Lucas Punkari
After defeating Wisconsin here last month, and having entered the post-season on a three-game winning streak, the Fort Frances Lakers were feeling pretty confident about their chances going into the first leg of a two-game, total-goal mini-series with the Wilderness last weekend in Spooner.
But after losing both games by a combined score of 9-4, the Lakers now are searching for answers ahead of the second leg of the showdown series, which goes this Friday and Saturday night at the Ice For Kids Arena.
The Lakers need to win this leg to salvage a series split, which then would force a shootout to determine which team gets to choose its semi-final opponent.
“I sent a message after Game 2 on Saturday [in Spooner] to the key players in our locker-room that we are going to need to get going if we are going to have success in these playoffs and vie for a championship,” Lakers’ head coach and general manager Wayne Strachan noted.
“The message going into this weekend is simple: we need to stick to our game plan, stay out of the penalty box, and play to our ability.
“This is the playoffs, and it’s time to elevate our games to the playoff mentality,” he stressed.
Game 1 on Friday night was tied 2-2 at the midway point before Wisconsin netted a pair of markers in a two-minute span en route to a 4-3 victory.
“Friday’s game was a good one, but some untimely penalties and some breakdowns defensively cost us the game,” Strachan recalled.
“During the first 10 minutes we were all over them as we were pressing, causing turnovers, and we had our chances to jump out into the lead but we didn’t capitalize on them.
We then got a questionable charging call and they scored on the power play.
“And by them taking the momentum away from us, they would get a lucky break to go out in front 2-0,” he added.
At that point, Strachan pulled starting goalie Tyler Ampe in favour of Tanner Hamilton in order to switch things up.
“The two goals that Tyler let in I am sure are ones he would like to have back,” he noted.
The Lakers came out on fire in the second period, with SIJHL MVP Byron Katapaytuk and Jon Carlson both finding the back of the net to knot the score.
But markers from Austin Bevilacqua and Andrew Anderson put Wisconsin in front once again—this time for good.
“We came out like gangbusters early on, but then we made two costly defensive breakdowns that put us down by two goals again,” Strachan said.
“In the third period we battled, but in the end we took two bad penalties while we were on the power play that hurt us and we ended up finishing the game shorthanded.
“In the playoffs, you are not going to win hockey games when you are taking penalties,” Strachan reasoned.
“And whether we think we deserved the penalties or not, we have to keep our emotions in check and play the game the way we are capable of playing it,” he stressed.
Katapaytuk led the way with two goals and an assist on Carlson’s marker.
Game 2 on Saturday wasn’t as close as the Wilderness jumped out to a 4-0 lead en route to a 5-1 triumph to sweep the first leg of the series.
“I don’t think we had anywhere near the intensity and emotion that we needed to win a hockey game on Saturday night,” Strachan admitted.
“Many of our guys took the night off, and that is something that is very alarming at this time of the year.
“And again, penalties hurt us as they scored three of their goals on the power play.
“It’s a game that we need to put behind us,” Strachan said. “Even though we showed flashes of some good things in Game 2, there was not enough of those things for the game to be called a success.”
Merritt Rysavy netted the lone goal for the Lakers, with Jordan Larson and Colton Spicer drawing the assists.
In related news, the Thunder Bay North Stars and Duluth Clydesdales are squaring off in one best-of-seven quarter-final series while the other one pits the Dryden Ice Dogs versus the Sioux Lookout Flyers.
