The Kenai River Brown Bears will take on the Janesville (Wisconsin) Jets today and Saturday at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex at 7:30 p.m.
The Bears come into the series at 3-42-2, but Janesville is battling for a playoff spot in the Midwest Division.
The Jets are in fourth place, which is the last playoff spot, with a 24-14-5 record good for 53 points. Coulee Region (Wisconsin) is in fifth at 23-21-0 and 46 points, while Springfield (Illinois) is in third at 25-16-5 for 55 points.
The Bears actually have one of their three wins against the Jets, but are 1-5 against the Janesville squad this season. Kenai River lost 6-3 and 6-2 in Janesville on Feb. 12 and 13.
Kenai River, which has six home games left and 13 games left overall, is 1-11-1 since bringing on Jeff Worlton to replace Geoff Beauparlant as head coach.
Special teams have the potential to loom large in the series. The Bears are last in the league on the penalty kill and power play, and are 1 of 39 with the extra man in their last 10 games.
Janesville is 16th on the penalty kill and seventh on the power play.
Joey Sardina leads the Bears with 23 points on eight goals and 15 assists, while Janesville’s Dawson DiPietro has 40 points on 28 goals and 12 assists. All but two goals and 10 assists came for Austin (Minnesota) before a trade.
Janesville goalies Blake Weyrick and Jack LaFontaine are 10th and 11th, respectively in the league in goals-against average.
