After dropping two of the first three games to the upstart Port Coquitlam Trailblazers, the Delta Ice Hawks found their game winning three straight to win the series in six games.
Delta will now square off against rival Richmond Sockeyes in the Tom Shaw Conference final series which will open Tuesday night at the Ladner Leisure Centre. Puck drop is 7:35 p.m.
Game two will be Thursday night (March 6) in Richmond at 8 p.m. with game three back in Ladner on March 11 set for a 7:35 p.m. start. The remaining schedule has not been announced.
Richmond dispatched the White Rock Whalers in their second-round semi-final series also in six games.
Trailing 2-1 in the series after 7-4 and 4-2 loses in Poco, Delta returned to home ice last Tuesday and Thursday and put in complete efforts winning 9-1 and 5-1.
The teams played game six in Poco Sunday night and once again, Delta dominated winning 7-1.
Grady Lenton had a monster series against Poco with eight goals and 10 assists leading all league playoff scorers with 18 points.
Tye Hemenway had five goals and six assists in the series, while Mateo Sjoberg also had an 11-point series with three goals and 11 assists.
Merik Erickson was solid between the pipes, winning all four games in the series and sporting an impressive 2.07 goals against average and a .928 save percentage.
“I thought game two we could have won, but to lose game three and four was the wake-up call we needed,” said head coach and general manager Steve Robinson. “The guys got committed to a defence mentality and playoff urgency and we were able to reel off three convincing wins.”
Robinson said he does not expect too many surprises in the series against Richmond.
“Both teams know each other pretty well. There is a lot of familiarity from last year’s playoff series, so like you said, there will not be many surprises. Both teams match up well and I expect all the games to be highly contested and pretty emotional,” he said. “For me it is going to be what team can maintain its composure in those moments and still execute. We are looking forward to it. It is going to be a challenge and some exciting hockey for sure.”
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The Harold Brittain Conference will feature league regular season champs the Ridge Meadows Flames who beat the Surrey Knights in five games against the Chilliwack Jets, who swept the Abbotsford Pilots 4-0 in their semi-final series.
