If the Delta Ice Hawks and Richmond Sockeyes are headed for another playoff tunnel series, it has become apparent one team will be a prohibitive underdog.
The Ice Hawks may have the second best record in the Pacific International Junior Hockey League but they are going to need to find some answers over the next three weeks if they want to take a serious run at knocking off the defending champions.
The Sockeyes made it five wins in six games against their rivals with a 3-1 decision on Tuesday night in Ladner. The victory clinched first overall for Richmond as Delta now sits 11 points back with just four games remaining.
The difference in the standings has been the Sockeyes dominance in the season series, which essentially is a 20-point swing between the two teams. There was nothing wrong with the Ice Hawks game plan as their neutral zone trap slowed down Richmond's lethal transition game for the most part. However, they didn't create enough scoring chances themselves and only the top line of Spencer Traher, Cody Smith and Aaron Merrick looked dangerous on a consistent basis.
That has to be the biggest concern of head coach Dave McLellan as his team moves forward into the upcoming playoffs.
Will enough of the scoring slack be picked up with the loss of graduated snipers Liam Harding and Kye Benjaminsen?
The Hawks took Richmond seven games last season in a memorable conference final series but that was with two lines being constant threats - centered by Benjaminsen and Traher. There are plenty of candidates capable of providing additional punch but it wasn't evident in the regular season against the Sockeyes.
"We got to do some work on what we need to do offensively a little bit if we maybe are going to see them in the playoffs," said McLellan.
The Sockeyes took control on third period goals by Sam Chichak and Kevin Killistoff to break a 1-1 tie. Jeremy Hamaguchi had put his team on even terms in the second period after Delta had opened the scoring on a goal from Cody Smith.
