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Sunday, March 25, 2012

 

The Arsenault's Fish Mart Western Red Wings are hoping to add to those memories by dethroning their arch-rivals, Kensington Moase Plumbing and Heating Vipers, as Island Junior Hockey League champions.

 

The best-of-seven series opens in Kensington on Sunday at 1 p.m., with Game 2 in Abram-Village on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

 

"I told the boys they are going to have fun," said Red Wings head coach D'Arcy Hutchinson. "I think both barns will be packed, and there are going to be fans from both communities at all games."

 

Different roads

 

The teams took different roads to the final. While the Vipers disposed of the Charlottetown Abbies in a five-game semifinal series, the Red Wings needed overtime in Game 7 to eliminate the Sherwood A&S Scrap Metal Falcons.

 

"We've been kind of a run-and-gun team all year long," said Hutchinson, who captained the 1997 Hemphill Pontiac Western Capitals' Royal Bank Cup-winning team. "When we met Sherwood, and with them being as disciplined as they were, we had to learn a different type of game."

 

"They (Red Wings) buy into everything you ask."

 

Showed character

 

After winning the first two games against the Falcons, the Red Wings dropped the next three. The Red Wings rebounded to win Game 6, then overcame a 3-1 second-period deficit in Game 7 to take a 4-3 lead. Although the Falcons tied the game with just over a minute remaining in regulation time, veteran Red Wings team captain TJ Campbell scored the winning goal at 2:50 of overtime.

 

"He's (Campbell) in his third or fourth year with the team, and what a leader," said Hutchinson. "I remember early in the year we were trying to find our identity, and I had a good talk with the boys before a game. TJ was the guy who stepped it up then, and we kind of started rolling."

 

Final

 

Against the Vipers, Hutchinson is expecting a rough and physical series.

 

"We had some battles with them late in the year," he said. "I think two of our last four (regular-season) games were against Kensington."

 

"Every game against Kensington during the regular season were games that had a little buzz in the air and a little emotion. That was just in the regular season. In the playoffs, I'm expecting more than that."

 

When Hutchinson was told that there certainly appears to be some dislike between the two teams, he replied: "It wouldn't be a good hockey game unless the teams didn't like each other. There's a good rivalry going there."

 

With the Red Wings taking six of the 10 regular-season meetings from the Vipers, Hutchinson expects a long series.

 

"I'd be foolish if I said I wasn't," he said. "Pat (McIver, Vipers owner) has put together a good hockey, team and they are deep.

 

"JC (Gallant, Red Wings general manager) has done a heck of a job this year getting us the players. . . It's going to be a battle. I'm looking forward to it."