Jets playoffs tonight at home against Stratford looking to avenge last year's OSHL League Final loss

Starting tonight, the Strathroy Jets will open up their post season facing the team they lost to in last year's Ontario Super Hockey League Final in a grueling seven games, the Stratford Fighting Irish. The league has changed and the seeding has changed but the rivalry has remained the same if not stronger heading into game 1 of their divisional semi-final at the Gemini tonight.

You couldn't ask for a much more even series between these two teams. They split their 4-game regular season series 2-2, the Jets outscoring the Irish 17-14, and taking the last installment 5-3 back in mid-December. Other than the teams being separated by ten points in the standings of the South division with Strathroy finishing second to Stratford's third place finish, the Irish led the entire Metropolitan Conference in powerplay percentage at 26.7% in 60 opportunities, and didn't allow a shorthanded goal. On the other side of the red line, the Jets were 24.6% on the powerplay on 61 opportunities and gave up the second most shorthanded goals in the conference at four. Strathroy has the slight edge however in success while shorthanded clipping at an 86.3% success rate while down a man compared to 80.3% for Stratford.

Both teams will for sure be looking out for their opponents' offensive attack and the players that lead those attacks. Brandon Prust has been a solid acquisition for Strathroy this season as he was the team's regular season scoring champ with 26 points in 13 games and the only Jet to average 2 points a game. Stratford could very well live and die by the stick of Thomas Maia who led the team with 23 points in 13 games. 

If you're looking for a long drawn out series, you could be right and here's why. Over the last two years, the head to head matchup has Stratford leading 7-6, and the Irish outscoring the Jets 55-49. But lets remember, plenty of new faces on both squads, but you can't ignore history as both teams have a history of playing a tight checking style of game versus each other. However, this year Strathroy has shown they are willing to free wheel, but when doing that sometimes you leave yourself exposed. You live by the sword and you die by it.

Game 1 Jets vs Irish tonight 7:30pm from the Gemini.

C. Soares