Jets and Killer Bees set to collide in a battle for 1st place tonight

Well if you're looking to kickstart your new year coming off the holidays, how about a battle for 1st place between arch rivals in the Northern Premier Hockey League?

That's what's on tap tonight as the Strathroy Jets, winners of 9 in a row take on the 1st place Alvinston Killer Bees, winners of 5 in a row themselves. Both teams just one point apart in the Metropolitan's South Division.

Alvinston leads the season series 2-1 outscoring the Jets 17-2 in the first two games, but Strathroy won their last meeting 5-2 on the road at the Brooke-Alvinston-Inwood Centre in November.

Other than the level of electricity and emotion that's sure to fill the Gemini Sportsplex when these two clubs hook up, the keys to tonight's game are simple. The Jets special teams versus the Killer Bees' offensive attack.

Following last week's 9-3 win over Tilbury, Strathroy is now the Metropolitan's #1 powerplay and #1 penalty kill, so the plan is simple, capitalize on the man advantage and shut Alvinston's powerplay down. But what about 5on5 play?

Alvinston pretty much blankets the offensive statistical side of the conference with James McEwan leading the conference in assists and points and Brennan Feasey second in goals with 18. As a matter of fact the top five in Killer Bees scoring would be the current top five on the Jets roster, with 5th in Bees scoring Jacob Chantler sitting at 21 points, one ahead of the Jets Brandon Buck. 

But the old adage will always prevail when talking sports, you still have to play the game, and Strathroy showed last year in the post-season in a semi-final series with Alvinston, that anything can happen when you play the game.

Also this evening, a very special one and traditionally the Jet's most supported game is Community Over Cancer night raising funds and awareness for local families impacted by cancer.