Playing in their final two games at the R.J. Lalonde Arena before the holiday break, the Bonnyville Jr. A Pontiacs players did all they could to put on a good show for the home crowd.
On Saturday, the Pontiacs and the Whitecourt Wolverines went right down to the wire, with Bonnyville's goalie Stephen Klein making the final save of the game, giving his team the 3-2 victory in a shootout.
The next night, Bonnyville took on the Drayton Valley Thunder. Again the teams required extra time to decide the game, however, on Sunday it was the Thunder coming out on top, as Drayton Valley delivered the winning goal just over a minute into overtime to take it 1-0.
Chad Mercier, Pontiacs head coach and general manager, said his team really came to play Saturday, putting up 56 shots in the win, but were not well-prepared offensively on Sunday.
“I thought there was some real good things that we did this weekend. I thought we worked hard, we defended really well, we didn't give a whole lot up offensively, but (on Sunday) we just weren't ready to make plays or hit the net or create offence,” Mercier explained.
“We had chances but it seemed like we were just flat-lined emotionally.”
He added, “What we said after the game is ‘If this was an off-game for us then we'll be fine. If this is where we're at from an engagement standpoint, especially offensively, then we're in trouble.”
He said, especially after Saturday's game, that the team is making steps in the right direction, but that there is still work to be done to become that elite team they are striving to be.
Opening the scoring Saturday was Pontiacs defenceman Owen Ferguson, notching his first goal with the team.
The first period was all Pontiacs, as the team out-shot Whitecourt 23-5 through 20 minutes.
The Wolverines finally got on the board in the second period, tying it up at one apiece halfway through the frame.
Bonnyville responded with another goal just five minutes later, this time off the stick of forward Tanner Dusyk, to make it 2-1 heading into the third.
Despite putting up another 19 shots in the third, it was Whitecourt scoring the goal, again tying it up and sending the game to overtime.
Whitecourt had most of the chances in overtime, but the Wolverines could not put anything past Klein, who came up with an unbelievable game-saving stop just before the end of the frame.
After going for the poke-check, Klein was left down and out of position, but recovered just in time to kick his right leg up and stop the puck just before it crossed the line.
Neither team scored on the first shootout attempt. Then it was Pontiacs forward Tommy Barszcz's turn. He skated in, made one quick move and backhanded it over the goalie's shoulder to give his team the lead.
Whitecourt then scored to tie it up, but Pontiacs forward Jackson Dudley responded, sniping one in off the post to take back the lead.
Klein then came up big again, stopping Whitecourt's final shooter to seal the deal.
The next night both the Pontiacs and Thunder played in a defensive-minded stalemate, as both teams could not break the deadlock before heading to overtime.
During the 3-on-3 overtime period Bonnyville got caught with two guys high in the zone and only one player down low, giving the Thunder an opportunity, which it capitalized on.
Despite only registering 16 shots, the Thunder came out on top, leaving Bonnyville with three of a possible four points on the weekend.
With the points, Bonnyville remains in second place in the AJHL's North Division with 47 points, three ahead of the third place Grande Prairie Storm and four place Whitecourt Wolverines.
Bonnyville will now head on the road for two games in Drayton Valley this weekend. The Pontiacs will play the Thunder Friday and then again on Saturday before getting two weeks off for the holidays.
The Pontiacs will return to action on Jan. 4, which will be the first of six straight games at home.
