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Elimination Round Preview: Warriors vs. Smoke Eaters

Westside Warriors
(37-18-1-4, 3rd in Interior Conference)

vs.

Trail Smoke Eaters
(25-31-2-2, 6th in Interior Conference)

Series schedule:

Game 1 – Friday, February 27th, 7:00 PM @ Royal LePage Place
Game 2 – Saturday, February 28th, 7:00 PM @ Royal LePage Place
Game 3 – Monday, March 2nd, 7:30 PM @ Cominco Arena
Game 4 – Tuesday, March 3rd, 7:30 PM @ Cominco Arena*
Game 5 – Wednesday, March 4th, 7:00 PM @ Royal LePage Place*

* If neccesary

Regular season results:

Westside won series 7-1

Saturday, September 13th – Westside 4 @ Trail 2
Saturday, October 25th – Trail 3 @ Westside 5
Saturday, November 22nd – Westside 4 @ Trail 6
Sunday, November 23rd – Westside 3 @ Trail 2
Sunday, December 14th – Trail 4 @ Westside 5
Thursday, February 5th – Trail 3 @ Westside 4
Saturday, February 14th – Westside 4 @ Trail 2
Tuesday, February 17th – Trail 1 @ Westside 4

Series Preview:

Few players or coaches will admit to having a preference when it comes to a playoff opponent, but it's a safe bet that the Trail Smoke Eaters would have avoided a first-round matchup with Westside if given the choice.

And as if losing seven of eight regular season games to the Warriors weren't enough, the Smokies are battling their way through a losing streak that reached 10 games in their regular season finale in Vernon.

If Trail is going to succeed in the playoffs, it will likely be because the team's gritty, hard-working style meshes nicely with the demands of postseason hockey. Led offensively by captain Ryan Bulach, the Smoke Eaters may not have eye-popping goal totals but can rely on timely contibutions from JF Boisvert, Brett Corcoran and Travis St. Denis.

In Westside, the Warriors enjoyed a successful stretch run by combining a swift, puck-moving blueline with a tough but talented group of forwards. Two-time Interior Top Defenceman Justin Schultz leads a defence corps that includes fellow offensive star Cory Pritz while a deep if unheralded core up front was boosted by deadline pick-ups Cam Reid and Chad Gehon.

The Warriors have also recieved underrated goaltending from early season import Kevin Jebson, who backstopped the Burnaby Express last season. Jebson's strong numbers (a 2.66 GAA and .909 SV%) can partly be drawn back to the team's strong defensive play, but he's also proven himself to be full capable of making big saves when called upon.

The Experience Factor

The Warriors feature a number of players who dressed for the squad during last season's run to the Interior Conference finals and will count on Trevor Bailey, who notched 14 points in 11 playoff games a year ago, to show his fellow forwards the ropes.

The Smoke Eaters, meanwhile, are a fresh-faced group when it comes to the postseason. While a number of Smokies got their first taste of action in a first-round loss to Vernon last season, the club's top-10 scorers have just 48 games of playoff experience and 13 points to show for them.