Lethbridge Hurricanes gearing up for playoff opener against Red Deer Rebels

At this time of year, pressure can be an issue for goaltenders but Flodell says it kind of comes with the position he signed up for.

“Especially as a 20-year-old I have a big role to fill, but guys are ready to go, and I think we’ll do a great job this year,” Flodell said.

Flodell is an interesting case when it comes to the postseason.

He’s only played 22 minutes of playoff hockey in his career, back in 2015 as a member of the Seattle Thunderbirds.

Flodell says finally getting a chance to start a postseason game has been a long time coming.

“I’ve always had good experienced goalies ahead of me, but I feel like it’s finally my time to show what I can do and lead this team as far as we can possibly go.”

Flodell was the backup goalie in 2015-16 when the Thunderbirds made it all the way to the WHL Finals before losing to the Brandon Wheat Kings.

“I’ve been behind some good goalies like Taran Kozun in Seattle and Landon Bow in Swift Current, and they’ve shown me a lot of key things about what it’s like to be a starter at this time of year,” he continued. “You’ve gotta be mentally strong, whether you win or lose a game, it’s a seven-game series so win or lose you have to be able to move onto the next game and get ready to compete.”

The Rebels present a challenge of a team getting hot at the right time of year, and Flodell says they’re a team that works hard, and they’re young just like the Hurricanes.

“I feel like we kind of have the advantage that we are a little bit younger, and we’re going to be hungrier. They’ve got some guys that we’re going to have to key on, but I think we’re going to be OK because we’ve got some guys coming back from injury and we’ll be ready to go Friday.”

Lethbridge took the season series against Red Deer 4-2 overall.

The 2017 first round matchup was a feisty, seven-game slugfest between both teams, and Hurricanes captain Jordy Bellerive expects it to be the same way despite the personnel changes.

“It’s a little bit different. The teams are totally different, but the rivalry is still there. We still hate each other just as much as last year so it’s going to be exciting.”

Lethbridge struggled down the stretch, due in large part to special teams trouble, and Bellerive believes this week of practice is setting the Hurricanes up to be well prepared come Friday.

“It’s been a pretty quiet second half in regard to practising this year so it’s pretty important for us to be able to work on special teams, and to get prepared for what Red Deer does.”

When Bellerive scores the Hurricanes usually have success, especially against Red Deer, but he’s not putting any extra pressure on himself.

“Obviously I’m going to try and do my best when it comes to scoring, and in all three zones of the ice as well, but we’ve got a pretty good team here so it’s more than just me who can score,” Bellerive stated.

Hurricanes Head Coach Brent Kisio echoed his captain’s comments about the week of preparation.

“It’s been a good week. We haven’t had a lot of practise time in the second half, so to get on the ice as a team for four straight days of practice has been awesome. We’ve had some video time put in off the ice too, but I like the work we’ve done on the ice and the energy we have right now,” Kisio said.

Kisio also touched on the challenge presented by the Rebels.

“If you look at Red Deer’s team, their top guys in the second half of the season have been so good,” he continued. “It’s part of the reason they’ve gotten better as a team, so it’s important for us to watch guys like [Brandon] Hagel and [Mason] McCarty and take away their time and space.”

The focus on special teams this week was also a top priority for the coaching staff.

“We spent a whole day on it Tuesday, and that’s a day more than we’ve been able to spend on special teams in a long time. It was needed, I think we straightened some things out, and obviously in the playoffs special teams is huge,” Kisio added.

Another important thing at playoff time is discipline, and Kisio has been stressing that to his playoffs ahead of the rivalry getting renewed.

“There’s not usually as many opportunities this time of year so you can play a little bit harder, but penalties do seem to cost you more especially at the wrong time. It’s a fine line between playing hard and having some discipline.”

Puck drop for Game 1 is set for 7 p.m. at the ENMAX Centre.

Full Schedule:
Game 1: Red Deer at Lethbridge – Friday, Mar. 23 @ 7 p.m.
Game 2: Red Deer at Lethbridge – Saturday, Mar. 24 @ 7 p.m.
Game 3: Lethbridge at Red Deer – Tuesday, Mar. 27 @ 7 p.m.
Game 4: Lethbridge at Red Deer – Wednesday, Mar. 28 @ 7 p.m.
Game 5 (if necessary): Red Deer at Lethbridge – Saturday, Mar. 31 @ 7 p.m.
Game 6 (if necessary): Lethbridge at Red Deer – Sunday, Apr. 1 @ 6 p.m.
Game 7 (if necessary): Red Deer at Lethbridge – Tuesday, Apr. 3 @ 7 p.m.

by Aaron Mahoney (@Mahones93 on Twitter)

Lethbridge Hurricanes gearing up for playoff opener against Red Deer Rebels

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