As the Canisius Golden Griffins continue to roll, they will host Niagara for another best-of-three series this weekend.

Don’t miss a moment of the Canisius, Niagara or the RIT-Holy Cross series. All of the game will be streamed live on FloHockey.

The Golden Griffins’ red-hot February rolled right into March with an exciting series win over Army. The Griffins’ first round saw a pair of shutouts, a lopsided win and a shutdown overtime contest.

The Griffins’ empty-net goal in Game 1 capped their 5-2 effort and game them the early series lead. The next night saw a pair of defensive showcases, where 60 minutes of standout goaltending meant an impending 1-0 overtime thriller.

That thriller would land in the hands of Army, which sealed the win just over six minutes into the extra frame.

Game 3 showed just how far Canisius has come during its 9-2-0-2 stretch that started at the beginning of February. The squad is 12-4-1-2 in 2023.

The Griffins continued their defensive performance with a 3-0 statement win, where a 17-shot, second-period surge earned them a two-goal lead before an empty net goal.

The season series can be insightful, but it’s not always the predictor of postseason desperation and drive. Add in each program claiming a 5-2 win in their lone series of the 2022-2023 season, and the insight slims.

Preparing for the Purple Eagles@VChristiano3 spoke with @Coach_Large as the team gets ready to face Niagara in the semifinal round of the 2023 @atlantic_hockey Postseason this weekend#Griffs | #AHA20 pic.twitter.com/hF0nnT5a25

— Canisius Hockey (@GriffsHockey) March 9, 2023

The Griffins did manage to control what was a burning Army offense that entered the series with 15 goals over its previous four games. Part of that control meant holding Joey Baez to one tally in the series. He finished the year with 21 goals in 37 games.

Another part of that control was shutting down freshman forward and AHA Rookie of the Year front-runner Max Itagaki. Itagaki entered the series with 33 points in 34 games and 10 points in his previous seven contests.

The same defensive effort will be needed against a Niagara team that just posted 12 goals against Sacred Heart, which had allowed the fourth-fewest goals against in the conference.

Add in the upset taking place in Sacred Heart’s new arena and an electric atmosphere waged against the Purple Eagles, and there is undoubtable momentum joining the Eagles at Canisius.

Griffs. Aren't. Real.

We will face the team south of the bridge in the @Atlantic_Hockey Semifinals next weekend#Uncommon pic.twitter.com/T4I53HSULd

— Niagara University Men's Hockey (@NiagaraMHKY) March 6, 2023

Those 12 goals against Sacred Heart came courtesy of 15 skaters recording at least a point in the series, while Carter Randklev paced the attack with two goals and three assists for five points, all coming in Sunday’s series-clinching game.

A deep offense wasn’t enough for the Knights, but the Eagles’ 5-2 win earlier in the season saw their depth shine, as 10 skaters recorded a point in their Jan. 28 win over the Griffins.

Have a question or a comment for Jacob Messing? You can find him on Twitter @Jacob_Messing.