NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Cubs defencemen Jamal Shaw carries the puck into the offensive zone in Medicine Hat's home opener on Sunday against the Sylvan Lake Wranglers. Sylvan Lake lead for the entirety of the game and won 3-0.
The Cubs next couple of games are both on the road, Saturday in Coaldale and Sunday in Cochrane.
It wasn’t the homecoming the Medicine Hat Cubs would’ve wanted.
But then again, it also wasn’t their home.
The Cubs lost Sunday’s game 3-0 against the Sylvan Lake Wranglers. The game was held at Co-op Place as Medicine Hat is not able to play at their usual arena, the Kinplex, until the beginning of October due to COVID-19 regulations. For Cubs’ head coach Randy Wong, the difference in building could have made an impact but that would just be an excuse.
“That building’s always been good for us, the energy’s always there. This one is just a little open and you just don’t feel it, (it) doesn’t help the cause,” he said. “The ice is a little slower, but we can’t use those for excuses because the other team has to use the same ice we do.”
The Wranglers jumped out early offensively in the first period, as Foxx Doell put two past the Cubs in the frame. The second period saw a lot of chances from both teams but no goals. Doell scored his third of the game in the final period to shut the door on the Cubs who were starting to gain a little momentum at the time.
Sylvan Lake led the shots total all game, as they poured on 35 shots to the Cubs 21. Peyton Lobe picked up the shutout for the Wranglers.
Cubs goaltender Dawsen Savage was kept busy all game stopping 32 of the 35 shots he faced. Wong said that he gave the Cubs a chance to stay in the game and they just didn’t take it.
“That’s all we ask from our goalies. Make that save that you are supposed to and the odd big one, that’s awesome. He’ll give us a chance to win and I thought their goalie played well too,” Wong said.
“I thought we had some real good chances and good looks and we didn’t capitalize and really that’s probably the difference in the game.”
He says he was disappointed with his teams energy level at the start of the game, especially considering it was their home opener. It is something he says they will have to address this week in practice before their next game.
“I don’t think we came out like it was our home opener, little disappointing with the energy level. I thought we had more considering it is our home opener, big rink like this. But it just wasn’t there,” he said.
The Cubs have a couple practices this week before they spend the weekend on the road. Saturday night they are in Coaldale to take on the Copperheads and Sunday the team is in Cochrane to take on the Generals.
Their next home game is Saturday October 9 at the Kinplex against the Rocky Rams.
