Phil Margonis
04-02-2008, 09:17 AM
No bull, Colts big underdogs; 'We're a very close team right now and everyone believes in each other'
Posted By IAN SHANTZ
Updated 1 hour ago
Razors are nowhere to be found.
That's a good sign for these bushy-haired Barrie Colts, as many predicted they'd be sporting the preppy look by now.
"As you get older, it gets better," said overager Ryan Berard, who might have the Colts' best beard going two weeks into these playoffs. "Hopefully, it can get even better."
Berard, 20, saw his OHL lifeline extended when the Colts upset the Brampton Battalion in the first round of the playoffs to earn an Eastern Conference semifinal date with the conference's top team, the Belleville Bulls.
The series opens tonight at the Yardmen Arena, and the Colts know they'll need to be at their hairy best.
"It's kind of the same as the first round. We were complete underdogs," Berard said. "You've just got to out-work the other team and stick to your systems."
Nevermind that Belleville broke a franchise record for wins with 48 this season, finishing with 42 more points than Barrie. Forget about the Bulls having perhaps the most depth of any team in the league, boasting four players who scored 30 or more goals in the regular season, an army of respected defencemen and a league-leading goaltender, Mike Murphy.
These days, the inexperienced Colts have the biggest lunchbuckets around.
"We are the underdogs. Line for line, they definitely have some matchups they're pretty happy with," Colts head coach Marty Williamson said. "But you can't take away from hard work."
Hard work and the stellar goaltending of Michael Hutchinson - named this week's OHL and CHL player of the week - got the unassuming Colts past Brampton in the first round, so plucky Barrie doesn't plan on changing its approach against Belleville.
"We keep building on the groundwork we layed (against) Brampton," Williamson said. "The foundation of our game is where we want it. Now, it's about tweaking it to the (P.K.) Subbans of the world, and the (Matt) Beleskeys. You've got to know when these guys are on the ice."
Playing on Belleville's Olympic-sized surface will require the Colts to make a few adjustments.
"You have more time with the puck, and you've got a lot more width, so you've just got to stay wide and use it to your advantage on the breakout and on the power play," said Berard, who spent two-and-a-half seasons playing in Belleville. "Defensively, you can't be rushing out by the dots as much. You've got to protect the house."
Specialty teams are likely to be even more important to the Colts against the offensively privileged Bulls. Barrie's power play was ineffective in Round 1, going 1-for-27. On the other hand, the Colts' killed off 26 of 28 power plays in the first round. One way or another, Barrie's specialty units will be counted on to fend off the Bulls' assault.
"We need to come out even on specialty teams, similar to what we did against Brampton," Williamson said. "(Brampton) didn't score on the power play either, so we got away with a very poor power play.
"I don't know if we can shut (Belleville's) power play down like we did with Brampton," the coach added. "We'll try, but if we don't, then we have to have the ability to score.
"Specialty teams really need to perform, because that's enough to be the difference in this series."
The Colts will welcome back Cory McGillis, who sat out all of last series serving a five-game suspension for a "bullying" incident during Barrie's final game of the regular season.
McGillis led his team with 10 power play goals this season.
"I hope I can come in and contribute right away," the 19-year-old said, adding team chemistry is at an all-time high. "We've a very close team right now and everyone believes in each other. That's what's going to get us through this round."
Berard agrees.
"I haven't seen a room with this much chemistry in a while," the forward said. "We've got a lot of confidence.
"Obviously, we're the underdogs," he added, "so a lot more pressure is on them."
The series shifts to the Barrie Molson Centre tomorrow night for Game 2. The puck drops at 7:30 p.m.
ICE CHIPS: Playoff tickets for Game 2 and Game 4 at the BMC are on sale now, and can be purchased through Ticketbreak online at www.barriecolts.com, in person at the Coltsport Store box office during regular business hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), or by calling 1-866-9-GET-TIX (943-8849) ... The teams met twice this season, with the Bulls winning twice, 5-1 and 4-2 ... Colts defencemen Brett Halstead and forward Marcus Pepe are both listed as day-to-day with upper-body injuries.
http://www.thebarrieexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=968052&auth=IAN+SHANTZ
Posted By IAN SHANTZ
Updated 1 hour ago
Razors are nowhere to be found.
That's a good sign for these bushy-haired Barrie Colts, as many predicted they'd be sporting the preppy look by now.
"As you get older, it gets better," said overager Ryan Berard, who might have the Colts' best beard going two weeks into these playoffs. "Hopefully, it can get even better."
Berard, 20, saw his OHL lifeline extended when the Colts upset the Brampton Battalion in the first round of the playoffs to earn an Eastern Conference semifinal date with the conference's top team, the Belleville Bulls.
The series opens tonight at the Yardmen Arena, and the Colts know they'll need to be at their hairy best.
"It's kind of the same as the first round. We were complete underdogs," Berard said. "You've just got to out-work the other team and stick to your systems."
Nevermind that Belleville broke a franchise record for wins with 48 this season, finishing with 42 more points than Barrie. Forget about the Bulls having perhaps the most depth of any team in the league, boasting four players who scored 30 or more goals in the regular season, an army of respected defencemen and a league-leading goaltender, Mike Murphy.
These days, the inexperienced Colts have the biggest lunchbuckets around.
"We are the underdogs. Line for line, they definitely have some matchups they're pretty happy with," Colts head coach Marty Williamson said. "But you can't take away from hard work."
Hard work and the stellar goaltending of Michael Hutchinson - named this week's OHL and CHL player of the week - got the unassuming Colts past Brampton in the first round, so plucky Barrie doesn't plan on changing its approach against Belleville.
"We keep building on the groundwork we layed (against) Brampton," Williamson said. "The foundation of our game is where we want it. Now, it's about tweaking it to the (P.K.) Subbans of the world, and the (Matt) Beleskeys. You've got to know when these guys are on the ice."
Playing on Belleville's Olympic-sized surface will require the Colts to make a few adjustments.
"You have more time with the puck, and you've got a lot more width, so you've just got to stay wide and use it to your advantage on the breakout and on the power play," said Berard, who spent two-and-a-half seasons playing in Belleville. "Defensively, you can't be rushing out by the dots as much. You've got to protect the house."
Specialty teams are likely to be even more important to the Colts against the offensively privileged Bulls. Barrie's power play was ineffective in Round 1, going 1-for-27. On the other hand, the Colts' killed off 26 of 28 power plays in the first round. One way or another, Barrie's specialty units will be counted on to fend off the Bulls' assault.
"We need to come out even on specialty teams, similar to what we did against Brampton," Williamson said. "(Brampton) didn't score on the power play either, so we got away with a very poor power play.
"I don't know if we can shut (Belleville's) power play down like we did with Brampton," the coach added. "We'll try, but if we don't, then we have to have the ability to score.
"Specialty teams really need to perform, because that's enough to be the difference in this series."
The Colts will welcome back Cory McGillis, who sat out all of last series serving a five-game suspension for a "bullying" incident during Barrie's final game of the regular season.
McGillis led his team with 10 power play goals this season.
"I hope I can come in and contribute right away," the 19-year-old said, adding team chemistry is at an all-time high. "We've a very close team right now and everyone believes in each other. That's what's going to get us through this round."
Berard agrees.
"I haven't seen a room with this much chemistry in a while," the forward said. "We've got a lot of confidence.
"Obviously, we're the underdogs," he added, "so a lot more pressure is on them."
The series shifts to the Barrie Molson Centre tomorrow night for Game 2. The puck drops at 7:30 p.m.
ICE CHIPS: Playoff tickets for Game 2 and Game 4 at the BMC are on sale now, and can be purchased through Ticketbreak online at www.barriecolts.com, in person at the Coltsport Store box office during regular business hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), or by calling 1-866-9-GET-TIX (943-8849) ... The teams met twice this season, with the Bulls winning twice, 5-1 and 4-2 ... Colts defencemen Brett Halstead and forward Marcus Pepe are both listed as day-to-day with upper-body injuries.
http://www.thebarrieexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=968052&auth=IAN+SHANTZ