Jr. A Player Poll: Assessing Playoff Threats

July 17th, 2008 by Lauren Ward

Towards the end of August there’s an event I’m pretty sure we’re all looking forward to. And then once our local Corn Fests are over it’s time to set sights on the most intense weekend in Jr. A lacrosse: the incomparable Minto Cup. There are a few steps between now and then, however, and now that it’s playoff time and the pressure is rising every team’s gotta be wondering who or what could possibly get in their way. Will it be a team that’s spent the season sitting in first place, or a team that got hot late? Is a bye always a blessing? And what province did the majority of the players predict would be the 2008 home to the Minto Cup? For these answers and more, including an intense set of caps lock comments, read on.

1. What type of team is most dangerous come playoff time? (Please note that with these answers you aren’t actually voting for Orangeville or Burlington, those are just examples. I’m looking at the difference between a team that’s had it all together all season, or a team that’s peaking in time for playoffs.)

A.	A team like Orangeville that’s been lights-out all season. What’s going to stop them now?	30.7%
B.	A team like Burlington that maybe didn’t have a huge regular season but is peaking at just the right time.	49.3%
C.	MY TEAM	20.0%

“Sure it’s great to have a strong finish, but Orangeville has been doin it all season, they know what it takes in every situation.”

“Depends on the team and what kind of character they have. Teams can dominate and continue to do so during playoffs, but a team that has tons of talent and dominates during the season but doesn’t have role guys can falter under pressure like playoffs.”

“A team that gels at the right time that has gone through adversity and has come through it will be more dangerous whereas a team that has breezed through the regular season then runs into some adversity during the post season may deal with it but they could also fail miserably. A team that gels at the right time will be able to cope with this adversity.”

“WE ARE THE BEST THERE IS, THE BEST THERE WAS AND THE BEST THERE EVER WILL BE.”

2. Is a bye into the semis like Coquitlam and Victoria have earned always a huge advantage?

A.	Yes. You’re guaranteed to go one step further than a lot of teams will.	48.0%
B.	Not always. Any momentum you had from the end of the season is gone.	52.0%

“Yeah everyone could use a little rest right now and let some other teams beat up on each other while you watch and relax.”

“It really depends if the coaches keep the players active enough.”

“Time to lick your wounds.”

“The problem I think would be the time off, you’re practicing while the team you’ll meet has already had a taste of playoffs and is in that mode already.”

“GIVES EVERYONE A GOOD REST AND ALLOWS TEAMS LIKE VIC TO GET THE SAND OUT OF THEIR [beeeeep].”

3. Do some teams (like Burnaby or the Edmonton Miners) seem to be able to play on a whole new level once the playoffs roll around?

A.	Yes. Some teams just know how to win and it shows in the playoffs	68.0%
B.	Nope. One team doesn’t hold an advantage over the others year in and year out.	24.0%
C.	Well yeah, because they stack up at the trade deadline.	8.0%

“There’s a certain air to these teams they just know how to win and when the post-season comes around they find that extra gear and are always dangerous.”

“Good teams play big in big games.”

“Again it depends, sometimes a team can get a couple bad breaks and then it’s a huge momentum thing, like the Miners saw last year…one big win and it went the other way.”

“Some teams know how to win but I think its coming to an end for both the teams mentioned this year.”

4. Which playoff format do you prefer: the seven game series in Ontario, or the five-gamers in BC?

A.	Five. Less room for error.	18.7%
B.	Seven. Might take a little longer but you can be sure the best team won.	81.3%

“Love the seven game format. Just wanna play as much as possible.”

“In 7 games the better team will prevail, and let’s face it there is nothing better than a game 7.”

“More lacrosse is better.”

“It shows the better team as well these longer series allow rivalries to build up and make games that much more fun to play in especially in a tight series.”

“Only thing about going 7 is being tired and beat up more for Minto.”

“LAX IS WAR.”

5. Do the Six Nations Arrows have a good shot at repeating?

A.	Not with the way they’ve been sliding lately	64.0%
B.	It’s a strong possibility. Jamieson and co. know how to get it done	20.0%
C.	Not if I can help it.	81.3%