NEWS FILE PHOTO
Okotoks Bisons forward Zephyr Laplante and Medicine Hat Cubs Tyler Wakelam face the puck in the second period of a 3-0 Medicine Hat win on Jan. 19 at the Kinplex.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
If there was ever a year for the Medicine Hat Cubs to cleanse themselves of a playoff curse, it comes this week.
The Cubs will head to Okotoks on Friday for a familiar trip, taking on the Bisons in the third round of the HJHL playoffs for the third time in four seasons.
Medicine Hat lost in six games in 2021-22 and were swept the next season by the Bisons, who look for a fourth-straight championship. The HJHL playoffs have since changed to best-of-five series.
Cubs head coach Randy Wong says it’s projecting to be the closest series yet and has them set up for potential success.
“In fairness to us, Okotoks may not be as strong as they have been in the past years, they’ve accumulated a few more losses, which is uncharacteristic of them over the years. So certainly still a very strong team and we’re excited about playing them again. I would like to think we can get some kind of redemption, but it’s going to take everybody to do that. We’re certainly excited about getting the opportunity.
It’s a rivalry and matchup that has long plagued the Cubs and has dominated the discussion of the playoffs. This regular season, the Cubs won two of the five games with the South division leaders, shutting them out 3-0 on Jan. 19 at the Kinplex.
Okotoks finished the regular season with a 32-5-1 record, their lowest win total of the last four years. The Bisons faced the Cochrane Generals in the second round of the HJHL playoffs, winning Game 4 in overtime.
The Bisons have suffered just seven losses in 39 playoff games over the last four playoffs, entering play Friday. For the Cubs, having been on the opposite ends of those dominant Bisons teams, there’s been a lot of lessons and scars left from those matchups.
Wong says they’ve had players go through the process, learn what it takes to win and what hurts in a series.
“We think it’s going to be a long series and we can get some wins against them,” Wong said. “It’s about playoffs, about momentum building, so when you look at a close series, what are those things that tip you over to the positive side.
“It’s guys competing, it’s the little puck luck in any one game, certain players stepping up and doing something real good for your team to get you the win. All those things, both teams are capable of that. So you hope the hockey gods are with you and you can get some bounces your way.”
The Cubs will host Game 2 of the series on Sunday, a 3 p.m. contest at the Kinplex. Game 3 of the series is back in Okotoks on March 11 and, if needed, a Game 4 would be in Medicine Hat on March 13. Medicine Hat won both of their home games in the 3-1 second-round series win over the Strathmore Wheatland Kings. The second win, a 5-3 victory in Game 4 on Feb. 28, saw a crowd of over 600 Cubs faithful fill the Kinplex.
The atmosphere in Game 4 of that series was the loudest crowd Wong says he’s coached in front of and one he says they’ll need every chance they get at home in this series.
“That’s energy you didn’t expect, you try and draw your own energy levels by the team itself, but then when you jump into a building like that, you just get drawn into it,” Wong said. “Your emotions sometimes, get the better of you but it’s a good energy. It’s an exciting one. I felt that building was electric the other day and we’re just hoping for the same.
“We know that happens in Okotoks too, where they feed off their crowd, so we would expect the same with ours. Hopefully we can really fill the Kinplex up and have a great have a great outing against them Sunday.”
