After back-to-back losses on the road to the Grande Prairie Storm, the Bonnyville Jr. A Pontiacs are looking to reset ahead of their final three games of the regular season.
Assistant coach T.J. Millar said the team was looking to bounce back after a tough road trip to Fort McMurray the weekend before.
“The best way to do that was getting back to playing how we know how, which is playing with speed, being physical, getting lots of shots on net, and just being a physical and dominant presence anytime we have our lines on the ice. Unfortunately, it didn’t go that way,” he expressed.
Pontiac Joel Ray noted this was the first time this season the Pontiacs have lost more than two consecutive games.
“I think we were just in our heads. Maybe feeling the pressure of trying to win for the top of the north, and we were putting a little too much pressure on ourselves to make sure we won,” he said.
Pontiacs lose in a heartbreaker
During the first game of the weekend on Friday, Feb. 22, the Pontiacs fell 3-2 to the Storm.
It was Bonnyville who got on the scoreboard first. Jaden York found the back of the net within the first seven minutes of the game.
The rest of the period would go to Grande Prairie, who put themselves in a 2-1 lead.
Just over 12-minutes into the second, Marc-Antoine Benoit scored the only goal of the period and tied the game at 2-2.
“The guys tried to rally back and battle that first game. We lost a heartbreaker there,” Ray recalled.
It would be the Storm who came out on top, capitalizing on a powerplay in the third frame to beat the Pontiacs 3-2.
Storm sweeps the weekend
Unfortunately, the Pontiacs weren’t able to get in a win during their road trip. They lost 6-2 when they hit the ice again on Feb. 23.
“(The loss) was on us. We let it get away from us. It was more of a blow, and we should have been better in the second game,” exclaimed Ray.
Less than three minutes into the first, Benoit added his name to the scoresheet.
The Storm would answer with two of their own, finishing the first frame with a 2-1 lead.
The Pontiacs tied it up 2-2 five minutes into the second period, with Cayden Kraus adding a point of his own to the scoreboard.
Before the end of the game, Grande Prairie added four more points, two in the second, and two in the third, for a final 6-2.
With the last three games of their regular season approaching, the Pontiacs are looking to bounce back ahead of playoffs.
“It’s going to be huge that we can get back on track in front of our fans, and show them how hard we’ve been working, how hard we’re going to be ready to be prepared for playoffs, and then we’re going to take care of business in front of the fans that know us best,” detailed Millar.
Ray added, “Even though this is a tough time, we’re the same team as before and we’re going to come out flying in the playoff season. We’re on a bit of a slide right now, but we’re on the mend. We’re going to rally, and realize what we’re going to need to do going into playoffs.”
The Pontiacs next home game is on Wednesday, Feb. 27 against the Spruce Grove Saints. Puck drop is 7:30 p.m.
