Flyers, Vipers set for semis after first-round sweeps - Windsor Star

[flyers2011]

Jim Parker
Mar 11, 2015 - 9:15 PM EDT
Last Updated: Mar 12, 2015 - 11:01 AM EDT


A first-round upset of the Chatham Maroons put a potential second-round playoff showdown between the Leamington Flyers and LaSalle Vipers on hold for now.

The top-seeded Flyers swept the eighth-seeded Lambton Shores Predators in four-straight games while the fourth-seeded Vipers swept the fifth-seeded Strathroy Rockets in the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League.

The Flyers now get the seventh-seeded London Nationals, who knocked out the second-seeded Maroons.

“We’re playing a much better London team than the one we saw in October,” said Flyers head coach Tony Piroski, whose team hosts Game 1 Thursday at 7:10 p.m. “People will say the good thing is we’re playing the seventh seed, but they knocked off the second seed and must be doing something right.”

The Vipers take on the third-seeded Sarnia Legionnaires in the other semifinal.

“We know it’s a tough task,” said Vipers head coach and general manager Bill Bowler, whose team opens the series in Sarnia Thursday before it shifts to LaSalle for Game 2 Saturday at 7 p.m. “We’ll need to win one on the road.”

No. 1 Leamington Flyers (38-9-2, 4-0-0) vs. No. 7 London Nationals (22-24-3, 4-2-0)
Goalie Trevor Wheaton has been down this road before with the Flyers.

The 20-year-old Wheaton was a first-team conference all-star this season, but split the four games in the first round with rookie Michael Barrett.

“I’m fortunate to have two No. 1 goalies,” Piroski said. “Whichever name I call, they’re ready to go. If I don’t call their name, there’s no sulking.”
Wheaton went through this last season with Austyn Roudebush and has known since arriving in Leamington it’s Piroski’s preference.

“As son as I got to Leamington, Tony said it’s how he liked to do it,” Wheaton said. “You always want to be playing, but Mike stepped in as a rookie and played great and I’m playing well and the defence is making it easy.”

The Flyers allowed just one goal in the first round. Wheaton posted back-to-back shutouts at home and stopped all 46 shots he faced. Barrett allowed one goal and stopped 52-of-53 shots in two road wins.

“I actually think he had the tougher games,” Wheaton said of Barrett.

Piroski wasn’t sure who would start Thursday’s opener, but said he might play Barrett at home and Wheaton on the road.

“It gives us a break,” Wheaton said of the rotation. “It doesn’t put a lot of pressure on us and it actually helps take the pressure off us.

“You see it a lot of guys, even in the NHL. A guy’s playing great, they stick with one guy and the guy gets tired. It takes a big toll mentally playing so much and this way you get a nice rest and you’re mentally prepared.”

No. 3 Sarnia Legionnaires (33-15-1, 4-1-1) vs. No. 4 LaSalle Vipers (28-20-1, 4-0-0)
Mark Manchurek rediscovered his scoring touch for the Vipers in the first round.

“Mark’s played very well,” Bowler said.

Manchurek was the conference’s top rookie scorer last year and earned a spot with the Windsor Spitfires where he scored the team’s first goal of the season.

At the deadline, the Spitfires assigned him back to LaSalle.

“It’s been a few times up and down (between Windsor and LaSalle),” the 18-year-old Manchurek said. “I can’t complain, but it’s a little different.

“When you move up in any sport, it’s a little faster, bigger and you have to be a little faster. I have to keep playing my game. It was a little bit of an adjustment (being back in LaSalle). My role was different (in Windsor) I was a physical player and grinder. Back in LaSalle, I’m killing penalties and playing some power play.”

He led the Vipers in scoring in the first round with three goals and seven points in four games.

“Obviously, that’s not an individual effort,” Manchurek said. “The team helped with that, but it feels pretty good. I haven’t been on a scoresheet in a while and that feels good.”

Bowler believes Manchurek has even more to give.

“He had great year last year to help get his spot with the Spitfires,” Bowler said. “Mark can play in any situation. I know he’s put some numbers up (in the first round), but I think he has room to grow. I still think he can elevate his game to a higher level. We need him and the entire team to elevate as we go on.”

jparker@windsorstar.com
twitter.com/winstarparker

[flyers2011]

Vipers are Flyers will face much tougher tasks this round. Lambton Shores showed signs in the first game that it could be a decent series but they faltered the final 3 games, and for Lasalle and Strathroy, the rockets may have got robbed the third game but still deserved to get swept, getting outscored 10-2 on home ice in 2 games is embarrassing. Neither team in the London vs Leamington will have an advantage with Ice size as both are Olympic size. Flyers having Amante, Parlette and Mcghee out Game 1 will hurt, I hear Alex Derkson will be called up. Going to be a great Semi Finals.