The Lincoln Stars can see the exit for the USHL playoffs on a long road in the distance. They've had a veteran group behind the wheel on the road to the postseason.
A total of eight Stars have reached 100-USHL games, including Keaton Peters, who reached the mark Friday as the Stars (30-18-3) hosted Sioux City at the Ice Box. Henry Nelson, who has played in 92 regular-season games for Lincoln, is expected to reach the milestone by season's end."
“When you hit your 100-game mark, it shows your longevity in the league and ability to be a successful player at the highest junior level in the country, which is certainly a tremendous accomplishment,” Lincoln head coach Rocky Russo said.
Then there is Tyler Dunbar, who was acquired by Lincoln earlier this season in a trade with Muskegon and is on pace to eclipse 200 USHL games. Dunbar has played in 193 USHL games, not including the playoffs.
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“Tyler has been a huge addition to our (defensive) core and brings a steady presence," Russo added. " He plays in all situations. … If you can have a guy that has playoff experience and understands what it takes to win is incredibly valuable.”
But with 11 games left and a magic number of three, the Stars are playing like they are already there.
Lincoln will officially secure a second consecutive playoff spot for the first time since the Stars made three straight appearances from 2011-13.
“We want to win as many games as we can down the stretch,” Russo, in his second season, said. “We want to be playing our best hockey as we enter the playoffs and we know that the opportunity to get a first-round bye is still within our reach. The message to our guys is we are playing playoff hockey now. We're not going to wait and try and elevate our game when the playoffs start. We want our game elevated now so we are comfortable playing in that situation.”
Both Western Conference opponents Fargo and Waterloo have already secured a playoff spot with Lincoln looking to become the third.
The top six teams of the Western and Eastern Conferences earn a playoff berth, with the top two teams from each conference receiving a first-round bye.
The Stars can clinch a playoff spot in a multitude of ways: A pair of victories Friday and Saturday; a Friday victory and a Sioux Falls loss Saturday; an overtime or shootout loss Friday and a Stampede loss Saturday.
Lincoln made the 2021-22 playoffs in Russo's first season with the Stars, amassing a 35-20-3 regular-season record before losing to Waterloo in the first round in a 2-1 best-of-three series in favor of the Black Hawks.
“I'm certainly proud of the success we've had since we took over here,” Lincoln head coach Rocky Russo, in his second season, said. “We know how important winning-hockey is here in Lincoln is. It certainly has been a long season with some ups and downs. That's the best part of a hockey season is teams grow and they learn. I think we are playing some of our best hockey now, which is a great time of the year to start to click.”
