nivek_wahs
03-18-2008, 10:44 AM
http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/sports/story.html?id=8de69914-b6c7-441f-a160-dbfc512136ac
Broncos expect playoffs to be tough
Tim Switzer, The Leader-Post
Published: Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Swift Current Broncos captain Zack Smith is trying not to look behind him as he and the team prepare for the Western Hockey League postseason.
But when you wind up as the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference bracket despite being just five points back of your opponents -- the No. 2-seeded Regina Pats -- it's tough not to think back to the regular season.
"You can go back and go through all the games and see the points you could have had," said Smith. "There's points here and there and games we should have had. But you can't really worry about that. The Pats deserve to be in first place (in the East Division) with the way they've been playing. It's not so much we think we should be there, but we know we could be."
The Broncos were the second-worst team to qualify for the postseason in the Eastern Conference -- not what you might expect from a team that finished 41-24-1-6.
"The way our division is, it's so close," said Smith. "There's hardly any difference in how good we are compared to Regina. We realized it was a tough division so that (seeding) hasn't bothered us. If we put up the numbers we did last year it might have made a difference, but going into these playoffs, it doesn't really matter.
"With any of the matchups (in the East) everyone is so close. Out of any of the matchups, I don't think a lower-ranked team winning would be as much of an upset as it would regularly be."
Last season, the Broncos seemed in the correct position when they met Regina in the first round. Swift Current had finished under .500 during the 2006-07 campaign and were widely expected to fall to the Pats, which it did in six games.
Smith and Co. expect fans in the Queen City to see a very different Broncos team when the puck drops for Game 1 on Friday (7 p.m.) at the Brandt Centre.
"We're a year older and have a little more playoff experience so it's a different mindset going into this year," said Smith. "We've picked up some guys that have a lot of playoff experience like (Keegan) Dansereau and (Jesse) Dudas. It feels a lot different this year.
"We had a lot of young guys last year and were just feeling it out. The first couple games we weren't as good as we wanted to be, but that was just part of being a young team."
There were no remnants of that youthful play this season for the Broncos, particularly where the Pats were concerned. The Broncos won three of four meetings before the Jan. 10 trade deadline and split the two games after.
Both teams made some major moves (Regina moreso than Swift Current) around the deadline.
"They had a huge change in their team and we only played them twice since the deadline and even then they didn't have all their guys in the lineup," said Smith. "We're not really that used to them so there could be a little feeling out the first couple games."
That said, the Broncos know that, like Pats head coach Curtis Hunt said this weekend, there is no underdog in this series. "When you look at all of the teams that finished ahead of us, they're all quality teams and we're all very close," said Broncos assistant general manager and director of hockey operations Elden Moberg. "It shows the parity we have in the league and you hope that means the fans are entertained when they come to the rink."
© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2008
Broncos expect playoffs to be tough
Tim Switzer, The Leader-Post
Published: Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Swift Current Broncos captain Zack Smith is trying not to look behind him as he and the team prepare for the Western Hockey League postseason.
But when you wind up as the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference bracket despite being just five points back of your opponents -- the No. 2-seeded Regina Pats -- it's tough not to think back to the regular season.
"You can go back and go through all the games and see the points you could have had," said Smith. "There's points here and there and games we should have had. But you can't really worry about that. The Pats deserve to be in first place (in the East Division) with the way they've been playing. It's not so much we think we should be there, but we know we could be."
The Broncos were the second-worst team to qualify for the postseason in the Eastern Conference -- not what you might expect from a team that finished 41-24-1-6.
"The way our division is, it's so close," said Smith. "There's hardly any difference in how good we are compared to Regina. We realized it was a tough division so that (seeding) hasn't bothered us. If we put up the numbers we did last year it might have made a difference, but going into these playoffs, it doesn't really matter.
"With any of the matchups (in the East) everyone is so close. Out of any of the matchups, I don't think a lower-ranked team winning would be as much of an upset as it would regularly be."
Last season, the Broncos seemed in the correct position when they met Regina in the first round. Swift Current had finished under .500 during the 2006-07 campaign and were widely expected to fall to the Pats, which it did in six games.
Smith and Co. expect fans in the Queen City to see a very different Broncos team when the puck drops for Game 1 on Friday (7 p.m.) at the Brandt Centre.
"We're a year older and have a little more playoff experience so it's a different mindset going into this year," said Smith. "We've picked up some guys that have a lot of playoff experience like (Keegan) Dansereau and (Jesse) Dudas. It feels a lot different this year.
"We had a lot of young guys last year and were just feeling it out. The first couple games we weren't as good as we wanted to be, but that was just part of being a young team."
There were no remnants of that youthful play this season for the Broncos, particularly where the Pats were concerned. The Broncos won three of four meetings before the Jan. 10 trade deadline and split the two games after.
Both teams made some major moves (Regina moreso than Swift Current) around the deadline.
"They had a huge change in their team and we only played them twice since the deadline and even then they didn't have all their guys in the lineup," said Smith. "We're not really that used to them so there could be a little feeling out the first couple games."
That said, the Broncos know that, like Pats head coach Curtis Hunt said this weekend, there is no underdog in this series. "When you look at all of the teams that finished ahead of us, they're all quality teams and we're all very close," said Broncos assistant general manager and director of hockey operations Elden Moberg. "It shows the parity we have in the league and you hope that means the fans are entertained when they come to the rink."
© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2008