The Bonnyville Jr. A Pontiacs are amidst the longest slump of their season, losing three games in a row and seven of the past eight games overall heading into the final two games of the regular season.
After appearing to shake their futility on offence, exploding for nine goals against the St. Albert Steel Feb. 4, the Pontiacs have dipped back into the loss column, with a near complete lack of goals to go along with the defeats.
This past Tuesday the Pontiacs were shutout 5-0 in Fort McMurray, before dropping a 4-2 decision to the Camrose Kodiaks Feb. 11 at home. Bonnyville wrapped up the rough week of hockey with another shutout loss Sunday, this time it was a 4-0 loss to the St. Albert Steel, who sit last in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) with just eight wins on the season.
“We've been good at times,” said Pontiacs head coach and general manager Chad Mercier, following the loss in St. Albert. “But then we go shooting ourselves in the foot with our play and that leads us to getting discouraged and when that happens we press and we squeeze our sticks and we get away from the game we know we should be able to play.”
Mercier continued, “This is obviously our biggest drought of the season. It's our longest funk. But it doesn't have to be all negative. This can make us better if we learn from it and get back to the way we know we can play or it can divide us. But it's up to us to make that decision.”
He said there is no question about it, the team, including both players and coaches, need to take responsibility for their actions or lack thereof and be better in all areas of the game.
“Things have really piled up on us and we need to get our heads on straight and understand that right now our game is a long ways away from where it can and needs to be,” Mercier said. “But in a lot of ways it's a simple fix.”
Through this recent stretch the Pontiacs have now dropped to fifth in the AJHL's North Division, two points back of the fourth-place Sherwood Park Crusaders.
Pontiacs 20-year-old forward Dillon Currie believes the team can turn it around but it will take hard work and determination put into action.
“We can say all the right things and we have,” said Currie. “But now, if we want to get out of this and set ourselves up for a long playoff run, we need to put those words into action.”
He said at this time of the season mistakes are magnified and have critical consequences but the team can't be focusing on the mistakes.
“We have to play to win. We can't always focus on what we are doing wrong. We need to start doing things right.”
The Pontiacs now have two games left in the regular season, both at home and both against the Spruce Grove Saints.
“It will be a test,” said Currie. “We always want to win but at this point we need to start building some momentum.”
The final two games go Thursday and Friday, with puck drop at 7 p.m. both nights.
Thursday's game will be a fundraiser for the Lakeland Region's Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada. A raffle will be held during the game, with funds benefiting the MS society.
Starting goalie Dylan Wells returned to the lineup for Saturday's game against Camrose.
Forward Ryan Kearns remains out of the lineup with an injury but will likely return for playoffs.
Co-captain Dante Borrelli has returned to practice and is awaiting a doctor's confirmation in order to return to game action.
Forward Austen Hebert has been out of the lineup for the past week with an injury but hopes to return to practice this week.
