IceDogs Set to Battle Battalion; Great Seats Still Available
Published on March 23, 2011 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Niagara IceDogs News Release
The Niagara IceDogs are set to do battle with the division rival Brampton Battalion in the first round of the 2011 Ontario Hockey League playoffs.
The first round fate was sealed on the final day of the regular season, as the Battalion lost their final game of the regular season by a score of 3-2 this past Sunday afternoon against the Belleville Bulls, who needed the win to secure a playoff spot.
While the IceDogs placed third in the Eastern Conference with a record of 45-17-2-4 (96 points), the Battalion finished the regular season with a record of 29-32-1-6 (65 points) two points behind the fifth place Kingston Frontenacs and three points ahead of the seventh place Sudbury Wolves.
As far as head to head match-ups go, the IceDogs captured the 2011 season series over the Battalion with a record of 4-1-1-0, but as we have seen in the past, when these two rivals meet it always makes for a close, exciting battle.
Aside from each team recording a shutout against one another this season, three of the six meetings between the two teams have been decided by one goal in either overtime or a shootout.
Brampton capitalized on the first meeting of the season on Oct. 2 with a 4-3 OT win, while the IceDogs won 5-4 in a shootout later that month. Niagara took the next two meetings (2-0 on Feb. 5, and 3-1 on Feb. 13), but Brampton managed to shut Niagara out 3-0 the last time the ¬ËDogs visited the Powerade Centre on Feb. 27th.
In their last meeting of the regular season that took place in Niagara, the ¬ËDogs took a 4-3 overtime victory over the Battalion with Darren Archibald playing the OT hero in what felt like a playoff atmosphere at the Gatorade Garden City Complex.
Although the IceDogs are expected to be the favourites in this match-up, they certainly won't underestimate the young talent that makes up the Battalion roster, which, when coupled with the experience of head coach Stan Butler, can make the Battalion a very dangerous team.
While playing against the IceDogs this season, the most successful Battalion players were: Michael Santini (4GP, 4G), Philip Lane (6GP, 3G, 1A) and Jonathan Johansson (5GP, 1G, 2A).
For the IceDogs, Freddie Hamilton lead the way against the Troops (6GP, 6G, 3A), while Ryan Strome (6GP, 1G, 6A) and Steven Shipley (6GP, 2G, 3A) follow close behind.
The IceDogs will look to make use of their home ice advantage, with the IceDogs having the best home record in the league at 26-4-1-3, while the Battalion struggled on the road with a 13-17-1-3 record. With the teams having played each other close all year, this could be a deciding factor in who emerges victorious in the series.
A major part of the IceDogs success at home this season has come from their tremendous fan support, which has played a huge role in making the Gatorade Garden City Complex one of the toughest rinks in the league to play in.
The IceDogs are counting on their fans to be loud and proud once again and we need your help to make this happen. There are still lots of great seats available for both Thursday night's game one and Tuesday's game three and we want to make sure we get those seats moved!
Tickets for both Tuesday and Thursday's games can be purchased at all IceDogs ticket locations, including the IceDogs 35 Queen St. office (Mon.-Fri. 9am-5pm), the Pen Centre customer service desk, the Seaway Mall customer service desk, Money Mart at 5885 Ferry St. in Niagara Falls, or through all Ticketmaster outlets, including on-line (
www.ticketmaster.ca) or by phone (905-481-4444).
For more information on IceDogs playoff tickets, please contact the IceDogs office at 905-687-3641.
Regular Season Breakdown:
IceDogs home record: 26-4-1-3
IceDogs road record: 19-13-1-1
Battalion home record: 16-15-0-3
Battalion road record: 13-17-1-3
The schedule for the first round series will be as follows:
Game 1 - Thursday, March 24 at Niagara, 7pm
Game 2 - Sunday, March 27th at Brampton, 2pm
Game 3 - Tuesday, March 29th at Niagara, 7pm
Game 4 - Thursday, March 31st at Brampton, 7pm
Game 5 - Saturday, April 2nd at Niagara, 7pm*
Game 6 - Sunday, April 3rd at Brampton, 2pm*
Game 7 - Tuesday, April 5th at Niagara, 7pm* * - if necessary
Ontario Hockey League Stories from March 23, 2011
- IceDogs Set to Battle Battalion; Great Seats Still Available - Niagara IceDogs
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