Medicine Hat Cubs forward Callen Prosofsky sends a pass out front of the Mountainview net in the first period of a 7-2 Cubs win Sunday over the Colts at the Kinplex.--NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
The Medicine Hat Cubs put on a show ahead of a lengthy road trip.
The Cubs picked up a pair of wins at the Kinplex this weekend, beating the Cochrane Generals 3-1 on Saturday and then the Mountainview Colts 7-2 on Sunday.
Medicine Hat entered play off back-to-back weekends of split results, looking for a return to their best game. Head coach Randy Wong liked what he saw in the results, beyond just the four points in the standings.
“The biggest thing is that we’re playing an honest game,” Wong said. “Being physical has to be part of our game. When they have the puck, if we’re not man responsible, we’re not playing it the right way. So we made a better effort to play that way and the results proved that works.”
The Cubs come out of the weekend in a tie for first place in the South division with the Okotoks Bisons, both clubs with 11-3 records.
In Saturday’s win, Makhi Carriere, Denyn Smith and Kyle Woolridge all found the back of the net, with Smith scoring 6:37 into the third period for the game winner. Adam Ranger made 22 saves in the win. He was back between the pipes on Sunday, stopping 40 shots.
Wong has liked what he’s seen from his two goaltenders, giving them each a weekend of back-to-back games. Tyler Wakelam played both games last weekend.
“I wanted to see how that would look and how they handle it, so both guys got an opportunity, Wakelam did well last weekend and Ranger did real good this weekend,” Wong said. “It just it gives us an indicator as we get down the stretch, if a guy gets banged up and we have to run the same goalie a few games that they can do it, they’ve been through it.”
The Cubs had six goal scorers in Sunday’s win, with Woolridge netting two and all of Jesse Klimosko, Carriere, Barrett Quayle, Hayden King and Callen Prosofsky finding twine. Mountainview outshot the Cubs 42-37.
“Allowing 42 shots, not real happy with that, but we had some penalties and that plays into it a bit,” Wong said. “We’re just trying to be consistent, making sure that we’re at the level to compete against your Okotoks and Sylvan Lakes, that’s the kind of the measuring stick right now. We just have to play, like Saturday we played real solid, one of our better games.
“Then Sunday, just a little bit loose. Our defencemen tried to carry the puck and created some turnovers, outnumbered rushes against and those things that you just can’t do against good teams.”
The Cubs will get their third look at the Bisons as they head to Okotoks on Friday for the first of a five-game road trip. They’ll be at Coaldale taking on the Copperheads the next night.
Wong is looking forward to the road trip and the challenge it will bring his team.
“We’ve been at home quite a bit, so it’s good to get back on the road,” Wong said. “In this league, it’s not so much home ice and what it does, it’s the road trips, it’s the bus. Being able to get off the bus and get yourself mentally ready and play the game.
“You have to go through that, because it gets yourself ready for playoffs as you get the grind going. So this will be playoff hockey, because it’s five games on the road and it’s a tough rest of the month, so it’ll be a good test.”
