Week 1 Playoffs: 5/15/10 - Preview

by Bill Kostkas

It’s now that time of the year. When one makes their way up to the asphalt of the Franklin rink, they’ll no longer have to see their breath when they exhale. Players and fans no longer have to wear multiple layers to keep warm in the harsh elements of western Pa. The weather has now seemed to cooperate more and more, and for the hardcore fan of the Franklin Hockey League, that automatically means that it’s playoff time. Saturday marks the beginning of the long journey each of the six teams began vying for back right before Christmas. 10:00 AM (6) Kings: 5-14 [25-45] vs. (3) Crosby's: 11-8 [42-38] Leading off the FHL’s heavy dose of playoff action will be third seeded Crosby’s hosting the sixth seeded Kings. Each team comes into the match-up with two similar stories. The Crosby’s come into Saturday having won three of its last four matches, while the Kings finished the final month with two wins and two losses. With that aside, the Corsby’s bring much more firepower than the Kings do. They feature the FHl’s third best scorer in Roy McDonald (27 goals.) McDonald also is fifth in the league in scoring with a total of 38 points. The highest ranking King in the three main scoring categories is Tom Sheetz, tied for seventh with three other players, with 15 goals. Anything other than a Crosby victory this weekend will certainly be something to remember for anyone not wearing a Crosby uniform. 11:30 AM (5) Bishop Boyle: 6-13 [25-42] vs. (4) Pirates: 9-10 [36-39] The second playoff series of the morning gives us a look at the four seeded Pirates and fifth seeded Boyle. This series is basically a coin flip, since not many players from either team is among the league’s top offensive players, which are dominated with guys from the Jets and the Moose, the top two teams in this year’s FHL Playoffs. A lot will be expected of Pirate Andrew McDonald in order to backup his offensive performances in the regular season. McDonald amassed 19 goals, enough for fourth in the FHL, and 44 points, also enough for fourth. Even more pressure will be on Boyle captain, Brian Grise who has not been as productive as his 2008-2009 season dictated. This is Grise’s chance to etch his name into FHL lore for good and silence all of his critics. The winners of the opening round advance to the second round next week to face either the top seeded jets or the second seeded Moose. The FHL reseeds after the first round ends.