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The Lakeshore Canadiens are hopping a little adversity will help carry the team a long way.
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The Canadiens rolled through regular-season play in the Bill Stobbs Division of the Provincial Junior Hockey League with just two losses in 32 games.
Getting to the club’s third title in a row saw the Canadiens pushed to six games in the final by the Essex 73’s after being extended to six games by the Wheatley Sharks in the semis.
“When you don’t face too much adversity, getting it now is better than not at all and especially battling through it,” Canadiens’ head coach Anthony Iaquinta said. “I think we learned a lot over the last two series. We’re still a young team and I’m taking it as a positive.”
Having lost the draw for home-ice advantage, the Canadiens will face a little more adversity as the club opens play in a best-of-seven Schmalz Cup quarter-finals series against the North Middlesex Stars.
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“You need some adversity here and there,” Canadiens’ forward Trevor LaRue said.
The Canadiens open on the road for Game 1 on Friday. The series shifts back to the Atlas Tube Center on Saturday for Game 2 with the Stars set to host Game 3 on Sunday.
“Three games in a row, there’s not much time for too many adjustments,” Iaquinta said. “Stick to what you’re good at.”
The offense has been good for the Canadiens and no player hotter than LaRue, who had two goals and three points in the series-clinching win over Wheatley and followed it with eight goals in six games against the 73’s including the game-winning goal to clinch the title in overtime of Game 6.
“He’s been pretty great for us and a leader,” Iaquinta said of LaRue, who has 17 goals and 25 points in 16 playoff games. “If you look at his numbers on him, it’s pretty impressive.”
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The 19-year-old LaRue, who plays on a line with older brother Eric LaRue and Dylan Weston, doesn’t like to talk about his scoring exploits.
“Everyone else thinks about it and talks about it,” said LaRue, who has four game-winning goals in Lakeshore’s 12 playoff wins thus far. “To me, I’m fortunate to score goals there, but you don’t look back on it. Clear your head and move on.”
He calls his brother an elite passer and Weston one of the hardest-working players he’s played with. While he’s happy to be scoring, he’s more concerned about winning.
“You like to score goals and it’s fun and all,” LaRue said. “It’s obviously a dream to play with my brother and I’m fortunate to have him and Dylan Weston as great linemates, but what I dream about more than goals is winning championships. I just wanted to do my part to win a championship.”
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