EC3 PLAYOFF PREVIEW: Seven Years Waiting, Best of Seven Awaits
Erie, Pennsylvania – Otters Nation, it is FINALLY playoff time! Once a faraway thought, the Ontario Hockey League playoffs are now on our doorstep and the Erie Otters are taking on the Kitchener Rangers in a best-of-seven series.
The Otters will play the first two games away at Kitchener, as round one for Erie will begin on Friday with a 7 P.M. start, and game two on Sunday at 2 P.M.
Following the conclusion of the road opening portion of the series, Erie will host Kitchener on Tuesday, April 2 and Thursday, April 4; with both games getting underway at 7 P.M.
If a best-of-four winner is not decided in the opening four games, the series will shift to if-necessary territory, starting on Friday, April 5 at 7 P.M. in Kitchener for game five*, back to Erie on Monday, April 8 at 7 P.M. for game six*, and returning to Kitchener on Tuesday, April 9 at 7 P.M. for the (if necessary) winner-take-all game seven*.
It’s been a long time coming, but it is finally here!
FREE TUITION IS IN BLOOM
The new class of EC3 was welcomed with free Tuition in February – but now is the time to look ahead to the Mid-Spring Session!
With flexible online and in-person educational opportunities all across Erie County, EC3 is working to educate around your schedule. If you’ve ever asked yourself “Is an associate’s degree or certificate worth it?” — the answer is a resounding “yes!” Whether your goal is to increase your employable skills in the short term or build toward a more advanced degree in the long term, an associate’s degree or certificates can serve as a stepping stone both academically and professionally.
It’s not too early to apply! For more information on Erie County Community College of Pennsylvania – including their free Spring Tuition – head to EC3PA.org.
KNOW YOUR HISTORY
The Otters are going into playoffs with a five-game win streak; their most recent win coming over the Kitchener Rangers. The Rangers, seeded fourth in the OHL playoffs, finished their regular season with a six-game losing streak after closing out their season with a 4-3 OT loss from your Erie Otters. Martin Misiak’s fifth goal in five games would earn him the heroic status.
Erie and Kitchener haven’t met each other in the OHL playoffs since 2005 when the Rangers took the series after six games. The Otters had taken the first two games of that series to overtime and won, but fell in the next four. This has been the only time the two teams have ever met in the OHL post-season since the franchise’s move to Erie.
Looking back on this season’s series with Kitchener, the Otters are 2-2-2 against the Canadian team, winning both of the most recent games.
HEAD TO HEAD
“Overtime” seems to be the name of the game when these two teams meet, with three of their six games going into extra time.
Their first meeting of the season, all the way back in October, was a 5-4 OT victory by the Rangers in the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium. Both Martin Misiak and Malcolm Spence logged a goal and an assist in the game to send it into a fourth period.
The second time these teams met was less fortunate for Erie, with the Otters on the wrong side of a 10-3 game at The Aud. Again, it would be Martin Misiak to find the back of the net for Erie.
It would be another overtime game in their third meeting – first at the Erie Insurance Arena – and the Rangers would take this one 5-4.
Erie and Kitchener’s fourth meeting, their first of the new year, was a 6-2 win in favor of the Rangers on home ice.
The tides would begin to turn for Erie in the last two games of the Kitchener series, and they would find their first win in February with a dominant 6-1 decision. Alternate captain Carey Terrance would record two goals in this game and goaltender Jacob Gibbons would have a 25-save night for his first win of the season.
In the final meeting between these two teams – and the final regular season game for both – the Otters would once again be victorious in yet another overtime game. The Otters would score three unanswered goals in regulation to pull ahead 3-2, but a Kitchener goal halfway through the third period would tie the game up and send it into extra time. Martin Misiak would strike gold with just over ninety seconds left in overtime play to end the regular season on a high and send the Erie Insurance Arena into an uproar.
TIME TO (WATCH) PARTY:
While the first two games may be up north, you can still support your Otters and have fun doing it. Voodoo Brewing Co. will be hosting a watch party for Game One, with $5 drafts of “Empty Calories” American Lager AND $5 Playoff “Voutine” (Voodoo’s Poutine) for Otters fans! With no cost to enter, it will be the only way to watch the game for free, and just like at the EIA, there will be a t-shirt toss during an intermission.
What better atmosphere or way to see the Otters play in their first post-season game in seven years!
WHO TO WATCH
Alternate captain Carey Terrance was the Otters’ top goal-scorer with 29 goals to his name in the regular season. Along with his 29 goals, the center in his junior season with Erie has 23 assists under his belt to bring his regular season point total to 52. While Carey missed the final few games for Erie, expectations are for the Ducks prospect to return for round one.
While Erie has no shortage of talented skaters on the roster, none have been hotter on the ice than Pano Fimis. With 20 points (8G+12A) in his last 12 games played, Fimis has been raining points across the ice and is the Otters’ points leader with 76 (25G+51A). His line alongside Sam Alfano and Dylan Edwards has been the Otters’ hottest-scoring line during the final weeks of the year. On the Kitchener side, right-winger and Kraken prospect Carson Rehkopf is one to watch out for. With 52 goals and 43 assists for a combined 95 season-total points, Rehkopf is the Rangers’ top-scorer. Before Saturday’s game against the Otters, Rehkopf was on a four-game point streak with two goals and four assists.
In the crease for the Otters, Ethan Fraser has been rock solid. Though a late acquisition to the Erie roster, in his 10 games played Fraser has picked up six wins, including a huge 5-0 shutout against the Flint Firebirds. Fraser boasts a .904 SV% and just 2.96 GAA. Fraser’s success in net has been an enormous relief for the Otters since the injury of star-goaltender Ben Gaudreau in late January. Gaudreau, with 21 wins in 35 games played since his trade to Erie from the Sarnia Sting, left big shoes to fill with his injury, but Ethan Fraser and the rest of the Otters goaltenders were more than ready to step up to the task. On the opposite side of the ice, Rangers’ goaltender Jackson Parsons has been instrumental in Kitchener’s success this season. In 51 games played, Parsons notched 27 wins – including four shutouts – enroute to an .897 SV% and a 2.99 GAA.
AROUND THE ARENA
When the Erie Otters return home for games three and four – hopefully having stolen at least one on the road! – it’ll be a return to form for the Erie Insurance Arena. The first home playoff game in seven years will be ushered in on Tuesday, April 2 at 7 P.M. in a big way, with the first 2000 fans in the arena receiving their very own DEFEND THE DEN gold rally towels (pres. by Rebich Investments). Fans are encouraged to bring them back for game four on Thursday, April 4 at 7 P.M. – and game six on Monday, April 8 at 7 P.M. (if necessary) – as Erie truly looks to DEFEND THE DEN.
The ever-popular balloon & light displays from Rubber Ducky Balloon Designs will be brought back for Erie’s first two home playoff games as well. Get your photo and show off your Otters’ pride in front of the beautiful display.
HOW TO WATCH, LISTEN, & FOLLOW ALONG
WATCH:
“OHL Live” is the Ontario Hockey League’s broadcast home on CHL TV! OHL Live delivers a high-quality viewing experience while providing access to more than 700 OHL games streamed across a range of platforms including:
- PC and/or Tablet on Safari and Google Chrome web browsers
- iOS / Android mobile devices.
- Amazon Fire
- Apple TV
- Roku platforms
For less than $2/game, OHL Live provides live game action all season long, plus free-to-access video-on-demand content and a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate. For more information, head to watch.chl.ca/ohl!
NEW to the Erie Otters for the 2024 Playoff Run, all away games will also be livestreamed on the team’s Facebook page. The stream will be video for pregame/intermission/post-game coverage, but due to licensing agreements, will be audio-only during game play. This is a terrific way to easily tune in to the highest-quality Otters-centric broadcast of the game. Video Highlights with the Otters Radio Network call will be shown during the UPMC Health Plan & UPMC Hamot intermission reports.
LISTEN:
Listen to Otters Hockey all across Lake Erie on the league’s largest radio network! The Otters Radio Network gives fans the most-accessible and highest-quality way to experience every moment of Otters’ game night – from pregame to postgame.
Every game can feel like a home game as a fan with the Otters Radio Network. With live-game broadcasts of all 68 Regular Season games, fans can always hear the action as it happens. Thanks to the Broadcast Home for Otters Hockey, iHeart Media Erie, fans can listen to every game LIVE on the iHeart App from ANYWHERE in the world! From Pennsylvania to Transylvania and everywhere in between, you’ll always be in range to hear Otters Hockey.
The Otters Radio Network is larger than ever before on terrestrial & digital radio – from Southeast Michigan to Southwest New York!
- iHeart Media (Erie, PA) is the Flagship Station for the Otters on WJET 1400 AM, and home to Otters Hockey in Pennsylvania. Games can be heard on terrestrial radio on 96.7 FM/1400 AM in Erie and surrounding communities of NWPA, or can be livestreamed worldwide on the iHeart App.
- Media One Radio Group – Ohio (Ashtabula, OH) is home to Otters Hockey in Ohio on ESPN 970 WFUN. Games can be heard on terrestrial radio on 970 AM in Ashtabula and surrounding communities of Northeast Ohio and NWPA, or can be livestreamed worldwide on WFUN’s website.
- Media One Radio Group – New York (Jamestown, NY) is home to Otters Hockey in New York State on Legends 1340 WKSN. Games can be heard on terrestrial radio on 1340 AM in Jamestown and surrounding communities of Southwest New York and NWPA, or can be livestreamed worldwide on WKSN’s website.
- ESPN Radio Michigan Regional Sports Network (Flint, MI) is home to Otters Hockey in Michigan. Games can be livestreamed worldwide on MRSN’s website.
Fans can also listen to the game on any of the Otters’ four radio-homes on the Listen Live page. The Otters Hockey Pregame Show starts 20 minutes prior to puck drop, hosted by the Voice of the Otters, Shawn Bednard.
Make sure to tune in weekdays from 11 A.M. to 5 P.M. on Fox Sports 1330, Happi 92.7 FM, WERG 90.5 FM, 106.3 FM WCTL, Kinzua County 104.3 FM (Warren, PA), Channel 98.9 FM & Sunny 105.7 FM (Corry, PA), FOX Sports Radio Oil City 1120 & 104.1 FM (Oil City), ESPN 970 WFUN (Ashtabula, OH), WKSN 1340 AM & WQFX 103.1 (Jamestown, NY), and ESPN Radio MRSN (Flint, MI) to hear the ‘Otters Daily Update’, giving you all the insight on your Otters.
FOLLOW ALONG
If you want to follow along in-real-time to the weekend’s games, make sure you’re following the Otters on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. From live tweets of the action, scoring updates, photos, and highlights, Otters’ social media is the best way to keep up with the team wherever they are.
UP NEXT
What’s next? Who is to say just yet. If Erie is able to upset the Kitchener Rangers, they will wait to see who they will take on from the remaining pool in the second round. The OHL Playoffs are reseeded every round to always have the highest seed take on the lowest-remaining seed. However, in what is expected to be a ferocious divisional battle, it’s much too early for either team to have a thought about round two.
All Erie knows for sure that is on the horizon is the 2024 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection Draft, with Erie’s draft coverage presented for the second-straight season by Voodoo Brewing Company – Erie Pub. The Voodoo Brewing Draft Weekend (pres. by Voodoo Brewing Co.) will kick off at 7 P.M. on Friday, April 12 with rounds 1-3, and conclude on Saturday, April 13 in the afternoon with rounds 4-13.
Stay Informed:
Keep up-to-date with the latest Erie Otters news by visiting OttersHockey.com, or follow along on social media with the Otters Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
About Rebich Investments:
Rebich Investments takes a “client-first approach” when it comes to serving the financial needs of its clients. Their services cover all areas of wealth management, from investment and retirement planning to risk mitigation strategies and issues surrounding estate planning. Rebich Investments specializes in helping its clients develop a comprehensive, cohesive financial strategy that fits their unique needs and enables them to pursue both short-and long-term goals. The 2024 Erie Otters playoffs are proudly presented by Rebich Investments.
About the Erie Otters:
The Erie Otters are an Ontario Hockey League (OHL) team based in Erie, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1996, the Otters have a rich history of excellence both on and off the ice. The team is committed to creating memorable experiences for its fans and contributing to the growth and well-being of the Erie community.
For further information on the Erie Otters and for media inquiries, please contact Shawn Bednard at [email protected].
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