But that works both ways after the Dunedin Thunder and the Southern Stampede wrapped up the New Zealand Ice Hockey League regular season with a double-header last month.
They split that series: the Thunder won the opening game 7-5 — their first win over their Queenstown rivals since 2018 — and the Stampede bounced back to win the latter 6-3.
"It’s probably the best way to finish the season," Thunder head coach Guillaume Leclancher said.
"I thought they were really good games ... and I think the team is looking forward to getting back into it.
"Even with the magnitude of the game, I think it’s great."
The Thunder are heading up the road to meet the Stampede in the semifinals double-header — the first time the two have met in the semifinals — which gets under way tonight.
They wrapped up the regular season as third seeds, just one point behind the second-seed Stampede.
Leclancher said their recent victory gave them confidence heading into the finals, and he was pleased overall with their recent performances.
"Even if we take the second game ... we didn’t win that one but I thought we played well regardless.
"There’s a few things that we need to correct."
The Thunder finished the regular season with nine wins, and Leclancher said their success was down to a combination of things.
Players were better prepared during the offseason to hit the ground running, and they had been more adaptable through a challenging season, which included a lengthy break for the division 2, group B world championships in Dunedin.
"The group has been showing a lot more maturity.
"The ability to stay with the system and play for one another, I thought, was great.
"Overall, this is really positive and the output is that this is one of the best seasons we’ve had in a long time. It’s good reward for us."
That has been reflected in the Thunder cleaning up in the league awards.
Canadian Cole Beckstead was named the league MVP and top scorer, while Luke Stegmann was named best defenceman. Stampede goalie Aston Brookes was named best goaltender with a save record of 91.02%.
Leclancher has also been recognised himself, recently being named as an assistant coach for the Ice Blacks heading to the division 2, group B world championships in Bulgaria in April.
"Really looking forward to it," Leclancher said.
"It’s a great opportunity to get that exposure. Looking forward to working on it and seeing what’s the learning that I can bring back."
