Cubs settle for a split

By Ryan McCracken on October 16, 2017.

rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com @MHNMcCracken

The Medicine Hat Travelodge Cubs were forced to settle for a split this weekend at the Kinplex.

While the Cubs kicked off the weekend with a 7-1 drubbing over the Three Hills Thrashers on Saturday, the Ponoka Stampeders shut down any hope of a streak in a 9-3 blowout Sunday — their first win of the season.

“We started the game taking this team for granted,” said Cubs head coach JD Gaetan, whose team sits at 4-3-0-0 on the Heritage Junior B Hockey League season. “It’s a game we should win every time we play them but we came in with that mentality which we shouldn’t have.”

The Cubs put themselves in early trouble Sunday with a string of consecutive penalties in the first. While they held Ponoka to just two shots through the opening 10 minutes, Stampeders forward Nate Higgins broke through first with Tavin Stadnicki serving a minor for hooking.

“We got off to a good start but got into some penalty trouble and couldn’t recover,” said Gaetan. “We were making stupid plays.”

The Stampeders stretched their lead to two early in the middle frame with a goals from Taite Opdendries before Medicine Hat’s Riley Florkowski gave his team some life with his third of the season, but it was immediately answered by Ponoka’s Braden Klessens

While Ponoka’s Kieran Bulloch chipped a puck past Cubs netminder TJ Goldie to re-establish a three-goal lead late in the second period, Medicine Hat stole the momentum back in the dying moments of the frame.

The Cubs won an offensive zone draw and fed Joshua Schafer on the point, who fired a bouncing puck past Stampeders goaltender Keenan Starkell with just 8.8 seconds left on the clock to bring Medicine Hat back within a pair entering the final 20 minutes.

Quinten Karg kept that momentum alive with an immediate impact in the third. The Cubs captain marched in off the opening draw and beat Starkell just 13 seconds into the third to bring his team back within a goal.

But the Stampeders answered in numbers. Higgins and Klessens connected for two goals just 26 seconds apart to regain their three goal lead and push the Cubs back onto their heels.

Brandon Brockerville and Kacey Straub continued the Stampeders onslaught with a pair of goals over the next five minutes to effectively push the game out reach.

Opdendries added another with five seconds left in regulation.

“We have to leave it in the past and move forward,” said Gaetan. “Lots of these problems are fixable. We’ve got a big weekend coming up with games against Coaldale and High River, games we can win, so we have to have a good practice this week and get going again.”

The Cubs swapped out Goldie in favour of Brendan Patterson to start the third. Goldie stopped 15 shots through the first 40 minutes, though they switched back after Patterson allowed four goals in the first 10 minutes of the frame.

The setback comes a day after the Cubs laid a beating on the Thrashers.

Noah Irvine scored twice and added an assist for Medicine Hat while Matt Clement had a goal and two helpers after missing the first few games of the year.

“He adds another element to our game. It’s something we needed so I’m glad he came back to help us out,” said Gaetan. “Clement was one of our leading scorers last year so it’s a huge help.”

Stadnicki and Mackenzie Fritzler both scored shorthanded to lead the Cubs to the victory. Florkowski and Kian Simonson also scored for Medicine Hat.

Goldie made 23 saves to lock up the victory.

The Cubs return to the Kinplex Thursday to host the Coaldale Copperheads at 8:15 p.m.