Medicine Hat Cubs' forward Brady Mahar stick-handles while being chased on a breakaway in the Cubs' 4-3 shootout win Sunday at the Kinplex against the Strathmore Wheatland Kings.--NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
The Medicine Hat Cubs split their first set of games in the new 2023-24 campaign.
The Cubs traded wins with the Strathmore Wheatland Kings to open preseason action, losing 5-4 Saturday on the road before winning 4-3 in a shootout Sunday at the Kinplex.
Looking at the weekend as a whole, head coach and general manager Randy Wong sees early blending in the team, which he says is encouraging.
“They’re playing for each other, they’re supporting each other very well and they’re not criticizing guys,” Wong said. “I see a better team overall, as far as wanting to just play for the guy beside them. That can speak volumes down the road when we get into close games, they’ll always have that mentality. So if that continues and the leadership doesn’t stop them but keeps promoting that, we could have a very successful year.”
In Saturday’s loss, the two teams traded goals and were tied up 3-3 heading into the final period. The Cubs notched a goal but it was the Wheatland Kings who potted two for the win.
On Sunday at the Kinplex, the Cubs grabbed an early 2-0 lead in the first period with Strathmore answering back in the second period with a goal. They continued their offence in the third, scoring two unanswered to take a brief lead before the Cubs tied it up late in the frame.
Three-on-three overtime solved nothing in the exhibition contest, forcing a shootout the Cubs won with two goals for the 4-3 victory. Looking at Sunday’s contest, Wong says his focus while evaluating from the stands, was on performances more so than a final result.
“I was looking at who we had in the lineup and that’s all we’re looking at; who do we think can play at this level and evaluate how they perform on the ice,” Wong said. “Win or loss, it’s not really the issue, we had lots of guys in the lineup who haven’t played in the league before. So it was really a matter of evaluating them to see if they can handle it for the rest of the year.”
Wong says the preseason roster was trimmed down after the game and the focus is now the team’s final round of exhibition contests, a home-and-home series with the Coaldale Copperheads. He says they’ll speak with the younger players about getting more from them while also looking at who can be ready for opening night.
“It’s important to start getting special teams kind of placed and what the personnel will look like on the penalty kill and power plays, so that’ll be more of a focus this week,” Wong said. “Lots of guys got lots of opportunity they probably won’t get in regular season, but it was a good start to the week when we do it that way. Then we’ll fine tune it and really get our systems more in play and get more serious with the games next weekend.”
Sunday was the return to the Kinplex for the Cubs since a Game 4 loss in the South finals last year against the Okotoks Bisons. A noisy crowd was in attendance for the exhibition contest, a welcoming sight Wong says as the Cubs 50th HJHL season draws closer.
“It’s early and the weather’s awesome outside but people willing to come in and support the club is great and it’s something we’re going to focus on, too,” Wong said. “We have some great marketing ideas, working with the Medicine Hat College this year and their marketing programs. We have plans and the hope is we’re going to fill the Kinplex for as many games as we can.”
The Cubs are at Coaldale on Saturday before hosting the Copperheads at the Kinplex on Sunday at 3 p.m.
