Jets and Killer Bees get set to revisit post season rivalry

The Strathroy Jets and Alvinston Killer Bees are set to face off in the Northern Premier Hockey League’s Metropolitan South Division final with game 1 set for tomorrow at the Brooke-Alvinston-Inwood Community Centre at 6:45pm. These two teams have not faced each other for over a month when Alvinston edged Strathroy 4-3 in late January, and the Bees winning the season series 3-2.

The Jets will be focused on defending a well balanced Alvinston attack but especially weary of top scorer James McEwan who compiled 24 goals and 52 points in 17 games. But lurking in the weeds, the very talented Brennan Feasey, just 4th in team scoring but only played in 12 games this regular season scoring 21 goals over those dozen contests.

Strathroy will counter with scoring by committee which has been one of its strengths all season long, with the top five scorers on the team earning at least 20 points each and the two Brandons, Prust and Buck topping all Jet scorers. 

Can or will special teams play a pivotal role? 

They could but looking at the numbers these two teams are too close to call. Both the Jets and Bees have identical 24.6% powerplay efficiency in this year's post season. Strathroy leads in the penalty kill statistic by a narrow margin of 86.3% to 83.7% success rate.

The upcoming series between the Bees and Jets is expected to be a tight battle. Bees tender Joseph Raaymakers enters the series with a 2.83 goals against average and .916 save percentage. Jets netminder Evan Debrouwer currently leads the playoffs in wins and carries a 2.92 goals against average and an almost identical .917 save percentage.

Feasey leads all playoff scorers with nine goals, while Feasey and Jets forward Kole Keating, who's an Alvinston native each have two game-winning goals in this year's playoffs.

(C. Soares)

Game 1 - Mar 7 - 6:45pm Alvinston

Game 2 - Mar 12 - 7:30pm Strathroy