The Cambridge RedHawks are banking on the idea that the playoffs represent a fresh start.
Winners of just one of their final 11 regular season games, they'll look to turn things around when they travel to Elmira to face off against the Sugar Kings in Game 1 of their first round Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League Midwestern Conference playoff series on Wednesday.
Game 2 goes Saturday at Galt Arena Gardens at 7 p.m.
Elmira closed the season in third place with a 32-16-0-2 record and Cambridge finished in sixth with a record of 21-25-3-1.
The two teams have met six times so far this season, with Cambridge putting together a 2-2-1-1 record.
While that may shake out to just two wins in six games, all six were decided by one goal and three went to overtime or a shootout.
Offensively, the RedHawks will lean heavily on local forward Matt Fries who led the team with 25 goals and 29 assists for 54 points in 50 games.
On the backend, Waterloo defenceman Owen Yagar amassed 40 points and Cambridge's Jack D'Arcy put together a 21-point rookie campaign.
Leland Gill has carried the bulk of the load in net, posting a 13-14-2 record to go along with a 3.14 goals against average and .902 save percentage.
Full series schedule:
Game 1: March 6 in Elmira at 7:15 p.m.
Game 2: March 9 in Cambridge at 7 p.m.
Game 3: March 10 in Elmira at 4:30 p.m.
Game 4: March 12 in Cambridge at 7 p.m.
Game 5: March 13 in Elmira at 7:15 p.m.
Game 6: March 16 in Cambridge at 7 p.m.
Game 7: March 17 in Elmira at 7 p.m.
*if necessary.