The Muskies exploded for six third-period goals here last Friday night en route to an 8-1 romp over the visiting Chisholm/Cook Bluestreaks.
The win also left the black-and-gold undefeated so far this season, including a perfect 2-0 mark against American teams (they had trounced the Falls Broncos 8-3 here last Tuesday night).
“It was a good game for us,” head coach Glen Edwards enthused afterwards. “It was a good first period for us. We skated well and worked hard. . . . By the third period, we wore them down.”
“We are happy with the way everyone played,” he added.
Assistant coach Ken Christiansen also thought the boys played a strong and consistent game.
“We had four lines and six defence which kept the pressure on them and eventually we broke them down,” he noted.
Kevin Webb, assisted by David Lloyd, put the Muskies on the scoreboard late in the first period, then Jeff Savage (from Adam McTavish and John Woodgate) netted the lone goal of the second to make it 2-0.
After Donald Kellar (assisted by Bryce Witherspoon and Woodgate) put the black-and-gold up 3-0 in the third, Mike Faist spoiled Blake Carlson’s shutout bid with just under 10 minutes to go.
But it was all Muskies after that.
Cole Hayward, from Webb and Lorne Koski, regained the Muskies’ three-goal cushion, then Nathan Miller (Ira Ottertail/Kris Esselink) made it 5-1 moments later.
Then with less than five minutes left, Ross Anderson (Hayward), Ottertail, and McTavish (Savage) all tallied to round out the scoring.
Edwards noted everyone played last Friday against the Bluestreaks, which didn’t happen when they met up against the Falls three nights earlier.
And Christiansen said although the Muskies are undefeated so far, they still have some work to do in practice.
“They still have some things to work on but they are getting better. The puck movement is improving and they are getting better at staying out of our own zone,” he noted.
And Edwards stressed that it was by far the biggest game of the year.
“Traditionally it is a battle between Dryden and us. We are playing well and looking forward to the challenge of knocking them off,” he noted.
“Dryden and us we have a big rivalry–they like to beat us and we like to beat them,” he said.
The black-and-gold next will host Red Lake this Friday at 7 p.m. and again Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Memorial Sports Centre.