Strategizing their last week of regular season AJHL play in a year that has seen the team experience dizzying highs and doldrum lows, the Canmore Eagles decided to play it safe.
Chasing a first-round South Division playoff matchup against the Drumheller Dragons, the Eagles knew they only needed two points in their last two games to make that a reality. To earn those two points, the Eagles would face the mighty Brooks Bandits and the awful Calgary Canucks. Failure to secure at least two points would mean a less desirable match-up against either the Camrose Kodiaks or Okotoks Oilers.
So, instead of chasing those two points against the 53-3-3 Brooks Bandits on Tuesday (Feb. 26), the Eagles rested six of their top players, avoided physical play and skated to a bittersweet 4-0 loss in hopes they’ll be rested for a win against the lowly 16-39-4 Calgary Canucks on Friday (March 1).
“You’re playing the best team in the country versus arguably the worst team in the league, so I liked our chances better on Friday night,” said head coach Andrew Milne.
From the opening whistle against Brooks, it was evident the Eagles were in survival mode. Brooks handed them an 8-2 beating last week, but this time, the Eagles played a defensive system designed to slow down the big, fast Brooks forwards with positional play rather than bone-crunching hits. The style sacrificed offence, as the Eagles barely tested Brooks goaltending, generating 19 shots on net.
Even Eagles power plays failed to generate many scoring chances, as the Canmore team tossed tentative passes around the offensive zone like water balloons, allowing Brooks to shut down the shooting lanes with ease.
Of course, the top team in the country took advantage of the easy meal. Brooks got on the board at the nine minute mark with a nifty power play goal from Taylor Makin. Just over a minute later, Brooks forward Dakota Mason struck again to give Brooks a 2-0 cushion with a well placed shot that eluded Eagles’ goaltender Cam Barnes.
In the second period, the Eagles strung together a flurry of effective forechecking and put Ty Swabb in net to give both tenders a chance to play, but it was Brooks who scored again with two Eagles laying on the ice at the wrong end of the rink to make it 3-0. Twelve seconds later, Brooks struck again to make it 4-0 and cruised for the rest of the match. The Eagles had several power play chances in the third, but generated few chances.
Saddled with a team that has battled injury problems all year, Milne said the goal was to keep everyone healthy with the playoffs right around the corner.
“That was our goal coming out of this. To come out of that with no one getting hurt is a bonus. We knew they’d be a handful – they’re 53-3-3;” said Milne. “I thought with the guys we had tonight, the system and personnel, it was a pretty tentative game. (Brooks) is good. They have a bye in the first round so you knew they’d bring their A game. We wanted to win, but were being realistic with eight guys out of the lineup,” Milne said
Nils Moser, John Stevens, Alex Barnes, Stephen Phee, Austin Hebert and Ciaron Driscoll all sat out with injuries against Brooks, but Milne said all are expected to play on Friday. It will be Moser’s first game in two months.
“We’ll get them all back in the lineup Friday. It’s a big game for us,” Milne said.
The coach also used the game to give more ice time to recovering players such as Simon Philp. Philp has battled a hip injury for most of the season and could usually be counted on for big minutes, but his injury has relegated him to fourth line duty.
“Simon is a great penalty killer. He’s one of the best there is when he’s healthy, but he just hasn’t done it enough this year. He’ll play a limited role on Friday.”
In an effort to keep their goaltenders sharp, both goalies got a taste of Brooks, and both let in two goals. Milne hasn’t decided who will start against the Canucks.
“We wanted both to get some time. Cam played well and we’ll have a pretty tough decision for Friday and down the stretch,” Milne said.
Captain Riley Point said it’s hard to basically concede a game, but said the Eagles survived with Friday’s game as the priority.
“You never want to let a game go, but given the circumstances with a lot of guys injured, we put in a game plan that allowed us to play not as physical. Definitely we were conservative and looking to Friday,” Point said.
“For the first time since Game 7 we’ll have a full lineup. Our team is good at rising to the occasion and I’m pretty confident we’ll have a good game,” Point said.
Pulling his own Mark Messier manoeuvre, he even went so far as to predict a 4-1 win over the Canucks on Friday.
“One game together, it will be big because we need a win and we need a game with everyone together,” Point said. “With those guys coming back in it gives us another wave of scoring, and that makes us harder to play against.”
