The final push for the Playoffs begin this week. Four games separate the Orlando Solar Bears from the end of the season. Whether that means the Playoffs or the end of the season is up to the Solar Bears, well not entirely.
Orlando sits four points behind the suddenly resurgent Kalamzoo Wings for eighth place with the Elmira Jackals tied with them with 77 points. Orlando still has one game in hand on those two teams but will need help to reach the postseason.
The Solar Bears will also have to find their shot. And even a little bit more.
The final four games will be against the rival Florida Everblades, a team that has clinched a Playoff berth, but is still fighting for home ice advantage. The Everblades have defeated the Solar Bears in seven of the 10 meetings so far.
It is a tall task. And it gets taller when looking at the wall standing between the pipes. That would be Anthony Peters.
Peters is eighth in the league in goals against average, giving up 2.19 goals against per 60 minutes. The Solar Bears have scored 18 goals against Peters in eight games — a little more than two per game. Where the Solar Bears have struggled is stopping the Everblades from scoring themselves.
The Solar Bears have a tall task ahead of them to close this season.
“I think we have to get more traffic at the net,” coach Anthony Noreen said after the Solar Bears’ 4-3 loss to the Everblades last Wednesday. “I thought we had as many good looks as we have against that goaltender. With a guy like that, it helps to get to him early. You just got to get traffic to the net front and score those ugly, gritty goals. When you do that, that opens up the space to score the pretty ones.”
This was before the Solar Bears traveled to South Carolina and took on the Stingrays’ difficult duo of goalies. They were able to crack Vitek Vanacek with four first-period goals, holding on for a 5-4 victory in overtime after losing the lead.
A good goalie can save that time too. And that is the challenge Orlando is going up against these last few games.
The Solar Bears’ tandem of goalies in Rob Madore and Ryan Massa have had up and down seasons. Madore, the veteran of the two, has posted a 3.06 goals against average and 91.4 percent save percentage while Massa, a rookie, has posted a 2.90 goals against average and 91.5 percent save percentage. They have each had their moments and their struggles throughout the season. As has the defense in front of them.
Last week’s game against Florida saw Orlando make several key mistakes trying to exit the defensive zone that cost the team goals almost directly. Around those moments though, the Solar Bears seemed to be the more aggressive team. For the most part, they are playing some of their best hockey of the season.
They are doing a better job getting traffic in front of the net and passing the puck around the zone. There have been hiccups as the Solar Bears finish the season with a difficult stretch of games with those aforementioned strong goalies. But that is the task in front of them.
Getting past them and into the Playoffs will be the most difficult task. The Solar Bears will have something of a four-game Playoff matchup with the Florida Everblades to close the season. They will need to win those four remaining games.
And they will have to beat a pretty good goalie and a tough team with a lot to play for to get there. The task is not easy.
“I think just taking it one game at a time and getting in would be good,” T.J. Foster said. “That’s the goal right now is just win the next game. We have to play one game at a time and focus on that and see how the cards fall.”
