The Sarnia Legionnaires close out their regular season home schedule tonight with a game against the arch-rival Strathroy Rockets.
Here's a preview of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League contest:
WHO – Sarnia Legionnaires (20-22-6) vs. Strathroy Rockets (34-13-1)
WHERE – Sarnia Arena, 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 18
SIGNIFICANCE – The Legionnaires can still finish in sixth in the nine-team Western Conference. Currently, they are tied with St. Thomas for that spot. Strathroy is trying to nail down second place.
WHOSE HOT:
Strathroy – Right-winger Chris Bodo has 11 points in his last five games, including six goals and five assists.
Sarnia – Captain Tyler Cicchini has seven points in his last five outings, including six goals and a helper.
SUSPENSIONS – Sarnia will be without forward Chase Clark and defenceman Jordan Leyser, who are both suspended. Clark will be back Saturday when the team closes out the regular season in Forest, but Leyser must sit until the Western Conference playoffs begin in about a week.
TACTICS – Sarnia must stay out of the penalty box to have a realistic chance of winning. That's because the Rockets have the best powerplay in the entire 25-team league, with a success rate of more than 26 per cent. The Legionnaires are in the middle of the pack (13th place) with a success rate of just under 19 per cent.
LAST OUTINGS – The Legionnaires lost 4-2 in St. Marys while the Rockets won 7-2 at home against the Lambton Shores Predators.
ROAD WARRIORS – Strathroy is an impressive 15-9-0 on the road, while Sarnia is 12-10-2 in the Brock Street Barn.
HISTORY – Strathroy is a perfect 5-0 against Sarnia this campaign. A couple of the games were decided by one goal.
SPECIAL EVENTS -- This is fan appreciation night and there will be many special draws and giveaways. The game will take Legionnaire attendance over the 30,000 mark for the second year in a row and this is the club's way of thanking its supporters.
McDonalds employees will be on hand holding a special draw on two Toronto Maple Leafs tickets, with all proceeds going to the Ronald McDonald House of Southwestern Ontario. This is also the last chance for fans to use up regular season flex pass tickets
