KENSINGTON – Although it’s the playoffs, Kyle Dunn’s message to the Kensington Monaghan Farms Wild remains the same.
The Wild will host the Charlottetown Bulk Carriers Pride in Game 1 of the best-of-seven provincial major midget hockey championship series at Credit Union Centre in Kensington, previously Community Gardens, on Friday at 7:30 p.m. The series winner will represent P.E.I. at the Atlantic championship in Lantz, N.S., from March 29 to April 1.
“It’s going to be exciting,” predicted Dunn, head coach of the Wild. “Playoffs are a whole different animal.
“We have home-ice advantage, and we want to protect home ice. We want to come out ready to go Friday, and go from there. It’s going to be a tight series, and I’m expecting this one to go six, seven games.”
Playing well
Both teams enter the playoffs playing well. Charlottetown is on a six-game winning streak while Kensington is 8-1-1 (won-lost-overtime losses) in its last 10 games. Kensington (26-7-2) completed the New Brunswick/P.E.I. Major Midget Hockey League regular season in second place, just two points back of the first-place Moncton Flyers (27-6-2).
“I keep telling our team that while we had the best record in Kensington Wild history, we can’t forget how we got here,” emphasized Dunn. “We just didn’t get there on skill and talent. We got there through hard work. We’ve shown them a lot of video clips on when we are working and going to the dirty areas we are successful.
“I think we played playoff hockey right from Day 1, and we got into some big games over in Halifax (Ice Jam tournament) and in Moncton (Monctonian). Our leadership group realizes we have to work to win. We know Charlottetown is going to be ready, and we have to outwork them – that’s how we are going to be successful.”
Click here for story on New Brunswick/P.E.I. Major Midget Hockey League awards:
Click here for story on Kensington-Charlottetown playoff series beginning Friday night:
Although the Wild finished 15 points ahead of the fourth-place Pride (17-13-5), Dunn said those numbers are deceiving.
“There is not much separating these two teams, despite what the standings say,” emphasized Dunn. “Every time you play your Island rivals everybody gets up for those games. The checking is tighter, the plays are harder and the emotion is there.”
Click here for story on Charlottetown Pride:
Does Dunn expect to get into line matching during the games in Kensington, when the Wild has last change?
“Probably not,” he answered. “I like our four lines, and I like our depth.
“If they want to adapt to our game that’s in their court. We are probably not going to see a lot of line matching, but if certain lines are starting to get the better of certain lines, obviously with the last change I might try to put a match out there.”
Last year, the Wild fell behind the Pride three games to one, before rallying to win the series in seven games.
“Obviously, they have a sour taste in their mouths, and they are going to be ready to go this year, and we have to be ready to match it,” warned Dunn. “We experienced the highs and lows of that, and are going to take that experience into the playoffs. We have to be prepared to win one game at a time.”
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Leaders
A look at the Kensington Wild:
Individual Leaders
Points: Frank Fortin, 51.
Goals: Frank Fortin, 28.
Assists: Colby MacArthur, Clark Webster, Ryan Richards, tied with 24.
Power-play goals: Frank Fortin, Clark Webster, tied with 10.
Power-play assists: Ethan Beaulieu, 11.
Penalty minutes: Ryan Richards, 102.
Goaltending
Chad Arsenault, 16-1-1, 2 SO, 2.04 GAA, .934 save percentage.
Caleb Coyle, 10-6-1, 1 SO, 2.65 GAA, .922 save percentage.
Team Statistics
Record: 26-7-2.
Last 10 games: 8-1-1.
Goals for: 150.
Goals against: 85.
Shots for: 1,264.
Shots against: 1,137.
Power play: 46/183 (25 per cent).
Penalty killing: 141/163 (87 per cent).
