Windsor,ON- In one of the more intriguing and anticipated playoff series, the fourth-seeded Windsor Lancers begin their Queen’s Cup quest against the fifth-seeded Brock Badgers in the first round of the OUA playoffs.

After firing on all cylinders to start the season, they went 12-3 in the first fifteen games. Windsor has seen its team slip to just 15-13 to finish out the year; a dramatic slide away from a blazing start.

However, it is important to note that the adversity faced by the Lancers this season will undoubtedly pay dividends when the unpredictable playoffs kick off. Having been marred by injuries, controversies and tough games, the Lancers went 2-0 against Brock this season with goaltender Jonathan Reinhart being a big reason why Windsor fended off Brock this season.

While Reinhart led the entire league with a total of 829 saves, Windsor will also look towards playmaking defenceman Kody Gagnon to lead the Lancers through their first round matchup. Gagon  finished fourth in the league in assists, has also been a crucial piece to both the Lancers fourth-ranked power play and their fifth-ranked penalty kill. The Lancers relied heavily on Gagnon this season; something that might take a toll on him physically down the road. However, if he continues his strong play, the Lancers hopes of a deep playoff run will most likely come to fruition.

How they stack up:

Brock matched up well against Windsor this season, outshooting the Lancers in both of their meetings but failing to find a way to consistently solve Jonathan Reinhart. The Badgers will rely heavily on their top forwards Tyler Rollo, who leads the team with fourteen goals, and Christian Girhiny who leads the forward group with eighteen helpers.

Along with their own dynamic defenceman in Jordan Sambrook, Brock will look to these three players to help them navigate a tough and well-built Windsor team. With consistent scoring being in high demand, keep an eye on these three players as they try to guide the Badgers past one of the best goalies in the league.

Puck drop for game one is set for Wednesday, February 12th at 7:30 p.m. at Capri Pizzeria Recreation Complex with game two set for Friday, February 14th at 7:15 p.m. from the Seymour-Hannah Centre in St. Catherines. If necessary, game three goes Saturday, February 15th at Capri Ice Complex in Windsor.