There was a time during the Chinook Hockey League season when head coach Jason Stephens wasn’t overly concerned if the Sylvan Lake Admirals had home ice advantage in the playoffs.
“We were struggling at home and we were better on the road,” he said. “But the last month we turned that around and home is where we want to be.”
Which is good because the Admirals head into the best-of-seven provincial senior AAA hockey semifinals against the Stony Plain Eagles with home-ice advantage.The series opens tonight at 8:30 p.m. in Sylvan Lake.
The teams tied for third place in the CHL with 28 points, but the Admirals earned the higher standings for the provincials thanks to one more win.
They finished at 14-10-0-0 while the Eagles were 13-9-0-2.
The Eagles finished the season with more offence — 107 goals to 94 — but the Admirals had the better defence, allowing 88 goals compared to 106 by the Eagles.
But the Eagles did hold an advantage over Sylvan Lake in the regular schedule, winning three of the four meetings and losing in overtime in the fourth.
“We had some trouble with them, but that was earlier,” said Stephens, who has added a pair of players at the Feb. 10 deadline in goaltender Nathan Deobald and forward Jevon Desautels.
The 28-year-old Deobald played one game with Moose Jaw in the Western Hockey League but spent most of his junior career — two years — in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. He played one year at SAIT and played four games with the University of Calgary.
The six-foot-three, 215-pound Desautels played five years with Spokane in the WHL and five years with the U of C. He was a fourth-round pick by the Washington Capitals in 2002.
“We feel they upgrade our team,” said Stephens. “We felt we needed a little more scoring punch and Jevon is a big strong forward. Deobald gives us more depth in goal. Plus we do have some other affiliated players.”
The Admirals appear to have two solid netminders in Jordan McLauchlin and Jordan Ramstead.McLauchlin was a second-team CHL all-star while Ramstead shut out the Lloydminster Border Kings 3-0 in the opening round of the CHL playoffs. Lloydminster did win the series 2-1 with the Admirals win coming at home.
The addition of the 27-year-old Desautels gives the Admirals added size up front to go with former Red Deer Rebel Cody Esposito, who had a great season with 19 goals and 25 points in 22 games.
“Cody is a power forward who anchors our power play (with six goals),” said Stephens. “His size is key on the power play and in front of the net. In the playoffs special teams are important.”
The fact the series rotates between Sylvan Lake and Stony Plain is something that Stephens feels takes away from the home-ice advantage.
“I’ve always felt that. If we were playing the first two games at home then you could build some momentum. As it is if you win the opener they can get the momentum right back in the second game. And if you happen to lose that first game then things could really go against you.
“The thing is, no matter what, to get off to a good start.”
Kurtis Ross led the Admirals during the season with 27 points, including 19 assists in 24 games.
First-team all-star forward Justin Cox led the Eagles with 15 goals and 21 assists in 18 games.
The second game of the series goes Saturday in Stony Plain with the third Feb. 24 at 8:30 p.m. at Sylvan. Game 4 is Feb. 25 in Stony Plain with the fifth and seventh games — if necessary — in Sylvan on March 3 and 7. If a sixth game is needed it’s March 4 in Stony Plain.
The other series sees the Bentley Generals facing Horse Lake, who beat the Fort Saskatchewan Chiefs 2-1 in their playoff series. Bentley opens at home on Sunday at 2 p.m. with the second game Monday at 2 p.m. at the Red Deer Arena.
If the two Central Alberta teams should win their series it would make for a great final, says Stephens.
“It would be fantastic,” he said. “Great for the teams, the fans and Central Alberta overall. But that’s something to think about down the road.”
• In all-star voting Bentley goaltender Scott Galenza and defenceman Joe Vandermeer were on the first team along with Lloydminster defenceman Griffin Nyren and forward Aaron Foster and Bryan Forslund of Fort Saskatchewan.
The second team sees Bentley’s Don Morrison and Dallas Fallscheer and Trevor Read of Lloydminster on defence and Sean Robertson of Bentley, Travis Clayton of Lloydminster and Bobby Coles of Carstairs at forward.
drode@www.reddeeradvocate.com