Thunder GM not pushing panic button

Rash decisions are almost an inevitable outcome of turmoil.
But Borderland Thunder general manager Brent Tookenay is maintaining a think-before-you-leap attitude when it comes to the current woes of the defending SIJHL champs.
“There’s no sense in us pushing the panic button,” said Tookenay, whose team heads to Thunder Bay for a two-game series against the first-place Fort William First Nation North Stars this Friday and Saturday after being swept by those same Stars here last weekend.
“We’re building this team to be ready for the playoffs,” he noted. “We’re going to get over the hump. And there are players out there we can look at after Christmas to possibly bring in to help.”
Borderland currently sits in fourth place (7-11-1-1 for 16 points), three behind the third-place Thunder Bay KC Bulldogs (8-11-1-2) with two games in hand.
They are a measly 1-9-1-1 in their last 12 games, scoring only 32 goals in that span for an average of just 2.67 per game.
With a variety of injuries and suspensions to deal with so far this season, this past week clearly illustrated the transitional period the Thunder is going through.
Five players from five different parts of the map suited up for Borderland for the first time last Friday night against the Stars at the Ice for Kids Arena.
They included goalie Thomas Dombrowski, whose arrival from the North Bay Skyhawks (Northern Ontario Provincial Hockey League) made him the sixth different Thunder netminder this season; Selkirk Steelers blueliner Cale David (Manitoba Junior Hockey League); blueliner Spencer Davis from the Flin Flon Bombers (Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League); and centre Stephen MacLeod from the Quesnel Millionaires (British Columbia Junior Hockey League).
Along with those four signees, forward Mike Margarite was brought in from the Westfort Maroons Junior ‘B’ team as one of the Thunder’s affiliate players to help round out the roster.
Those additions have meant subtractions, too.
Forward Manno Copenace (two goals and two assists in 10 games) left the team Nov. 24, with his mother informing the Thunder coaching staff that Copenace “found it too hard” to play at the Junior ‘A’ level.
That same day, forward Cole Hayward (no points in two games) received a solid job offer outside of hockey and decided to take it, according to Borderland head coach Dave Allison.
The following day, the Thunder released goalie Joe Bergman (0-2, 7.50 goals against average, .797 save percentage) and also traded defenceman Charles Burd (no points in eight games) to the Tri-Town Thunder of the North Saskatchewan Junior ‘B’ Hockey League for future considerations.
With the merry-go-round halted for the time being, Tookenay said it’s time for the players to relax and get the job done.
“The guys are gripping their sticks too hard,” he remarked. “On our power plays, we’re lucky to get a shot. Not having Ian Lockman in the line-up has certainly changed the dynamics of what we can do out there.”
Lockman served the first two games of a three-game suspension last weekend against the Stars after picking up a match penalty for hitting from behind during the Thunder’s 7-4 loss in Dryden on Nov. 26.
That same game also led to Andrew Dault and Ryan Mayman both serving one-game suspensions last Friday night for getting involved in their third fights of the season.
While those two returned to action Saturday night, the Thunder had to go the whole weekend without captain Josh McAndrew (wrist), forward Sean Councillor (ankle), and starting goalie Dan Hoehne (concussion).
Tookenay said Hoehne should be good to go for this weekend.
But all the numbers point to an unenviable time for the Thunder against the Stars this weekend. Fort William has won nine-straight games, are 6-0 against the Thunder this season, and are 14-1 on home ice.
On the flip side, Borderland is only 2-8 on the road, and have lost their last eight in a row away from the Ice for Kids Arena.
The Stars (19-4-1) vaulted past the idle Ice Dogs (16-3-3-2) into first place in the SIJHL standings after taking two from the host Thunder last weekend, winning 3-2 in overtime Friday night and then 6-0 on Saturday.
Those packing a variety of stuffed animals for the Thunder’s annual “Teddy Bear Toss” to help underprivileged children this Christmas didn’t have to wait long to hurl their furry companions onto the ice.
Former Stars’ forward Colten Steinhoff buried a loose puck behind Jean-Frederick Beaudoin just 1:52 into the first period for his fourth of the season—and first with the Thunder since being picked up Nov. 17—to make it 1-0.
Matt Miller scored a beautiful breakaway goal at 7:39 of the first, then Mike Greaves deflected Mike Bushby’s shot behind Dombrowski, to give Fort William a 2-1 lead.
After a scoreless second period, Kevin Webb reeled in a long pass from Kurt Hogard at the Fort William blueline and broke in alone to beat Beaudoin at 1:52 of the third for his 16th of the year to square the contest.
In overtime, some face-off trickery slanted the ice in favour of the Stars.
Mike Krelove lost the draw in the Borderland zone on purpose, then drove to the net. Linemate Steve Atkins took the puck off the Thunder player, then fed Krelove in front, who slipped the rubber past Dombrowski at 4:20 to give the Stars the win.
Fort William was less willing to wait around for victory Saturday night, scoring three goals on just eight shots in the first period.
Atkins sandwiched goals around a marker by Nathan Breukelman to shoot the Stars into a 3-0 lead after 20 minutes. Brian Ross and Krelove then put the game away—scoring 1:22 apart late in the second.
Miller completed the domination at 10:50 of the third.
The Thunder were unable to find any holes in the blockade put up by Stars’ goalie Daniel Beardy, who is now 11-1 on the season with a 2.41 goals against average.
Borderland outshot the Stars 48-30, and had 79 shots in total, but could only hit paydirt twice.
The Thunder’s next home games are slated Dec. 19-20 against the last-place K&A Variety Golden Hawks (2-18-2).
(Fort Frances Times)