Bears Prepare for Playoffs

127 points and the conference's #1 seed has Acadia feeling confident as the team prepares to head into the SICHL playoffs. It's the club's best finish since 2013-14 when the Bears ended up with 129 points which is still a franchise record. Considering the unspectacular start to the season, seeing the Bears locking down the top spot came as a surprise to many both in and outside of the organization. 

"I don't know if anyone expected that we could go from missing the playoffs last year to being where we are now," said captain Claude Giroux, "It defnitely took a couple of months before we hit our groove but once we got there and started playing up to our potential, well we didn't look back."

Acadia was playing .500 hockey for the first quarter of a season, slipping in and out of the final playoff spot in the process. Then ine night in Las Vegas, the leadership group called for a players-only team meeting and things started to improve immediately. Acadia pounded the Aces 9-0 and then went on to win 9 of their next 10 outings. 

"What was said won't leave the room, its not for anyone else to know but suffice to say that some of our big guns stood up and challenged the rest of the team," said veteran defenceman Jacob Trouba. 

That night, Acadia outshot Vegas 59-8 and eight skaters had at least two points, lead by Mikko Rantanen who ended the evening with 3 goals and 2 more assists. After the lopsoded win, the team began steadily climbing the standings eventually turning the chase for first place into a two-horse race with Fredericton. The Bears secured the top spot with a couple of games left in their schedule. 

"Our goaltending was dialed in, you know we leaned heavily on Logan Thompson at times this year but when called upon, Tristan Jarry was also very good for us," said head coach Dave Hakstol. "I think having the confidence in our goalies meant guys were willing to attack more than we have in the last few years."

Acadia's top two lines were dominant, almost on alternating nights with the occasional outing where everyone was firing on all cylinders. Rantanen and Brandon Hagel both smashed through the 100-point plateau, the first time a Bears skater has managed that since the "juiced puck" season of 2012-13. The linemates both finished with 103 points, the Finnish star also managed 50 goals which is the only time in franchise history outside of Jordan Eberle's 70 back in...you guess it, 2012-13.

Chris Kreider scored 43 times, his 4th straight +40 goal campaign.

It was also a career year for Brock Boeser, reaquired in the off season by Acadia from Havana at the expense of a trio of 1st round picks. Boeser notched 40 goals and 84 points, better than his previous career highs of 30 goals and 61 points. 

The most obvious improvement to the team has come from the blueline with offensive production never seen before in Acadia. Colton Parayko's 74 points was almost double his previous career best and his 23 goals easily outshone the 10 he scored last season. Brock Faber took another step forward with 61 points while Dylan Samberg and Mikey Anderson both totaled 32 points, new personal records for both of them as well. Having Jakob Chychrun for the entire season was another bonus especially considering he too outscored any campaign that he'd previously had in Havana. 

"There is a level of confidence within out dressing room that I haven't seen for a while, definitely not since we got to the finals a couple of years ago," said Parayko, "It's the kind of confidence that only winning can create. You might feel like you have a strong team and that you have a good chance of winning but until you do and you start racking up lengthy winning streaks like we did a couple of times this year, you don't know what real confidence is. Right now we feel like we can beat anyone."

"ANYONE"

Bear Tracks 

• Acadia will face the Vancouver Island Norsemen in the opening round of the playoffs. The Bears swept all three meetings during the season series by 4-2, 5-3 and 4-2 scores.   
• Bears prospect Rieger Lorenz helped lead the University of Denver Pioneers to a record 11th National NCAA Championship. It was the second national championship victory for Denver during Lorenz's time with the program. He was Denver's top scoring forward this season with 35 points through 43 games.
• The Everett Silvertips have reached the WHL's western conference final which means that both Carter Bear and Luke Vlooswyk are in the league's final four. The Silvertips eliminated the Kelowna Rockets in 5 games thus ending the playoffs for Carson Wetsch and Parker Alcos although both will return in 5 weeks as the Rockets host the CHL's Memorial Cup. 
• Max Heise and the Prince Albert Raiders are also still vying for WHL supremacy as they prepare to face the Medicine Hat Tigers in the Eastern conference final.
• Defenceman Spencer Gill of the Blaineville-Boisbriand Armada are still alive in the QMJHL playoffs as is netminder Lucas Beckman who has backstopped Chicoutimi to the QMJHL's final four.
• Both of Acadia's USHL based prospect are still playing as well; Cooper Simpson in Youngstown and Mason West for Fargo.
• The NCAA transfer portal is open and a few Acadia prospects have entered their names. Miguel Marques has left Maine to play next season with Northeastern. Defenceman Malte Vass goes from Boston University to New Hampshire. Power forward Cade Littler is headed to Arizona State after two years at North Dakota. Goaltender Alexis Cournoyer will dress for Wisconsin next season after an impressive campaign with Cornell.