THUNDER BAY -- Games in hand are great on paper – but are worthless unless points are put up when they’re actually played.
That’s the mentality the Lakehead Thunderwolves men’s hockey team intends to enter second-half play with on Friday night when the Brock Badgers arrive at Fort William Gardens as the OUA regular season gets set to resume.
“We put ourselves in position to have games in hand and still be in the race, even though some teams have played three more games than us,” said no-longer snake-bitten sophomore forward Billy Jenkins, who last weekend finally potted his first goal of the season in a 4-2 non-conference win over the Nipissing Lakers.
“If we can get some points in those games in hand, that’s huge, because fourth, fifth and sixth (place) are all within a couple of points of each other … If we get points in those games, that bumps us right up to home ice in the playoffs.”
The Wolves, who last season missed the playoffs for the first since returning to university hockey in 2001-02, completed the pre-Christmas portion of their schedule at 8-6-1, despite struggles in the defensive end of the rink.
Their record places them sixth in the OUA West, but a couple of timely wins could put second place in play. But a couple of unfortunate losses could put a missed playoff opportunity on the table, with Brock, Western and Waterloo nipping at LU’s heels, just four points separating the Thunderwolves from ninth place.
Only eight teams in each division make the playoffs.
Veteran forward Carson Dubchak, who missed last weekend’s home-ice sweep to attend his best friend’s wedding in Mexico, said it all starts with the Badgers.
“We’re playing a team that’s right on our heels. If we can take these two games and still have some games in hand, that’s huge. That gives us a running head start and going down the stretch, it’s what we need.”
Lakehead coach Bill McDonald said he’s OK with an 8-6-1 record at this point, but it could have been better if the Wolves had tightened things up in a few matches.
They’ve got to find consistency in the second half to ensure success, the third-year bench boss said.
“We’d like to finish as high as we can, and to do that, you’ve got to win games,” McDonald said. “What we’re trying to do here is get back into it. I think the games against Nipissing helped. I thought structurally we were OK.
“I didn’t think we played with much physicality. I’d like to play a little more physical, without filling up the penalty box.”
Seventh-place Brock enters play with a 8-8-1 record, boasting a middle-of-the-pack offence and the second-worst goals against average (3.71) in the OUA.
