The Lacombe Generals will look to hang another Allan Cup banner at the Gary Moe Auto Group Sportsplex starting next Tuesday.
Generals Forward Doug Jessey said his team has been practising good habits, knowing that the week is a grind.
“There are quite a few of us who were there last year when we fell a game short,” he said. “It is nice going in and playing Rosetown first because we have seen them a few times and we know what to expect.
“We know if we can shut down their powerplay and play our game five on five, we will have a real good chance of taking the first one.”
The familiarity with Rosetown will be important as winning both round-robin games on Tuesday and Wednesday would mean a day-off before the weekend.
“That day off in between is huge,” Jessey said. “We learned that last year after we played almost six games in five nights. If we can go and win those two first ones and then get a day off to refresh, it will be a huge advantage going into the weekend.”
The first game will be the team’s first game in over two weeks, after they won the Alberta Senior ‘AAA’ Provincial Championships over the Stony Plain Eagles in five games
“Everybody is doing a little bit of stuff to stay in shape away from the rink,” Jessey said. “We have added an extra practise and they have been pretty intense with us trying to make it like a game. The two weeks is good.”
Jessey said depth has been key to the Generals’ success this season.
“We got a lot of good guys and we found a few down the stretch,” he said. “We have four lines that really make it hard on the opposing team’s D. Every line can score and we have a few guys in our D-core that have put up points this year.
“Up and down our roster there is a threat no matter who is on the ice”
Offence has been easier this season due to the standout play of both Jake Deserres and Steven Standford in goal.
“There is a lot of confidence back there, they are both good at playing the puck and they make it easy,” Jessey said. “They’ve proven this year they are up for the challenge and we have a lot of confidence in both of them.”
The first game is sure to be rocking, due to it being against the host team Rosetown.
“It is pretty awesome our first game is up against the host. There is a rivalry there after we beat them for the league championship, which was our first regulation win against them. We know it is possible and it should be a real exciting first night for us,” he said.
Jessey added that the three most important things to winning the 2018 Allan Cup will be staying disciplined, playing a simple game and ensuring their emotions are steady.
todd.vaughan@redddeerexpress.com
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