The Delta Ice Hawks are sure hoping Kerrisdale Arena feels just like home.
With the Ladner Leisure Centre unavailable due to previously booked minor hockey games, the Ice Hawks will be at the historic city venue tonight (8: 15 p.m.) with their season on the line.
They have stormed back from a 3-1 deficit to force a seventh and deciding game in their conference semifinal series against the North Delta Devils. The Hawks rallied for a pair of third period goals on Tuesday night for a 2-1 victory, then played their most complete game of the series 24 hours later, blanking the Devils 4-0.
"We certainly played well in all three zones," said Ice Hawks head coach Dave McLellan. "I estimated about 10 sort of mistakes which is coming down from about the 30 mark in previous games. We also got solid goaltending (from Glenn Ferguson).
"You are going to see mistakes at this level with the pressure these kids are under but it's good to go into a game seven with a positive feeling."
Should the Ice Hawks prevail and meet the defending the Richmond Sockeyes, then it was from finding a way to improvise.
All season long they have relied on their speed and skill to produce wins, led by 20-year-olds Spencer Traher and captain Cody Smith. However, the Devils have done an effective jog of shutting down the dynamic pair, forcing the Hawks to added some wrinkles to their game plan.
Among them is giving more ice time to their power forwards, including Anthony Brito, John Proctor and Mitch Pacey. Often one of them are trying to screen Devils standout goaltender Harry Fredeman with a steady diet of pucks coming from the blueline. The end result has been all three game winning goals for the Hawks coming from defenceman, including Ryan Cuthbert in games five and six.
"Our job is to figure these things out," said McLellan of the change in strategy.
"It is a different style of play. We are not playing off the rush like we usually do. Basically they have four and three guys back which forces us to shoot it. We have to recover pucks and the other goal is to where them down physically."
Anthony Brito scored twice in game six, while Grange Gordon had the other.
Icing...
The winner of tonight's game won't have much to celebrate. Game one of the Tom Shaw Conference championship series will take place on Saturday at Minoru Arena.
