Barons and Bobcats to battle

The Sudbury Nickel Barons got one pre-playoff crack at a rejigged system the team will roll out in the post-season, and it wasn't all bad.

Playing just their third game without the services of league-leading scorer Sebastien Leroux and with a few adjustments in place to compensate for it, the Barons managed to upend the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners 6-3 in their regular-season finale.

Leroux is likely to miss the remainder of the 2012-2013 season with a broken wrist sustained last Wednesday in a 4-0 loss to the Soo Thunderbirds.

“Obviously, we can't replace Seb,” said head coach Dave Clancy after the game. “He brings a lot to the table. We're going to stick with changing our game a little bit to simplify things.”

The approach seemed in order against the Gold Miners as Sudbury scored twice in each and every period, securing third place in the NOJHL final standings and finalizing a first-round playoff matchup with the Elliot Lake Bobcats.

Martin Jolicoeur scored twice in leading the way for the Barons, with Bradley Bell, David Lazarus, August Jarecki and Darcy Haines adding one goal apiece.

Haines also picked up a pair of assists, finishing the season just one point back of Leroux in the race for the NOJHL scoring title.

Dustin Jesseau, Jean-Michel Naud and Jean-Francois Sylvestre answered for Kirkland Lake, who now draw the Blind River Beavers as their first-round playoff opponent.

Despite third and fourth place swinging in the balance with the outcome of the game, Clancy was not terribly concerned.

“I wasn't really worried which place we ended up. There's pros and cons to both of them.”

But with Elliot Lake now firmly entrenched, standing between the Barons and a trip to the NOJHL semifinals, Clancy will focus on the keys to winning the upcoming series.

“We have to get in on the forecheck against them,” said Clancy. “They have big, tall defencemen. We want to get in quickly, make them turn and put a lot of pressure on them.”

The Barons and Bobcats will open their best-of-seven affair in Copper Cliff Saturday with a 7:30 p.m. puck drop at the McClelland Arena.

Game 2 goes March 18 at 7:30 p.m. in Elliot Lake, with Game 3 back on home ice for the Barons March 20.