Miners Weekly Record: 1 wins, 1 losses, 1 OT loss.
Miners League Standing: 41 wins, 30 losses, 11 OT Loss = 93 points total. Currently sit in 6th place in the Canosa Conference, 10th overall in the CCHL.
Miners Special Teams: Power Play – 20.2% (9th); Penalty Kill – 82.2% (4th)
Miners Scoring Leader: Center Tyler Seguin (39G – 463A = 103 pts; 5th Overall in the CCHL)
X – Clinched a playoff spot.
That sound you hear is a sigh of relief from management, as this years’ edition of the Sudbury Miners
waited until Game #80, before finally securing a playoff spot. They finished the season with a 41-30-11 record for 93 points and good for 6th place in the Canosa Conference.
“It wasn’t easy this year…..a lot of ups and downs but at the end of the day, we have that little mark beside our name that says ‘clinched playoff spot’. We now have the opportunity to put all the inconsistency behind us and move forward. We are excited to get the post-season going”, said Miners goaltender Fredrik Andersen.
Now that the season is done, the Miners will turn their attention to their first-round match-up versus the Springfield Isotopes. The season series between the two teams stood at 3-3-0, but the Miners have lost the last two verses the Isotopes. The Miners know this first round match-up will be no easy task and they will need to start playing their best hockey of the season or else they will have lots of time on their hands to catch some spring training baseball.
“We have been saying all year that we just wanted to get into the playoffs and make some noise, and now here we are. It’s ‘put up or shut up’ time and any excuses are for losers. XXXXXX has some talented players but we have a few guys that can cause some panic in their room as well. It’s shaping up to be a dandy series, and we are raring to get at it”, stated Miners defenseman Ryan Suter.
The Miners will start the quest on the road, with their first playoff game on Sunday night.
MINERS PLAYER PROFILE OF THE WEEK: Aaron Ekblad
Ekblad is a hulking defender who combines size and decent skating either as a defender or a
contributor on offense. His best asset is his rocket shot. Defensively, he has worked hard on his
backward mobility to improve his gap control. While he is a decent skater, he does still have stretches of clunky footwork and sometimes has a knock-kneed skating style. He does have good hockey sense and often makes good decisions out on the ice. He is a veteran player but is still just approaching his mid-20’s. There may be another level that Ekblad can get to, but his floor is that of a top-4, point producing defenceman.
MINERS PROSPECT NEED TO KNOW: Conor Timmins
Last season was a year to forget for Timmins as he missed the entire season recovering from
post-concussion syndrome. He is now back playing and hoping to shake the rust off and continue on his upward trend. At his best, Timmins is a potential minute munching defender who can play in any
situation. He is particularly effective at winning board battles in his own end and can swing play the other way for his team. Of course, it remains to be seen what repercussions remain from his concussion as he starts to play meaningful hockey, and if he will be the same player he was prior. The potential is worth the gamble.
Expected CCHL arrival: 2023-24.
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