WATERLOO - Traditions are sacred in hockey.

For instance, an Octopus has been occasionally thrown on the ice during a Detroit Red Wings' home playoff game.

Waterloo Black Hawks head coach P.K. O'Handley likes those kinds of traditions. So, since becoming the Black Hawks head coach in 2002, O'Handley has had a Clark Cup playoff tradition of his own. All but one of the six Waterloo teams he's coached has played the Chicago Steel in the United States Hockey League playoffs.

The lone exception? That came during the 2005-06 season when neither team made the playoffs.

Partners in crime, they could be labeled.

"It seems like we always play them," O'Handley laughed.

Waterloo eliminated Chicago in the first round in five games a year ago.

The Black Hawks are expecting a tougher go of it this year, as the Steel have played them as tough as anybody in the league. Waterloo won the season series with Chicago, 4-3, but lost the last meeting between the two, 4-3, on March 21.

"They are well-coached," O'Handley said. "Steve (Poapst) has done a great job there. It should be a heck of a series. They play well at home. They can score, and they have good goaltending. It should be fun."

Waterloo advanced to the meeting by sweeping arch-rival Cedar Rapids in three games, while the Steel, the East Division's fourth seed, upset division champion Indiana in four games.

At first glance, Chicago's ability to find the back of the net is what stands out most about the Steel. Only two teams - Omaha (224) and Indiana (223) - scored more than Chicago's 218 goals in the regular season.

Brian O'Neill, Simon Olsson and Drew LeBlanc all have more than 54 points. O'Neill's 23 goals and 38 assists led the team during the regular season, while Olsson has 18 goals and 38 assists and LeBlanc has 19 goals and 35 assists.

Andrew Miller, who had 41 points in the regular season, led the Steel with five points in first-round series upset of the Ice.

"They definitely have some great offensive players," defenseman Blake Kessel said. "O'Neill … really that whole top line has played well in the playoffs. I think they put up five points in their last game.

"Our defense is going to have to pay attention and be on top of our game. I think we've been playing very solid and confident. We're have to continue doing it."

And, Chicago didn't miss a beat when Andy Miele, who had 30 goals and 11 assists in 29 games, left at midseason to play at the University of Miami (Ohio).

"People said they weren't going to be able to continue playing well after he left, but their team got together and said, 'You know what? We are going to be able,' and they did," O'Handley said.

Waterloo can set the tone for the series once again at home in Young Arena, where it has won nine straight, games including games one and two of its first-round sweep of Cedar Rapids. Game one is Wednesday at 7:05 p.m., with game two slated for Friday.

The Steel won at Young Arena, 6-4, in the regular-season opener for both teams Oct. 6, but the Black Hawks took the last two regular-season meetings in Waterloo - 3-1 on Dec. 11, and 6-0 on March 8.

"Young Arena has been good to us, and you have to take advantage of that," O'Handley said.

The Black Hawks come into the series confident based on an incredible late-season run. Since dropping back-to-back games to Tri-City and Des Moines on Feb. 16 and 18 (to non-playoff teams from the West Division), Waterloo has won 19 of 21 games, including 10 in a row.

"These past 20, 21, 22 games we've built a trust in each other … gained confidence in each other's abilities and have continued to build off that," Kessel said. "It's been a huge boost in the playoffs and needs to continue to be."

Contact Jim Nelson at (319) 291-1521 or jim.nelson@wcfcourier.com