How they got here:

St. Lawrence took game one Friday night in front of a strong, boisterous crowd of 1524 patron. The Saints used a strong start and strong goaltending to propel them to the 2-0 victory. You can read more about game one here.

Special teams: The Bobcats had their fair share of chances on the power play in game one, but could not find the back of the net. Quinnipiac, who struggled earlier in the season, has been lights out on the man-advantage as of late. Expect the Bobcats to try to emphasize more screens in front of the Saints’ goaltender Kyle Hayton and look to get a multitude of pucks on net rather than looking for the extra pass.

Goaltending: St. Lawrence rang two posts in the first four minutes to play Friday night, but as the night went on Quinnipiac goaltender Andrew Shortridge began to look more and more comfortable in net. Shortridge continues to build off a very strong beginning to his postseason career after allowing two goals in total last weekend against Brown. However, St. Lawrence’s Hayton continues to put Quinnipiac on the fritz, shutting them out in the past three meetings. I think it is especially important for the Bobcats to score first tonight. It would allow them to settle in, silence the crowd, and gain confidence against Hayton.

Players to watch in game two:

Brosh:

Scott Davidson: Without an uncharacteristic zero goals on the season, I think Davidson finally gets one tonight. He seems to be right on the cusp of cracking one under the crossbar, and his ability to hit the boards hard and cause havoc in the offensive zone is still there. Davidson came up big for the Bobcats last year in the ECAC Hockey Playoffs and I expect the same tonight.

Kevin McKernan: I thought McKernan was one of the strongest skaters for the Bobcats Friday night, after missing the last three games of the season. Besides a turnover in the first, it seemed like the defenseman had his hands on all the big scoring opportunities for the Bobcats, sometimes even leading the rush. McKernan doesn’t light the lamp often, but when he does it’s usually in big time situations. 

Clouts:

Kyle Hayton: It’s pretty tough to not choose the best player on the ice from game one.  Hayton made 32 saves to extend his shutout streak against the Bobcats this season.  Last night he was easily the most comfortable player on the ice, and the home crowd advantage only helped this outstanding goaltender.  The Bobcats need to try and make him uncomfortable if they ever want to break through this brick wall.

Craig Martin: The Bobcats need scoring terribly, because this team is as snake bit as it comes when matched up against St. Lawrence.  Since Brosh took Davidson, then I am going to take the other Trail boys.  Martin is tied for the third most points on the Bobcats, and they are going to need him to produce tonight if they want to send this to the game three finale.  Martin is going to be especially important on the power play. He’s pivotal on the right side of the umbrella, and if he and Priskie can split the penalty kill’s box with passes, expect Hayton to become exposed.

Predictions:

Brosh: I have told my mother all week not to expect me home until Monday. Quarterfinal series always seems to go three, and even though St. Lawrence hasn’t allowed Quinnipiac to score a goal this season, They aren’t lighting the lamp all that often itself; posting just four goals over three games. The Bobcats are usually in a really good spot when they come out hungry and motivated, struggling when they come out sluggish. I think Quinnipiac comes out strong, strikes for a quick goal and pushes Hayton back into his net. Quinnipiac wins and forces game three, 3-1.

Clouts: Between the two teams, in game one there was 10 penalties in the game.  I expect this game to be another special teams battle, and another extremely physical game.  Appleton Arena is going to be another hostile environment, so I expect Hayton too comfortable in his cage once again.  If the Bobcats can rattle that cage then they have a strong chance of winning, but I’m not sure that’s the case, Saints win 3-0.