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By Josh Wegman
After a disappointing end to their playoff run a year ago, the Ottawa Jr. Senators are zeroed in on one thing: A championship.
The Senators clinched a first-round Central Canada Jr. ‘A’ Hockey League playoff series victory against the Cornwall Colts on Wednesday, March 19 with a 6-0 win at Jim Durrell Rec Centre.
The series as a whole was complete domination by Ottawa, as they outscored Cornwall 28-10 over five games to take the series 4-1.
The finale was no different. The dynamic Jr. Senators squad ran away with the final game early by netting four first-period goals, two of which came with the man advantage.
“Our power play is something we work on constantly,” notes Ottawa head coach Rick Dorval, whose top-seeded team lost a seven-game second-round series to Nepean last year. “We review video, look to make corrections, look at how the opposition defends and we adapt to what they do to try and be successful.”
One player who was the catalyst of this dangerous power play was centre Deric Boudreau, who finished the series with 12 points in five games, including a goal and three assists in Game 5.
“We’ve been practising all year together so we’re really getting the feel for our power play,” notes Boudreau, who previously played for Hawkesbury in the CCHL and for the Gatineau Olympiques last season. “We looked at Cornwall and made the right adjustments against them.”
Roughly half of Ottawa’s roster is made up of local players, which adds enjoyment to the victory, Boudreau highlights.
“It’s always nice playing at home,” says the Orleans native. “I have a lot of family that can come out and watch us play.”
Sens seek to keep solid 1st-round effort rolling
The chemistry of the Senators was on display throughout the series, with crisp passing and strong positional play, particularly in the defensive zone, Dorval indicates.
“Our work ethic was phenomenal,” adds the Ottawa coach of two years. “We worked hard on every puck and didn’t lose too many races. Our offensive ability to score
goals helped us and we were solid defensively. I think all five games we played well defensively, we limited their opportunities and we took advantage of the chances we were given.”
In the next round, the Jr. Sens will face the red-hot Smiths Falls Bears, who are coming off a sweep against the Nepean Raiders on the heels of a 41-17-4 regular season.
“We’re going to take the next couple days to rest up. We got some guys that are pretty banged up,” notes Dorval, whose team topped the Yzerman Division standings with a 39-20-3 record. “We’re going to go right back to the video and the drawing board and try and find some holes on Smiths Falls and try to capitalize on those opportunities.”