Mitch Calvert
If this sort of scoring continues, town council may have to add the purchase of more red light bulbs for the Memorial Sports Centre into their 2009 budget.
The Muskie boys’ hockey team lit the lamp a half-dozen times in a relatively easy 6-1 win over the visiting Kittson Bearcats in exhibition action Friday night at the Ice for Kids Arena here.
All the more impressive was how they did it with four starting defenceman on the shelf with injuries, forcing a number of forwards into defensive roles for the game.
“Yeah, it was out of necessity. We have four guys who are hurt on defence, so this is a good time to have a break,” Muskie coach Shawn Jourdain said.
Cody McCool, Robbie Rea, Ryan McDowall, and Josh Scott all were out against Kittson but are expected back when the Muskies resume play at the Hilltopper Holiday Classic in Duluth beginning Dec. 29.
Jourdain said it was an easy formula for success Friday night as the Muskies simply out-worked and over-matched the visitors with their speed all night.
“We got on them early, moved the puck, and shot the puck when we had opportunities,” Jourdain noted. “When we’re playing well, we’re using our speed and beating teams that way.”
Mike Jourdain, one of the forwards converted to defence for the game, opened the scoring on a top-shelf wrister from the point in the first period. Jamie Kaun then made it 2-0 before the period ended, converting on a nifty give-and-go play with Kyle Herr.
Kaun returned the favour in the second, setting up Herr to make it 3-0, before Zach McCool stuffed one in from the side of the net at the tail end of a hard-working shift to widen the gap to four.
Adam Wensley later set up Devin Ball from behind the net to give the Muskies a 5-0 cushion after 40 minutes.
Wensley also set the tone early with some big open-ice hits, and continued to physically punish the Bearcats all game long.
“I like to come out hitting and get the team going,” Wensley said. “In a game like this with lots of passing, I like to come out and hit.
“That’s just part of my game,” he stressed.
Wensley recently was re-inserted into the Muskie lineup after being out with a shoulder injury suffered during the opening weekend in Red Lake.
“I’ve been having troubles with injuries since the start of the year, even playing junior there [with the Fort Frances Jr. Sabres], but I’m 100 percent pretty much now,” he noted.
The Muskie power play scored twice while their penalty kill was effective all night. The black-and-gold got into some penalty trouble in the first but battled their way out of it.
The squad has a week off to recharge the batteries, but already are champing at the bit to improve on last season’s bronze-medal showing at the Hilltopper Holiday Classic in Duluth on Dec. 29-31.
“We’re looking forward to that tournament. Going to have to come into it prepared and ready to play,” coach Jourdain insisted.
Some would say the Muskies have exceeded expectations so far this season, considering it was a mostly revamped roster with a small group of seniors back with the team.
“Some people were saying that we weren’t going to be as good because we have a lot of young talent still developing, and wouldn’t be able to compete in the league,” Mike Jourdain said. “But our team surprised me.
“We’re a small team and I’m used to playing with big guys who can hit, but all of our small guys are laying the body, too, and it makes it easier on our bigger guys,” he noted.
