Losing the last two games of the regular season wasn’t the momentum the Elmira Sugar Kings were looking for ahead of the GOJHL playoffs, but a pair of close games was perhaps preparation for what lies ahead.

Last weekend saw the team drop both matches by a score of 2-1, first to Cambridge and then to Listowel.

For head coach Scott McMillan, however, the weekend’s games were the result of teams going into them knowing the playoff seedings were already set.

“It felt almost like preseason. None of the teams had anything to play for. We had locked up fourth place on Friday when Ayr lost to Stratford. Cambridge was locked into third and Listowel was locked into sixth. So it was more like preseason where guys were just out there skating through – there was not a lot of emotion in either game,” he said.

Whatever the case, the Kings will now face the Ayr Centennials in the first round of the Midwestern Conference playoffs. Both teams ended up with 59 points, Elmira taking fourth place and home-ice advantage on the strength of one extra win during the season.

Elmira finished the season with a record of 29-20-1, while Ayr was 28-19-2-1.

If tight hockey is the norm in the playoffs, the Kings got a preview of that Saturday night in Cambridge. The sole scoring play of the first period put the Redhawks up 1-0, a lead they extended just 76 seconds into the middle frame. That would be enough to post the win.

The Kings got on the board at 14:35 of the second when Adam Grein scored on a power play, assisted by Dustin Good and Brock Reinhart, but that would be it for the scoring.

When the final buzzer sounded, shots were an even 26 apiece. The Kings went 1-2 with the man advantage, while the Redhawks had no power play opportunities. Elmira netminder Hayden Sabourin stopped 24 of the shots he faced.

It was something of a repeat performance Sunday afternoon at the WMC, where the Kings welcomed the Listowel Cyclones.

The opponent got on the board first, scoring the lone goal of the opening frame. The Kings managed to tie it up in the second when Chris Black scored at 9:24, with help from Taylor Bothwell and Jackson Heron, but Listowel replied just over four minutes later to make it 2-1.

That’s how the game would end, as again the third period was scoreless.

Shots were 27-26 in favour of the home team, which killed four penalties but never got the chance to go to the power play. Again, the Elmira goaltender – this time Daniel Botelho – stopped 24 in a losing cause.

The regular season done, the focus is now on the playoffs, which got underway Wednesday night in Elmira. Game three is set for Saturday at the WMC. Game time is 7 p.m.

Given that the teams met seven times in the season, the players know what to expect, said McMillan, noting his message is all about staying focused.

“Our focus in every game is just on us being our best. I think that’s still the focus, though it changes a little bit from the regular season, where your focus to be your best is about trying to find some energy and have the best effort you can have. Now, it’s more about not shrinking from the moment,” he explained. “With playoff hockey, the energy is not going to be a problem. The intensity is not going to be a problem. But now, it’s about not being overcome by the moment.”

The players know what’s at stake. The series can have only one winner.

“It just comes down to trying to stick to the game plan and not try to do too much, because now the consequences of the outcome are a lot higher.”