For the first time since lifting the Goodall Cup in 2014, The James Melbourne Mustangs are heading back to the AIHL finals. Their spot was confirmed, despite not collecting any points themselves, when the Sydney Ice Dogs failed to defeat the Melbourne Ice, giving the Mustangs an insurmountable lead over every team outside the top four. They now have a week to prepare themselves without the added pressure of must-win hockey. 

Inconsistent at home, it’s been their road form that has enabled the Mustangs to qualify for the upcoming finals. They are now on a three game winning streak on the road, and have earned points in their last nine games away from Melbourne. The Mustangs will be looking to maintain this good record and head into the finals in winning form when they travel to Sydney this weekend for the last two games of the 2017 regular season.

After a frustrating performance against the Perth Thunder last week, the Mustangs need to quickly tighten up certain aspects of their game. For one and half games, the sides were evenly matched, but that wasn’t enough to secure any points. In the first game, the Mustangs held the lead three times, before letting it slip in the final minute. While in the second encounter, after a tense first half where it was one goal apiece, the Mustangs gave up goals on consecutive power plays, and from there the Thunder took control of the game. If they are to be competitive in the finals, the team will need to stay focused right until the very end of every game and will need their penalty kill to be far more effective.

Luckily, the Mustangs have this weekend to fine tune their game in preparation for a tougher test the following week. Against both the Sydney Bears and Ice Dogs, they will be keen to demonstrate why they belong in the top four, with a repeat of their earlier efforts at the Macquarie Ice Rink. They are two from two in the building, fighting back from 4-2 down to defeat the Bears 6-4 in June, and holding on for a tight 2-1 win over the Ice Dogs only a couple of weeks ago.

Saturday will see the Mustangs aiming for a season sweep against the Bears, while on Sunday they face an Ice Dogs team who’ll be trying to square the season series at 2-all. The Sydney teams’ respective recent form has been quite different, as the Bears are returning from Adelaide with two victories, while the Ice Dogs suffered back-to-back losses at home to the Ice and Brave. Both teams will be looking to finish their season on a high note and, despite finishing outside the playoff positions, will not be an easy opponent. The Mustangs need to approach these games as precursor to the finals as, while the result isn’t quite as critical, it is far better to be in winning form when there are no second chances.

It may feel like we are currently playing the waiting game until next weekend, but these games are still important in their own right. The Mustangs need to use this last chance to bond together and become a cohesive unit. They need be at the top of their game, their offence needs to be flowing and the defence needs to hold firm, if they are to have any chance of claiming the Goodall Cup for the second time a week later.