Mitch Calvert
The Fort Frances Jr. Sabres biggest test lays ahead.
After sweeping the Sioux Lookout Flyers twice here last week, wrapping things up with a 7-2 win Friday night, the squad now goes on the road for three games in three nights—starting tonight against the vaunted Fort William North Stars.
“The first period was the way we wanted the game to go,” Sabres’ head coach Wayne Strachan said of his team’s quick 5-0 lead over the Flyers on Friday.
“We felt we needed a quick start and to control the game right from the start of the first face-off, [and] for the most part we did,” he added.
Despite extending their winning streak to six games after opening the season with four-straight home defeats, the Sabres lost forward Dan Smith to an apparent upper body injury in the first period of Friday night’s game.
“Smith’s injury hurts,” Strachan conceded Monday. “We don’t have word as of yet on when he’ll be back or the extent of the injury.”
The Sabres (6-4) have had no problems scoring goals over their first 10 games (51 compared to 30 against), but forward Brendan Baumgartner said the play of Ryan Faragher in goal when he first returned from a tryout with the Vernon Vipers really gave the team some added confidence.
“I think the play of Faragher really gave everybody in the room a boost and everyone has come out and played harder [since his return],” he enthused.
Baumgartner and linemate Chris Sinclair are tied for the SIJHL scoring lead with 19 points each while Mitch Cain isn’t much farther back with 15.
Strachan said their special teams play has been pretty solid over the six-game winning streak, but he can see the power play improving with the weapons they have up front.
“Our [penalty kill] has been a spot on our team that we haven’t had to worry about,” he lauded. “We have about eight, nine forwards that we can use and all of our ‘D-men,’” he added.
“Our [power play] still needs work,” he admitted. “We are around 18 percent but I would like it over 20 percent, and to be feared every time we get a man-advantage.
“Right now, I think we are trying to be too pretty in trying to score,” Strachan noted. “We have to just get pucks to the net and get guys banging in front to create chances.”
After their game against the North Stars tonight, the Sabres then play the Thunder Bay Bearcats tomorrow before wrapping up their tough three-game stretch Friday in Dryden against the Ice Dogs.
“We know it isn’t going to be easy, it’s teams ahead of us in the standings in the North Stars and Bearcats, but it’s teams we have competed against for 40-50 minutes,” Strachan remarked.
“We have been getting, for the most part, 60 minutes out of our guys lately. We need to have the same mentality we did against the [Schreiber] Diesels on the road,” he stressed.
“Our ‘PP’ has to be good as it will get chances, and we need some players to step up with some key guys injured right now.”
Baumgartner feels the Sabres can compete with anybody given their current lineup, but expects they’ll have to play their best to come home with a winning record.
“We got to really dig deep and try to pull out two or three [wins],” he insisted. “We need to get at least four points out of that road trip, but it’ll be a tough one for sure.”
The Sabres’ next game at the Ice for Kids Arena doesn’t come until Nov. 6, when they host the Diesels to open a three-game homestand.
