Wheat Kings focus on finishing on road

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This article was published 23/11/2010 (5638 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Brandon Wheat Kings are looking for a little finish on their three-game road trip this week, in more ways than one.

The Wheat Kings have been outscored 8-0 in the third periods of their last three games — all home losses — with the last two being particularly disappointing, since they blew one-goal leads against the Calgary Hitmen and Moose Jaw Warriors.

Wheat Kings head coach/ general manager Kelly McCrimmon said the key to a stronger finish in the third period might be some better finish around the net earlier in games.

"For me, I thought that it was the second period each night where we had the opportunities to widen the lead and didn’t, that hurt us," McCrimmon said via cell phone from the team bus on Monday as the Wheat Kings rode to Medicine Hat, Alta., to face the Tigers tonight.

"I think when you carry the play as much as we did both games in the first and second period, you’d like to think that you’d have had a bigger lead, which I think when you’re playing in your own building and you have a bigger lead going into the third, I think it makes it that much more challenging for your opponent. We had lots of great chances and weren’t able to score."

While the Wheat Kings’ third period as a whole was poor against the Hitmen,who sit last in the Western Hockey League standings, McCrimmon said he was happy with his team’s play in the final frame against the Warriors.

"I think most nights if we’re protecting a lead in the third period, we want to do a lot of the exact same things that we did in the Moose Jaw game," he said.

Captain Shayne Wiebe said the losses served as a reminder of how quickly a game can turn around.

"For sure, if you lose focus in the game, any team can score on you in this league," he said.

Tonight’s game is the first of four key Eastern Conference matchups in five nights for the eighth-place Wheat Kings(11-14-1-0).

The Wheat Kings visit the Swift Current Broncos tomorrow, before playing a home-and-home series with the Warriors on Friday in Moose Jaw, Sask., and Saturday night at Westman Place.

All three teams are within four points in the East Division standings.

"First we want to work to have a successful road trip and then refocus our attention when we get back to Brandon for the home game on Saturday," McCrimmon said, "and I guess shorter term we want to be ready to play Medicine Hat (tonight). They’ve won four in a row."

Wiebe said the team is comfortable on the road and looks at the swing as not just a challenge, but an opportunity.

"I think getting our (West Coast) swing out of the way with early has helped our young team get used to the road trips," he said. "And I think for sure we can steal some points out of here."

ONE-TIMERS: The Wheat Kings expect Brandon LW Mike Ferland (ankle, day-to-day), who has missed the last five games, to return sometime this week … Brandon C Scott Glennie has scored a goal in each of his last five games, the longest active streak in the WHL … Brandon LW Hampus Gustafsson has three goals and two assists in his last four games … Medicine Hat RW Linden Vey has points in four straight games, with six goals and six assists in that span … Brandon D Darren Bestland is -7 in his last three games and sits third-last in the league in that category.