Returning from the holiday break, the Bonnyville Jr. A Pontiacs inconsistent play continued, as the team surrendered a third period lead Jan. 4 in Spruce Grove, losing to the Saints 4-3, before returning home Saturday and lighting up the St. Albert Steel 6-2.
With a 6-3-1 record over the past 10 games, the Pontiacs have found success more often than not. Scattered among the wins, however, were three tough losses, including two in which Bonnyville carried a lead into the third period only to lose it in regulation time.
“We've given up too many points heading down the stretch,” said Pontiacs head coach and general manager Chad Mercier, adding he believes his team can be very successful when there are consistent efforts put forth by the players.
“When you have leads, then sit back and stop playing, those things have to become unacceptable,” Mercier continued. “We're at that stretch with 18 games left where we really gotta go every time we set foot on the ice.
“When this group plays on their toes and we stay aggressive and remain assertive in all situations we can be very difficult to beat. But when we go into lulls, it becomes very evident.”
He said the players want to win and have challenged each other to bring their best efforts day in and day out.
Coming back from the holiday break, it appeared the Pontiacs were ready to play at top form, out-shooting the top team in the league, the Spruce Grove Saints, 36-21, while building a 3-2 lead heading into the third period.
But the ever-dangerous Saints, who never seem to be out of a game, clawed back, scoring just over a minute into the third period, tying the game at 3-3, before putting one past Pontiacs starting goalie Dylan Wells with just under a minute to go in regulation time, taking the lead for good.
Despite the devastating turn of events in Spruce Grove, the Pontiacs, as they have done so many times this season, responded with a strong game at home.
“The Steel didn't give us anything for free tonight, but I really liked the way our guys responded after Wednesday's loss,” said Mercier, following his team's 6-2 win over the St. Albert Steel in Bonnyville Saturday night.
“Even against the Steel we had our down times, but I think our responses within the game were very good,” Mercier explained.
The Pontiacs got out to a 3-0 lead over the Steel in the first period on goals from Tanner Dusyk, Ty Carey and Blake Leask.
The Steel stuck with it and picked up both a shorthanded and powerplay marker in the second. But Bonnyville kept its foot on the gas, getting goals from Keith Csizmadia and another from Carey to take a 5-2 lead heading into the third.
Pontiacs forward Tommy Barszcz added a goal late in the final frame, as the Pontiacs sent the last-place Steel packing.
With his goal Saturday, Dusyk continues to lead the Pontiacs with 43 points, while Barszcz added to his team-leading goal total, scoring his 20th on the season against the Steel.
Leask, who picked up a goal and an assist, sits third in team scoring behind Dusyk and Barszcz with 36 points, two ahead of forward Ryan Kearns.
Defenceman Zach Beisel made his return to the lineup Saturday for the first time since going out with an injury in late November. Beisel picked up two assists against the Steel, giving him nine points in 22 games this season.
Carey, who made his return to the lineup in mid-December after suffering two injuries, has been on a bit of a tear of late, scoring points in each of his last three games, including his two-goal performance against the Steel.
He said the team was happy with the win, but has a lot of work to do heading into the stretch run.
“We're coming back from a couple losses in a row, so the win tonight definitely feels pretty good,” he explained. “But right now we're going to continue to harp on the details and get that consistency to our game that we need to be successful.”
With the win Saturday, the Pontiacs remain tied for fourth in the AJHL's north division with the Sherwood Park Crusaders, though the Pontiacs have played two fewer games.
The teams will meet in Sherwood Park Wednesday, before the Pontiacs return home to welcome the Calgary Canucks to town Saturday. Puck drop for both games is at 7 p.m.
