THUNDER BAY -- The Lakehead Thunderwolves are down to four healthy defenceman.
The latest of the walking wounded to go down was second-year blue-liner Nathan Bruyere, expected to miss at least two to three weeks with a knee injury.
He joins Andrew Tessier and veteran Mitch Fillman on the sidelines, leaving coach Bill McDonald with a depleted defensive corps heading into this weekend’s home-ice showdown against the visiting sub-.500 Brock Badgers (2-4-1).
“We’re pretty thin back there right now,” said McDonald, who unlike in his professional coaching days, can’t simply go out and round up bodies to fill the holes.
“You try to scour. We’ve got Cody Kostecki, who played not bad on the weekend. He’s available and you might have to move a forward back on D. You know what, they’re not going to cancel the game. You’ve got to go play. You just try to get a system and try to give the D as much help as you can and move forward.”
It’s not good news for a team that’s struggled defensively all season long, not to mention the fact their No. 1 goalie, Jeff Bosch, has missed the past two weekends with a head injury.
The Thunderwolves, losers of four straight, have surrendered 45 goals in compiling a dismal 3-5-2 record so far this season, their 4.42 goals against average the third worst total in the OUA.
It’s a concern, McDonald said.
“I think everybody’s seen our record is not what we want it to be,” McDonald said. “I guess on the other hand, if you want to have a positive, we were probably in every game we lost except last Saturday’s game.
“I don’t think we competed as hard in that game as we did in the others. It’s going to be a hard weekend. We know it. But it’s something if these guys want to buy in, they have to do those little extra things to get a victory. This might be the turning point of our year too.”
There’s no question the defensive-zone play – even if Fillman is able to return this weekend from an upper-body injury – has to pick up, McDonald said.
“I haven’t even looked at the goals for and against. At one time we had a lot of goals for, or I think we were close to the top of the league. But where I come from I think defence still wins championships, so everybody’s going to have to buy in.”
That means blocking shots, finishing checks and being smart with the puck at both ends of the ice. McDonald hopes he can count on his veterans to lead the way.
But it hasn’t always been the case this season.
The mistakes must go, he added.
“It can’t happen this week. We’ve got to bear down and everybody’s going to have to block that extra shot or do that extra thing to get the puck out of the zone to survive this weekend.”
The Wolves are also expected to be without forward Cody Alcock (hand) this weekend. He’s out until mid- to late November.
