
Mar. 24 at Grand Forks 7:00 pm PDT
The Neil Murdoch once again comes down to Grand Forks and Beaver Valley, with a spot in the conference finals on the line! Catch all the action on FloHockey with each teams respective broadcast. Let’s pack the Hawks nest for games 3 & 4 in BV, Tickets available HERE
