Muskie boys return home empty-handed

Joey Payeur

“Silver Linings Playbook” not only is an Oscar-nominated movie but an accurate depiction of Jordan Sinclair’s end-of-the-weekend review.
His Muskie boys’ hockey team was on the wrong end of a three-game sweep at the hands of the Thunder Bay Minor Midget ‘AAA’ Kings—losing 4-3 on Friday, followed by a 5-2 setback Saturday and then a 4-0 shutout Sunday.
But Sinclair was keeping things in perspective with their NorWOSSA regular-season opener set for this Tuesday (Nov. 15) against the host Kenora Broncos.
“You don’t like to go down and get swept, regardless who you are playing,” he conceded.
“But I think there were still a lot of positives from the weekend.
“The results weren’t what we were looking for but in the long run, games like these are good for us and will help make us better,” Sinclair stressed.
“Playing good teams like this, they expose your weaknesses and show you what you have to work on.”
The Muskies opened the scoring Friday on Eric Pitkanen’s shot as part of a 2-on-1 where Landon Woods served as the decoy.
Thunder Bay tied it later in the first period, then went ahead in the second before Connor Tibbs put home a rebound of James Gushulak’s initial chance.
But after a third-straight power play went by the boards for the Muskies, the Kings capitalized on a 5-on-3 advantage for a full two minutes by netting the go-ahead goal.
Then in the third, a centering pass by Thunder Bay bounced off Muskie blueliner Mike Drouin and in behind rookie goalie Spencer Murphy to make it 4-2.
Woods made it a one-goal game on a wrist shot which the Kings’ goalie gloved but then accidentally dropped into his own net.
Despite their second two-man advantage of the game later in the frame, the Muskies could not notch the equalizer in finishing 0-for-6 on the power play for the game and just 1-for-16 for the series.
“We gave up four or five goals while shorthanded this weekend and only got one on the power play ourselves,” Sinclair noted.
“You switch the power-play numbers around and probably we win three and they lose three.
“One big issue was our puck movement was not quick enough,” he added. “They’re a better skating team than we’re used to.
“[And] when we did get into their zone, there were not enough shots getting through to the net.”
With veteran goalie Matt Booth getting the start in Game 2, Brett Kenny staked the visitors to the early lead again in the first.
But Kings roared back with a four-goal second period.
Drouin’s man-advantage marker in the third trimmed the gap to two, but the Muskies got no closer.
In Game 3, a fluky deflection that eluded Murphy put the Kings up in the first.
The Muskies’ power-play woes were on display in the second as they were blanked four times by the Thunder Bay penalty-killers, including on another two-man advantage.
That situation went doubly bad for the Muskies as the Kings scored on a short-handed breakaway, then made good on a turnover later in the frame to jump ahead 3-0.
They tacked on an extra insurance goal in the third.
The series also allowed for a reunion between former Muskies Cooper Witherspoon and Nick Hahkala and the team they helped lead to OFSAA gold last season.
“The guys were all anxious and excited to play the Kings, but having local guys being on the Kings always adds a little more fun and rivalry,” noted Sinclair.
“[Witherspoon and Hahkala] looked just fine out there and they fit in absolutely.
“Their coach had a lot of good things to say about them,” Sinclair added.
“He said the Kings have been lacking character-type players like them in recent years, and that’s 100 percent [due to former Muskie head coach] Jamie Davis responsible for that.”
Besides special teams, Sinclair said there were other areas that need some fine-tuning in practice this week before the games begin to count in the standings.
“Our forecheck needs a little more urgency,” he admitted.
“There’s lots of little things that end up making a big difference.”
The Muskies’ first NorWOSSA home action is slated for Nov. 22-23 at the Ice For Kids Arena, when the Red Lake Rams visit for a two-game set.