Wheat Kings looking to rebound on road

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This article was published 10/10/2024 (589 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Brandon Wheat Kings will be hoping to rediscover some early season magic in Medicine Hat tonight.

The Western Hockey League team practised early Thursday morning and then set out for Alberta for games against the Tigers this evening at 8 p.m. CDT and against the host Lethbridge Hurricanes on Saturday at 7 o’clock.

After looking like world beaters in three wins to start the season, the team now finds itself mired in a 1-2-0-1 slump.

“There have been ups and downs for sure,” Brandon head coach and general manager Marty Murray said. “One thing you have to look at it is now guys are getting their teams put together. Everybody is back from camps. We don’t want to push any panic buttons but it’s an eye opener for us that it’s going to be hard every night.

“Not that those games at the start of the year were easy, but now everybody has their teams back and are getting their feet under them. It’s a challenge every night.”

There weren’t many highlights in Tuesday’s 4-1 loss at home to the visiting Everett Silvertips, other than the 40 saves goalie Carson Bjarnason made.

After rookie Ben Binder Nord gave the Wheat Kings a 1-0 lead six minutes into the game, the visitors gradually took the game over and scored four unanswered goals, including two off the stick of 15-year-old defenceman Landon DuPont.

“No question, it was disappointing,” Murray said. “Against a real good team that works hard, we were on our heels most of the night and didn’t really give ourselves a chance to win, other than Bjarnason.”

The loss dropped Brandon’s record to 4-2-0-1, and while they still hold a share of first place in the highly competitive Eastern Conference, Murray is concerned about his team’s work rate in their last four outings.

“It’s very frustrating,” Murray said. “That’s the hard thing. You can sit and go, ‘Well, you can take guys’ ice away,’ but when there are more guys who probably need to get a kick in the rear than are going, it makes it challenging. They had a players’ meeting (on Wednesday), we had a good video session and had a good work day. Those winning habits start in practice and that was the message we wanted to get out.”

Veteran forward Caleb Hadland, who can reliably be counted on to be among his team’s hardest workers, said his team simply hasn’t been playing its best game. In the players meeting, he said a number of topics were addressed.

“There were a lot of things said but it’s just coming to the rink and having fun,” Hadland said. “When we’re having fun, we’re working hard and we’re all here for each other and have each other’s back.”

Backup goalie Ethan Eskit saw things the same way.

“I honestly think it’s a bit of everything,” Eskit said. “We have to believe in ourselves a bit more. If you look at the top teams, I think we’re one of them, but we have to play harder, work harder and execute. If you look at Everett, that’s a perfect example. They’re quick, they’re fast, they do the right things.

“We’re not far away from that, and if we do the right things, we’ll be at the top.”

Eskit, who is off to a strong 3-0-0-1 start with a 1.71 goals-against average and .935 save percentage, said the strength of their schedule has also factored in to their recent struggles.

“We got off to a hot start but some of the teams we’re facing were a little bit weaker than what we faced the last few games,” Eskit said. “It is tough that we left points on the table. We’ve been working on that this week and we’re trying other finish off the week with a strong two games in Alberta and get back to the way we were playing in the first few games and winning.”

The team remains without the services of injured forward Nick Johnson, who sustained a lower-body injury when he was tackled as he watched a scrum from a distance on Sept. 21 during a 5-1 win over the Regina Pats. He remains out week to week after scoring a hat trick in that game.

Carter Klippenstein, Quinn Mantei and Roger McQueen also watched Wednesday’s practice from the stands as they nurse minor ailments.

Their status for the weekend remains unknown.

Hadland and Eskit are two of the eight Albertans on the roster, so they’re looking forward to the trip.

“It will be fun,” Eskit said. “The road trips are always awesome because you’re with the guys the whole weekend. And Alberta being my home province, it’s awesome. I know we’re not in Calgary, but Lethbridge and Med Hat are two top teams, so it will be a battle but hopefully we get four points.”

Hadland agreed.

“It will be good,” he said. “We have a couple of hard opponents out there. Med Hat and Lethbridge are both good teams. It will be a tough road trip but I think getting out on the road with the boys will be good and a restart for us.”

ICINGS: Two of the team’s 16-year-old rookies, Jaxon Jacobson and Giorgos Pantelas, have been selected to play in the 2024 U17 World Challenge, scheduled for Nov. 3-9, 2024, in Sarnia, Ont. Canada is sending two teams, with Jacobson suiting up for Team Red and Pantelas joining Team White … The Kelowna Rockets traded 17-year-old Czech forward Max Psenicka to the Portland Winterhawks on Thursday for a pair of conditional draft picks, a fifth-rounder in 2025 and a third rounder in 2026.

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