The task will be a difficult one, but none the less, one the Swift Current Broncos are ready take on.

The Swift Current Broncos will travel to the Queen City Thursday to play game one of their best of seven Eastern Conference Semi-Final against the Regina Pats.

Battling the CHL's top ranked team, the Broncos understand the task at hand is a difficult one.

"There is no question, they are the favourite," said Broncos Head Coach Manny Viveiros.

"We have tremendous respect for that team and organization but we are not scared of them, so I think it is going to be a really good series. We know we will have to be our best to have a chance to win this series."

The Pats have hovered near the top of the CHL rankings all season long, rolling through most teams in their path.

Unfortunately for the Broncos, they were no exception during the regular season, losing seven of their eight meetings while winning once in overtime.

"We are prepared and we know what we are up against," Viveiros said.

"What happened in the regular season is completely different from the playoffs so we are not going to concentrate much on what happened throughout that but we also know we can play with Regina."

Despite being picked against by many in the series, the feeling is not a new one for Swift Current.

Entering their first round series against Moose Jaw, the Broncos were also viewed as the underdogs and had questions regarding playoff inexperience and their penalty kill.

Swift Current was able to answer those questions in the upset of the Warriors, killing 23 of Moose Jaw's 26 power-play opportunities and gaining more and more experience every game.

"I think it is invaluable, especially now taking on a team like Regina," Viveiros said of the experienced gained during their opening series.

"The kids have been there, experienced it and more importantly had success doing it, so I think that is something we can carry forward."

However, even with all of the playoff experience in the world, the Regina Pats still present major problems for any opponent.

During the regular season, the Pats averaged 4.9 goals per game and boast six players who scored at least 30 goals this season.

Two of those players, Sam Steel and Adam Brooks tallied 131 and 130 points respectively.

"There is a reason why they are the top team in the country," Viveiros said.

"They are such an explosive offensive team so we know that we have to be very careful with our play without the puck and making sure we are in good positions."

The Broncos enter game one on two-days rest after winner their seven game series with Moose Jaw on Monday.

The Pats, meanwhile, have been off since March 30th when they completed their four-game sweep of Calgary.

Regardless of how the odds may stack up on paper in anyone's eyes, Viveiros knows that with his group of players they have the ability to play with anybody.

"We (coaching staff) haven't been a part of a team that has been so close together inside that dressing room, which is the most important thing," he said.

"These kids really like each other, you can see that when they play. They don't with each other, they play for each other on the ice. These kids really care about the guy sitting in the stall next to them."

You can listen to all of game one live on The Eagle 94.1 with Robertson Family Group Broncos Hockey beginning at 6:30pm.