Medicine Hat Cubs forward Gerret Harty fends off the Okotoks Bison defender in the first period of the Cubs 6-1 loss to the Bison on Sunday at the Kinplex. -- NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
The Medicine Hat Cubs continue to have trouble with the Okotoks Bisons.
The Bisons have had the Cubs’ number this season, as they are the only team in the Heritage Junior Hockey League to defeat Medicine Hat more than once, beating them in all four of their matchups including 6-1 on Sunday.
Cubs head coach and general manager Randy Wong said the Bisons got the bounces in the first period and the Cubs didn’t capitalized on their chances.
“I think you’ve got to create your bounces and I don’t think we had much puck luck, and they did, in the first period. They got three goals by weird bounces that went in and right to their guys,” Wong said. “That is what it is and with that said we got our chances and couldn’t capitalize… We’ve got to make good with our chances when we get them. We didn’t get a lot of them but we had enough to change the outcome of the game.”
Jacob Milne scored the Cubs’ lone goal in Sunday’s loss as they were outshot 35-28 by the Bisons.
Okotoks carried a 3-1 lead from the end of the first period into the third. The Cubs had multiple high-danger chances in the second but couldn’t capitalize, while Dawsen Savage stopped all 10 shots in the frame.
After the loss, the Cubs remain in second place of the HJHL’s South Division, behind Okotoks, with a record 23-7-3.
With the win on Sunday, Okotoks clinched first place in the South.
When asked if trailing the league’s best team held the Cubs back Sunday, Wong said they need to find consistency in their game.
“It’s difficult to read that because the league has good teams and bad teams, so you’re trying to find the right balance of playing consistent hockey and we’re not there yet,” Wong said. “Hopefully the playoffs will kind of bring that where you’re playing a good game every game and bringing that consistency,” Wong said.
“Okotoks is a good team, so you’ve got to be on your ‘A’ game. If you’re not ready to go, like we didn’t have everybody going tonight and that shows, that we weren’t quite ready to play a top team in our league.
“They out skated us, they won the battles and we didn’t. So if we’re going to be successful against them, the recipe is right there to beat them. I still think they are beatable, but you’ve got to play the right way.”
The Cubs have three more games in their regular season schedule, with their next game being a road contest in Okotoks on Friday. Wong said the Cubs have to tighten up their defensive zone and make sure they’re making the right play when it comes to offence.
“Sometimes we scramble and we guess a little bit and I call it the ‘hope play,’ we hope that the play will work out and that’s not the way to win games,” Wong said. “Your system’s got to be solid, you’ve got to be focused and you’ve got to be prepared to win hockey games and that takes some work to do that.”
On top of losing to the HJHL’s best team, the Cubs got to watch the Bisons loudly celebrate each goal and the win in their own building.
When asked if Okotoks’ reaction to their win is motivation for the Cubs going forward, Wong said “it better be.”
“When they are hooting and hollering and it’s 6-1, and they stick it in your face at home, it’s a little bit embarrassing,” Wong said. “You’ve got to come out with a little bit of hunger and passion for the game to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”
