TORONTO — The Rams men's hockey team may have come out of last weekend's two-game series against the floundering Lakehead Thunderwolves with a win, but they certainly did not play their best hockey of the season; they allowed 10 goals in two games and, in the words of their head coach, lacked the skip in their step that has thus far been their strength.

"We didn't do a great job of executing," head coach Johnny Duco said, frustrated at the team's defensive complacency against Lakehead. "Our urgency just wasn't there."

With the double dip against Lakehead behind them, the Rams are heading out on the road Wednesday to face the York Lions at Canlan Ice Sports. On Saturday, they'll return home to host the Lions in their final game of the regular season.

Positionally, the Rams are in a good spot; they lead the OUA West division with a 10-3-0 record (20 points) and have already clinched a spot in the playoffs. Still, the team's brass acknowledged that they have a lot of work to do to get ready for the playoffs, which themselves will present a whole new set of challenges.

Against York, the Rams top defensive pair of Jared Walsh (5 A) and Ryan Wells (3 G, 7 A) will be leaned upon for production, so too will the supporting cast of forwards which includes Michael Cramarossa (1 A), Cavin Leth (2 A), and Hayden McCool (1 G, 5 A). During his post-game interview on March 5, Duco hinted at Jacob Kamps (3 G, 2 A) returning to the lineup against York, which should give the Rams a substantial boost on offence; Kamps has been sidelined since November with an injury.

Goaltender Garrett Forrest (2.76 GAA, .900 save percentage, 225 saves)—who has been fantastic this season but struggled against the Thunderwolves—will also be in the spotlight as the season comes to a close.

All in all, the two-game set against York will be crucial for the Rams as they solidify their lineup and systems before a hopefully lengthy playoff run. 

The puck drops on Wednesday at 7:15 p.m. The game can be streamed live on OUA.tv.