And so it begins. Again. In front of two already sold out crowds on March 23rd and 24th in Swift Current at the iPlex, the Eastern Division Swift Current Broncos will host the Regina Pats in the first round of playoffs. If there were two words to describe this series during the regular season, it would be “ugly and mean.” These two teams are bitter rivals. The Regina Pats have knocked out the Swift Current Broncos from playoffs in the past two seasons that the Swift Current team has made it to the post-season. Regina knows they have the potential to do it again and Swift Current is holding a grudge. They want vengeance. Could this be the year the Broncos make a deep run or will the Pats put a halt to their season again?
If the regular season is any indication, Swift Current should come out on top. But, as we all know, playoffs are an entirely different world in hockey. With a record of 5-0-1 against the Regina Pats in the regular season, the Broncos should come out of this series with a win. At least, that’s what the stats say. Swift Current has three 100-point players on their team this year compared to zero on the Regina team. Glenn Gawdin leads the way with 125, Aleksi Heponiemi has 118, and Tyler Steenbergen rounds out the trio with 102 points. Cameron Hebig has 90 points, Sam Steel has 83, and Matt Bradley has 79. Goal leaders for Swift Current include Gawdin (56), Steenbergen (47), and Matteo Gennaro (42). Hebig (41), Bradley (37), and Steel (33) lead the goal scoring for the Pats. On paper, the Broncos should be able to get past the Pats. But, as has happened in the past, it doesn’t always turn out that way.
Yet, it takes more than just points during the regular season to decide who will win and who will be going home during playoffs. Day in and day out, these teams have to face only each other without so much as a day or two break. Knowing your opponent, teamwork, coaching, communication, injuries, personalities, home-ice advantage, and many other factors play into who wins and who doesn’t. Here’s a look at some of the key players during this series.
Jesse Gabrielle – With 19 points (13 goals and 6 assists) in 27 games, he may not be a top scorer on the Regina team, but he’s quite good at his job, which is to instigate. Gabrielle is a feisty mastermind at rattling the opposition. In six games played in last year’s playoffs with the Prince George Cougars, Gabrielle notched a goal and two assists, proving that he works well under pressure. And he’s been a thorn in the side of the Broncos players all season long while on the Pats.
Cameron Hebig – Even though he doesn’t have any playoff experience, his regular season stats are impressive. In 66 games played this season between the Saskatoon Blades and Regina Pats, Hebig earned 41 goals and 49 assists, placing him in 17th position in points. His six-foot frame is intimidating to opponents and his offensive prowess will be put to the test in this season’s first round of playoffs.
Sam Steel – An integral part of the Team Canada at the World Juniors, Steel proved his worth on many levels this season. And now he’ll get his chance during playoffs against his former Team Canada teammate, Tyler Steenbergen. Steel earned 83 points (33 goals and 50 assists) in 54 games this season and his playoff stats from last year are even more impactful. In 23 games last year in playoffs, Steel notched 30 points (11 goals and 19 assists) with a +8 rating.
Max Paddock – The Broncos offence will have their work cut out for them with Paddock in net for the Pats. Through 33 games this season with Regina, Paddock acquired a GAA of 2.899 and a save percentage of 0.904. With stats like that, Paddock and Skinner are evenly matched and it could turn into a battle of the goalies in this series.
Stuart Skinner – Skinner played a total of 25 games in net for the Broncos this season and earned a GAA of 2.68 and a save percentage of 0.914. In total, between the Lethbridge Hurricanes and the Swift Current Broncos, Skinner has played 56 games with a GAA of 3.065 and a 0.905 save percentage. He picks up rebounds well, tracks the puck among the traffic, and positions himself well in front of the net. The war between the pipes will be fairly close considering the great play of both goalies during the regular season.
Glenn Gawdin – Earning the team’s awards for First Star of the Season, Most Popular Player, Top Scorer, and Team MVP, Gawdin has clearly made a good name for himself since the 2012-2013 season. It’s not a surprise that the Calgary Flames have signed him this season. With a WHL career high in almost every category of the stats, Gawdin will have a lot of pressure as captain to get the Broncos past the Pats. He’s all over the leaderboard in the WHL, with accolades in points, goals, assists, power play goals, first goals, and insurance goals, Gawdin has earned his badge of honour throughout his junior career.
Tyler Steenbergen – As the golden boy of Team Canada in the World Junior Tournament, who got the goal that won gold, Steenbergen has carved out an impressive junior resume this season. Alongside Gawdin, Steenbergen also tore up the leaderboard in the WHL, earning 2nd place in the +/- race, 6th in points, 6th place in goals, and 8th in game winning goals. He knows where to be on the ice and when. His smaller stature aids in his speed down the ice. And his offensive abilities have helped him recently sign with the Arizona Coyotes.
Colby Sissons – in 72 games played this season, he had a career year with 71 points (13 goals and 58 assists). He’s a natural defensive leader and the solid skills he brings to the blue line have been an asset all season long. He made it onto the WHL leaderboard in 6th place in the +/- category, and 10th in power play assists. With his playoff experience from last year, which included four goals and two assists, he could be one of the most impactful players for the Broncos during this year’s post-season.
Like every team, there’s always room for improvement. For Swift Current, they need to set their own pace to the game. The Broncos need to get back to playing their own style of hockey and controlling the plays and speed each period. They need to bring back their offensive chemistry that was found right after the trade deadline that brought in Matteo Gennaro, Giorgio Estephan, and Beck Malenstyn. When you add those players into a solid mix of Glenn Gawdin, Tyler Steenbergen, and Aleksi Heponiemi, the Swift Current team was almost unstoppable. If they could get rid of the overly-aggressive plays that were abundant near the end of the regular season, tighten up the defence in front of the netminder, and not allow their opponents to get in their heads, the Swift Current Broncos could make a deep run in the playoffs this year.
The Regina Pats have always been known for their physical play against the Swift Current Broncos. And it works for them. They know how to throw Swift Current off their game, and they’ve got the offensive fire-power to back up the physical aggressiveness. But if the aggressiveness gets to be too much, they get messy and undisciplined. If the Pats can stay out of the penalty box that means more bodies on the ice to gain shots on net. Their goalies have been spectacular all season long, but the blue-liners need to back them up. If they can keep their focus, stay out of the sin bin, and remain strong in net, Regina has a good chance to bump Swift Current from playoffs again.
Although both teams have a lot of depth, and the trade deadline deals were a big factor in how well the teams have played for the rest of the regular season, the Swift Current Broncos have the upper hand. If the Broncos can find their offensive power again, like they had just after the deadline, and if the defence can stay out of the penalty box, the far-reaching depth of the Broncos will lend a hand in finally overtaking the Regina Pats. Consistency and commitment will be the key to the Swift Current winning this series.
It all starts on Friday, March 23rd and Saturday, March 24th in Swift Current. Then the teams shift to Regina on Monday, March 26th and Wednesday, March 28th.
Banner photos by Andy Devlin and Darwin Knelsen.
