The last time the Sydney Ice Dogs appeared in the AIHL finals, “Shake it off” by Taylor Swift was the number 1 song in Australia and the internet was flooded by people taking part in the Ice Bucket Challenge.

It’s been four long years since we lost 6-4 to the eventual Goodall Cup champions, the Melbourne Mustangs in the 2014 semi-final, and only three players from that Ice Dogs team are still with the club today.

This year’s Ice Dogs team can’t change history, but they can write the next chapter! So let’s ‘Shake off’ that AIHL finals rust  and see how we can take a run at the Goodall Cup in 2018!

Locking down a top 4 spot

After a split weekend in Melbourne, the Ice Dogs are second on the AIHL ladder with 35 points, just one point ahead of the Perth Thunder and four points ahead of the Sydney Bears, who have one game in hand.

Historically, to make the AIHL Finals, teams need between 43-45 competition points, which means the Ice Dogs need at least 8-10 points from their final 8 games. Regulation wins will be key and it all starts this weekend when the Ice Dogs host the Perth Thunder at the Macquarie Ice Rink.

The Thunder can leapfrog the Ice Dogs with a regulation win or shoot out win, so getting the job done in 50 minutes will be key for the Ice Dogs. The Ice Dogs have one of the hardest run to the finals, of the 8 remaining games, the Ice Dogs will face the league leading CBR Brave four times.

The Brave are favourites to take out the minor premiership, they've only lost 4 games all season. However, it should be noted that all their losses were in regulation and the Brave are the only team in the league not to go to a shootout this year. On the other hand, the Ice Dogs have had five shootouts this season, with a record of 3 wins – 2 losses.

Battle lines

In an epic all Sydney match up, the Ice Dogs and Bears will go head to head on the 24th of August at Macquarie Ice Rink in the final Sydney Battle for 2018. The Ice Dogs lead the best of four series 2-1, however the only thing the Sydney clubs will  be fighting for is all three competition points.

The Bears find themselves in the top four for the first time this season and the Ice Dogs will need to be on top of their game if they want beat Bears goalie Anthony Kimlin, who shut the Ice Dogs out 5-0 in their last encounter.

The Great Wall of Skip

Net minder Curtis Skip has been a tower of power of the Ice Dogs in 2018. Appearing in 15 games, Skip has 10 wins, including 2 shu outs, both of which were recorded against the Adelaide Adrenaline on home ice.

Skip’s a proven performer on home ice and a quick break down of his home and away record back that up:

At Home - 6 wins, 2 losses, 93.8 save %

One the Road - 4 wins, 3 losses, 92.5 Save %

It shouldn’t come as any surprise that the young Canadian goalie has quickly become a fan favourite at the Macquarie Ice Rink. The Ice Dogs Loud Line have adopted the ‘Skippy the Bush Kangaroo” theme song and an inflatable kangaroo wearing an Ice Dogs jersey can usually be spotted in the main grandstand.

Big Guns Firing

The Ice Dogs are filling the net this season, with 71 goals. The team ranks third in the league in scoring and their goal differential of +13 is second only to the CBR Brave.

Fresh off scoring his 100th career AIHL goal, Canadian forward Geordie Wudrick has the hot stick for Ice Dogs. Wudrick has 42 points this season and sits second in the AIHL scoring race, 7 points behind the Perth Thunders Pier-Olivier Grandmaison.

Wudrick has won the AIHL scoring race once before, in 2015 with Newcastle Northstars when he scored a league record 91 points (44 goals, 47 assists).

Run to the Finals with a Flexi Pass

With just six home games to play in Season 2018, the Ice Dogs need their fans cheering all the way to the AIHL Finals.

The Best value ticket for the Run to the AIHL Finals is a 4 Game Flexi Pass – grab yours from the Ice Dogs Shop today!