Habs set to open playoffs tonight in La Broquerie – SteinbachOnline.com

There’s a special buzz in La Broqueire today as the Habs hockey team, as well as the community, anxiously await game 1 of the Capitol Region Junior Hockey League playoff series against Arborg, with puck drop set for 8:00 p.m at the HyLife Centre.

“It’s the best time of the year,” an excited Dan Taillefer said Monday afternoon. “We’re very excited, and we’re happy with our group going into playoffs here. I’d say at the start, we maybe got off a bit slow, but we really found our game maybe after that 10-game mark, and then we had a nice winning streak there, and we finished pretty strong here at the end of the year as well. So we’re excited for playoffs here to get going tonight.”

Areas of strength

Going into the game tonight, Taillefer says there are several key areas where he believes his team has an advantage. “I’d say kind of two areas. So the big one is, we actually had a really good power play and penalty kill this year. That’s a big part of our league. Special teams are a big reason if you’re going to win or lose games. Those are the areas we’ve been very happy with. We’re top of the league for both those categories, or close to, which is good. The other thing is that we also like our 5-on-5 game. As long as we’re working hard and we’re the hardest working team, we’re very hard to play against by one point.”

Different feeling

Compared to last year at this time, Taillefer says it’s a very different feeling, thanks in large part to how much the group has grown this season. “Last year was kind of a learning year, I guess, for everyone being here the first year. Expectations were kind of a bit lower because of that. Now, we’ve worked hard to put ourselves in a different situation this year. This year, we’re looking to go on a playoff run. We’re not going to be satisfied with just being in the playoffs and getting a couple of games. So we really do want to go on a run, and that’s kind of the mentality of our group, which is maybe a bit different.”

Home, sweet home

Tonight should have the HyLife Centre rocking, something Taillefer says he and the team greatly appreciate, and know the community supports them by showing up and being loud. “I get goosebumps just thinking about it,” he says with a smile. “We experienced last year a bit in the playoffs. Even during the regular season this year, our crowds are always great. We have a great turnout with people who are really cheering us on. It’s awesome to start at home. I know our team, our players are very excited.”

Heroes in the making

As a champion himself, Taillefer knows better than most that playoff time is one where legacies are built, and he’s looking forward to his team rising to the occasion. “Playoffs is where it matters,” he says with a smile. “It’s pretty cool to see different guys step up at different times. As a coaching staff, we’re excited to see who that’s going to be, and hopefully it’s our guys. We’re just very excited to get the playoffs going here.”