Mitch Calvert
Getting pucks past Ryan Faragher of late has been about as difficult a task as convincing kids that broccoli is good for them.
Faragher is stopping nearly everything lately, and has been a huge key to the Fort Frances Jr. Sabres’ success of late. He recorded his second shutout of the season Nov. 7 against the visiting Thunder Bay Bearcats, turning aside 34 shots while backstopping the Sabres to a 4-0 victory.
He then stopped 32 of 33 shots the following night, keeping the Sabres in the game until Dan Usiski knotted the score in the third period before netting the shootout winner to beat the Bearcats again.
The Sabres now have won four-straight—and figure to win many more if they continue to get the kind of goaltending Faragher has provided of late.
“I had a couple tough games at the start of the year and I know coming back from B.C. [cut from Vernon Vipers], some people may have thought it might have shaken my confidence, but really it just boosted my confidence and allowed me to play harder,” Faragher remarked.
“The past few games I’ve been feeling really good in net, trying to help the guys out, and keeping everything calm back there.”
Typically, Faragher is deflecting much of the credit towards his teammates, but their fine play can be somewhat related to the confidence Faragher gives them as he’s been there to bail out the odd mistake.
“They’ve been putting the puck in the other net, and that’s what we need,” Faragher stressed.
The Sabres (10-6-1) will have had 12 days off between games when they suit up against the Bearcats tomorrow night in Thunder Bay and Faragher admitted the lengthy layoff probably wasn’t what the team needed given the way they’ve been playing.
“After having a few good games here at home, a layoff wasn’t what we really needed, but I’m sure we can get past that and have another good weekend here coming up,” he noted.
“We’ve been working hard, and even when we weren’t practising, we’ve been doing dryland [training], so I’m sure everyone will be up for it.”
After the Bearcats, the Sabres then will face the host Fort William North Stars in back-to-back games this Friday and Saturday (Nov. 21-22).
The Sabres will have a new addition in their lineup for the three-game road trip, but it’s not who some people may have thought would have been here at this point.
Colton Kennedy was acquired from the Winnipeg South Blues of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League for defenceman Kyle Friesen, who the Sabres had traded for just last week.
“He’s a skilled player, played for the Bearcats last year, was with Portage [MJHL] to start the year but was traded to the Blues,” Sabres’ head coach Wayne Strachan noted.
“He left the Blues [a month ago], wasn’t happy there, and has been at home for a bit here,” Strachan added. “But once he gets in game shape, he’ll probably come in and play on one of the top two lines.”
Meanwhile, Tyler Miller, currently with the Port Hope Predators, remains on the trading block. Strachan said talks are still in progress between the two teams in hopes of bringing Miller back to his hometown.
The Bearcats and North Stars also are said to be involved in the bidding.
“They are still ongoing, we’re close, and hoping to have it wrapped up by later this week. But if not this week, then hopefully definitely by Dec. 1,” Strachan stressed.
Despite the fact Miller brings a lot to the table and would be a big addition to the Sabres, Faragher said the team isn’t looking ahead and instead is focusing on what they do have going into a tough road trip.
“I guess the guys in the dressing room figure if we get him, we get him, but we’re not going to keep our hopes up and just focus on playing with what we have,” he remarked.
The Sabres also are interested in Brian White, Miller’s former Muskie linemate, who is in his final year of junior eligibility, as well. He’s currently with the Neepawa Natives of the MJHL, having notched 22 points in 25 games to date.
“He’s definitely on our list of players we’re shopping for,” Strachan said of White. “But he’s having a good year in Neepawa, and it’s probably going to be hard to persuade them to send him back home.
“But we’re trying and we’ll definitely keep watching his progress.”
Despite the potential windfall of talent seemingly prepared to fall into their laps, the Sabres have been winning with their current lineup—and they’ll have to continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
“I think we are in good shape bringing in Kennedy with the lines we already have,” Strachan said. “I’m sure the Bearcats are going to be ready for us, and want some revenge.
“We will continue to do a lot of repetition on the things we have been working on, defensively in our own end as a team, and obviously our power play,” he added. “I think both areas have improved in the last couple weeks, our power play isn’t racking up a lot of goals, but we’re getting the opportunities and that’s good to see.
“If we weren’t getting the opportunities, then we’d have to worry a little more on how we are executing, but it’s come a long way since the start of the year.”
Faragher agreed it will take continued 60-minute efforts to beat two of the league’s top teams in their own rinks this weekend.
“Discipline, hard work, and we’ve got to relax and not get too uptight about anything and just play our game,” he stressed.
The Sabres’ next home action is slated Nov. 27 against the Dryden Ice Dogs.
