The 2020 Sask Female Midget AAA Hockey League playoffs are right around the corner for the Diamond Energy Wildcats, who will be opening the post-season as the league's second seed.

Swift Current posted a 21-7-1-1 record in the 30-game regular season, and will be taking on the seventh-ranked/last-place Weyburn Gold Wings (2-23-3-2) in a best-of-three quarter-final.

The Gold Wings are a team that Swift Current swept (5-0-0-0) in their 2019-20 regular-season series:

Oct 26 - Won 2-0 in Weyburn
Oct 27 - Won 6-2 in Weyburn
Dec 14 - Won 6-1 at Fairview West
Dec 15 - Won 5-1 at Fairview West
Mar 6 - Won 5-2 in Weyburn

Swift Current has out-scored Weyburn 24-6 over the five-game series - averages of 4.8 goals-for per game, and 1.2 goals-against per game.

The Wildcats have scored nine of their goals in the first period, seven in the second frame, and eight in the third. At the other end, the Gold Wings have scored three in the first, two in the second, and one in the third.

Each of the three games that the Wildcats have recorded multi-goal opening frames, the eventual-game winner was among those - highlighting the need and success of setting the tone early.

"The bottom line for us is if we play the right way and we set the pace in the first period, and we're committed to playing defense first, I think our skill should be enough to win that first game," said Wildcats head coach Terry Pavely. "But, we've got to be prepared to work hard. One thing they do is they work really hard."

Another area that teeters on both prominence and concern is the Wildcats special teams.

Swift Current has gone 10-for-39 on the powerplay against Weyburn this year - an impressive 25.6 percent mark. On the flip side though, they've allowed the Gold Wings to gain 41 powerplay opportunities - a number perhaps too high for Pavely's liking, despite holding their opponent scoreless, and even chipping in a short-handed goal.

"Even the game on [March 6], we took two penalties in the second period after the whistle. That's the biggest thing. When you look at the numbers, our powerplay's been pretty good against them. We want to make sure we don't give them any extra needless opportunities on the powerplay," Pavely said, noting they can't get sucked into playing Weyburn's game.

"We've got to be composed. Every game we got ourselves in situations where they try to play really physical," he said. "We don't want to get into a powerplay/penalty-kill battle with them. If we play the right way, they should take penalties - whether it's the tripping, hooking, interference, because I don't know if they can play at the same pace as us."

The Wildcats meanwhile have also comfortably led 181-116 in the shot department, which averages out to 36.2 per game in the offensive zone, and 23.2 on net in their own end.

However, Pavely says the gap feels even wider when the shot-totals are dug into a bit deeper.

"They like to throw a lot of pucks on net. They get to the red line, they dump a lot - some of them on net - so when we go back and look on the actual shots on net, they're usually in that 14-17 range, which we're very comfortable with," he said. "We don't give up a ton of scoring chances against them. We're going to give up chances, but they just can't be grade-A between the hash marks, in front of the net-type chances."

Numbers aside, it looks to be purely a case of imposing their style of play and not looking past their first-round opponent for Swift Current, with the new series format down to a best-of-three from the previous best-of-five format.

"We need to be ready to play Saturday, and make sure we don't give them any opportunities or a sense that they maybe can beat us," said Pavely. "It's going to come down to playing the right way for 60 minutes, then we can evaluate our game and change some things if we have to, or stay the course."

"Our mentality's going to be 'we're going to play one game at a time'. In best-of-threes you really have to, because if you get ahead of yourself, before you know it it could be over."

Game 1 has a 6:30 p.m. puck drop Saturday at Fairview West. Then, it's a quick turnaround to Game 2, which is set for 4 p.m. Sunday in Weyburn.

Game 3 if necessary, would go Tuesday night back in Swift Current.