BISMARCK, N.D. — For the past few seasons, the Bismarck Bobcats have gone as far as Game 60. The Bobcats, who clinched a 2022 playoff berth in their last meeting but fell just short a year ago due to a tiebreaker, were focused on consistency heading into this season. As a result of focusing on every point, it took Bismarck just 52 games to qualify for his NAHL playoffs.
“Being able to play good hockey through 60 games is a big key, especially considering how tough our division is,” head coach Reign Sedevi said. “We played really well in the second half as well. We won nine straight games and got points from 14 games, but then we dropped one game and won six straight again. So if we can play that well, we will be better than we have been in the past two years. It will be a different situation.”
“That was our goal this year,” forward Patrick Johnson added. “We don't put ourselves in those situations and obviously clinch early. We've been talking about it since the beginning of the year and we've had it in the back of our minds all year. I'm just telling all the players how important each game is and how important every point is.”
This Bobcats team feels that their depth will not only be a key to winning this postseason, but also an advantage.
“We have strengths up and down the lineup,” forward Mathieu Bourgaud said. “I think we have some really good young players and we have some really good old guys. We're pretty complete. And I think our team chemistry will really help here. We all get along really well. We needed to really solidify our team here.”
“There are four lines to roll,” Sedevie adds. “Our defense is really solid. We have seven veteran defensemen on the back end who can all play, and two goaltenders who have been solid and have split almost every game. They've been between the pipes for quite some time. That hasn't happened. I feel like we're a well-rounded group.”
Bismarck begins its quest for the Robertson Cup this week against the Aberdeen Wings in the Central Division semifinal round. The Bobcats faced the Wings 12 times in the regular season, defeating Aberdeen in 10 of those times.
“You play all 60 games against the same team, so as you play against them you get to know them inside and out,” Johnson said. So obviously you're doing a movie and you're just gaming the system based on what they're trying to do and stuff like that. So in this series, we've put together all the little things you should try and prepare for this weekend. ”
The Bobcats open the postseason on Friday at home against the Wings in Game 1 of a best-of-five series.
