Caledonia, St.Catharines predictions

[Port hockey1]

Corvairs in 5.

A lot deeper, a lot more talent, a relentless work ethic, great goaltending, and on and on it goes. Caledonia pretty much has the edge in every aspect of this series.

[zantimisfit]

Here is the schedule for the 'Shoe championship:

Game #1 - Wednesday Mar 25 - Falcons @ Caledonia, 7:30pm
Game #2 - Friday Mar 27 - Caledonia @ Falcons, 7:30pm
Game #3 - Saturday Mar 28 - Falcons @ Caledonia, 7:30pm
Game #4 - Monday Mar 30 - Caledonia @ Falcons, 7:30pm
* Game #5 - Wednesday Apr 1 - Falcons @ Caledonia, 7:30pm
* Game #6 - Friday Apr 3 - Caledonia @ Falcons, 7:30pm
* Game #7 - Saturday Apr 4 - Falcons @ Caledonia, 7:30pm
* if necessary

[Caledonia Fan]

Caledonia vs St. Catharines

This could be a war. Because you're not just playing to win the series.
You're playing to be the wildcard.

My Prediction

Both teams get in just like last year.

[goalie34]

Series would probably need to go to seven for that to happen, and I just don't see it. Would be hilarious if the Shoe provided the Wildcard team again though. Even better if both won and met in the Finals for the second year straight.

[Port hockey1]

The only way the Shoe doesn't get the wildcard is if Caledonia wins their games by a few goals, while at the same time Elmira loses in 6, all 1 goal games.

I haven't looked yet or done the math. But based on how things have gone, Elmira is the only other team that I think has the goal difference to make it.

[zantimisfit]

The only way the Shoe doesn't get the wildcard is if Caledonia wins their games by a few goals, while at the same time Elmira loses in 4, all 1 goal games.

I haven't looked yet or done the math. But based on how things have gone, Elmira is the only other team that I think has the goal difference to make it.

Here you go again. You just can't understand this wildcard thing can you..... Goal differential only comes into play if the team's won-loss record is tied. Right now the number one team is Elmira 8-0, followed by Caledonia 8-1 all the other four teams are tied at 8-2. Still along way to go before you can even mention goal differential.

[Port hockey1]

The only way the Shoe doesn't get the wildcard is if Caledonia wins their games by a few goals, while at the same time Elmira loses in 6, all 1 goal games.

I haven't looked yet or done the math. But based on how things have gone, Elmira is the only other team that I think has the goal difference to make it.

Here you go again. You just can't understand this wildcard thing can you..... Goal differential only comes into play if the team's won-loss record is tied. Right now the number one team is Elmira 8-0, followed by Caledonia 8-1 all the other four teams are tied at 8-2. Still along way to go before you can even mention goal differential.

My point was if it comes down to that. There's a good chance Stratford wins in 6, if the Falcons get swept...They both have the same record.

Get it?? Note: I meant if Elmira loses in 6, not 4.

[zantimisfit]

Lol....I guess math isn't your strong suit. For starters, if the Falcons get swept they will have absolutely no chance of getting the wildcard spot with an 8-6 record. If, as you say Elmira loses in six games they will finish with a 10-4 record. Oh by the way, don't underestimate Elmira. I don't think they will have much of a problem with Stratford.

[Pro-FitRocks]

Here is the schedule for the 'Shoe championship:

Game #1 - Wednesday Mar 25 - Falcons @ Caledonia, 7:30pm
Game #2 - Friday Mar 27 - Caledonia @ Falcons, 7:30pm
Game #3 - Saturday Mar 28 - Falcons @ Caledonia, 7:30pm
Game #4 - Monday Mar 30 - Caledonia @ Falcons, 7:30pm
* Game #5 - Wednesday Apr 1 - Falcons @ Caledonia, 7:30pm
* Game #6 - Friday Apr 3 - Caledonia @ Falcons, 7:30pm
* Game #7 - Saturday Apr 4 - Falcons @ Caledonia, 7:30pm
* if necessary

Game #4 - Monday Mar 30 - Caledonia @ Falcons, 7:00pm Start

[Port hockey1]

Lol....I guess math isn't your strong suit.

You're correct, was doing it in my head quickly.

Oh by the way, don't underestimate Elmira. I don't think they will have much of a problem with Stratford.

Really? I know Elmira has looked good, their goalie has been great. But don't underestimate Stratford either. They have great chemistry and have been able to find ways to win. They really turned it on in the second half of the season.

[RocketGirl]

Here's a preview from the St. Catharines Standard.

http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2015 ... -horseshoe

Around the Golden Horseshoe
By Bill Potrecz, The Standard

It’s the Golden Horseshoe’s version of the Boston Red Sox versus the New York Yankees.

The St. Catharines Falcons visit the Caledonia Corvairs Wednesday to kick off their best-of-seven championship in a rematch from last year’s final.
The Corvairs took the final 4-1, then met the Falcons again in the Sutherland Cup championship after St. Catharines advanced as the wild card team. Caledonia prevailed in a dramatic seven-game series featuring two overtime wins by the Falcons.

Toss in the Falcons’ Sutherland Cup triumph in 2011 over the Brantford Golden Eagles — the franchise moved to Caledonia the next season — and there is plenty of history between the two organizations.

“Both managements have mutual respect for each other and we’re both ultra-competitive,” St. Catharines coach/general manager Frank Girhiny said. “Every time we play Caledonia the intensity level is very high and it requires a lot of preparation.

“It’s fun. This is why I wanted them in our conference. They are the measuring stick to where we need to be.”

Caledonia coach Mike Bullard, who also coached in Brantford, feels the same way.

“There’s a lot of history between Caledonia and St. Catharines,” Bullard said. “Both teams are built the same way.”

The Corvairs, coming off a spectacular 44-3-2 season, are clear favourites to repeat as champions.

“We have to play the game. We can’t be scared,” Girhiny said. “We have to go after them and play hard. The reality is this year our league was a three-tier league. They were in the top tier, we were in the second tier, and then there were other teams in the third tier. They are a 90-point team and we were a 63-point team. That’s a vast difference unlike last year where I think two points separated us.

“Are we the underdogs? No doubt about it. Do we realize that? Yes. But we still have to go play the game and we’re preparing ourselves to win this series.”

Bullard didn’t want to hear any kind of talk about underdogs or favourites.

“Never,” Bullard said. “They said that about Ancaster and they played us tough the whole time. You don’t get this far unless you’re a good team. They have good goaltending and good defence and good forwards and we’re the same way. I heard a lot of their injuries are coming back so they’re getting healthy at the right time.”

The Falcons certainly seem to be peaking at the right time. They played some of their best hockey of the season dismantling Welland in five games in the semifinals.

“St. Kitts are steaming at the right time. They played very well against Welland and are scoring lots of goals,” Bullard said.

Girhiny is well aware of how dangerous the Corvairs can be.

“They score a lot of goals and they don’t give up a lot,” he said. “In the playoffs you’ve seen where we have scored goals. We have to play in all three areas of the ice. We can’t be lax in any area. If we play to our capabilities and play the Falcon way, I think we’ll be in every game.

“If we can play like we did in the last part of the Welland series, I think we’ll be competitive.”

The Falcons will start the series without four important pieces: Cam Blakley (head), Devon Rymarchuk (upper body), Nicholas Dozzi (mono) and Josh Miller (mono).

“We’ll know by Tuesday who we’ll get back. I don’t expect any of them back yet, probably by mid-series,” Girhiny said.

Rookie Patrick MacDonald, along with defencemen Connor Timmins and Brandon Cercone, have helped take up the offensive slack.

“It’s been a treat watching Patrick MacDonald play for us,” Girhiny said. “His style of play is a playoff player. He was rewarded with two goals in the last two games. Guys like Brady Lee and Owen Peacock have played really well for us and given them an opportunity to play more minutes for us.”

For the Corvairs, big Jordan Peacock is out.

“Peacock a question mark right now. Chances are (of him playing), I don’t think so,” Bullard said.

Bullard figures the series could come down to goaltending and special teams.

The Corvairs feature Kevin Entmaa (1.51) and Marc Sinclair (0.67) while Ben Csiernik (1.91) has been outstanding for the Falcons.

St. Catharines’ power-play is humming along at a league-best 30.1% while the Corvairs penalty killing is ranked second at 91.3%.

In the Western Conference finals, the Elmira Sugar Kings (8-0) face off versus the Stratford Cullitons (8-2) while the LaSalle Vipers (8-2) will play the Leamington Flyers (8-1-1).

The losing team with the best overall record from the three finals will advance to the Sutherland Cup semifinals as the wild card. The Falcons are 8-1-1 while the Corvairs are 8-0.

“We’re in the mix but we’re not looking at the wild card,” Girhiny said. “We’ll look at that when we are down to our last game. We want be completive and try and get a few wins and win the series.”

The Corvairs took the season series 6-2, including an 8-1 win in St. Catharines in late November that Girhiny called his worse loss since taking over the Falcons. St. Catharines then rebounded to take two of the final three meetings.

Potrecz picks: Caledonia lost just three games in the regular season and feature a deep, talented roster and a coach who gets the most out of his players. The Falcons won’t go without a fight, but the Corvairs are just too good.
Caledonia in six.

Ticket info: The box office at Jack Gatecliff Arena will be open at 4 p.m. on game days.

bill.potrecz@sunmedia.ca.
twitter@BillPStandard

PREVIOUS PICKS

Let’s take a quick look back at my picks from the first two rounds of the playoffs.

Quarter-finals
St. Catharines over Thorold 4-0
Result: St. Catharines 4-1

Welland over Fort Erie 4-1
Result: Welland 4-1

Ancaster over Niagara Falls 4-2
Result: Ancaster 4-0.

Caledonia over Pelham 4-0
Result: Caledonia 4-0.

Semifinals

St. Catharines over Welland 4-2
Results: St. Catharines 4-1

Caledonia over Ancaster 4-0
Result: Caledonia 4-1.

Golden Horseshoe final
Game 1: Wednesday, March 25 at Caledonia, 7:30 p.m.
Game 2: Friday, March 27 at St. Catharines, 7:30 p.m.
Game 3: Saturday, March 28 at Caledonia, 7:30 p.m.
Game 4: Monday, March 30 at St. Catharines. 7 p.m.
*Game 5: Wednesday. April 1 at Caledonia, 7:30 p.m.
*Game 6: Friday, April 3 at St. Catharines, 7:30 p.m.
*Game 7: Saturday, April 4 at Caledonia, 7:30 p,m.
*if necessary