CALGARY - What a difference a week can make.
The Calgary Dinos, who had scored 13 goals in their past eight games, going 1-7 in the process, caught fire this past weekend against the Saskatchewan Huskies, matching their eight game regular season total in only two games. With the Manitoba Bisons, a team that swept the Dinos early in the season, upcoming, Calgary's new found offense must sustain itself in order to gain ground in the standings.
The Huskies had no answer for the energy and enthusiasm the Dinos played with this past weekend. With a penalty kill and power play working at a high capacity, defenders sprawling out to block shots and goaltender Jeff Weber making highlight reel saves, it was the spread of scoring throughout the lineup that may have been the most exciting breakthrough for Calgary.
Fact is, the fate of Calgary's season could very well come down to the final weekend of the season against the UBC Thunderbirds, especially being that the T-Birds are building momentum as soon as Calgary is doing the same. Adding extra tension to that upcoming weekend series is the fact that both teams will be without key coaches and players, an effect of the Winter Universiade in Harbin, China.
With four of their leading scorers, Reid Jorgensen, Torrie Wheat, Brett O'Malley, and Travis Friedley packing their bags for the trip, the rest of the Dinos lineup will need to continue their strong team play. With only one of those 13 goals against the Huskies being credited to the foursome (O'Malley), the team looks to be in great hands moving forward.
This weekend versus the Bisons, their rediscovered teamwork cannot be pushed aside. Having played arguably one of their worse games of the year against the Bisons in a 3-0 Nov. 7 loss that could have been much worse, Calgary will be looking for revenge.
Forward Paul Gentile could be primed for some more big games, as in the second game of the early season series against the Bisons, the fourth year team leader had a goal and an assist amidst an excellent all-around game. Having played an excellent, gritty weekend against the Huskies, Gentile is starting to get rewarded for his hard work in the most crucial of times for the Dinos.
Forwards Brock Nixon and Kyle Annesley each had solid weekends, notching eight points combined, while defensemen Jerrid Sauer and Dan Ehrman had five points to lead the back end.
Steve Christie has played 96% of the total regular season minutes in net for the Bisons, and is undoubtedly the leader of the third place team in Canada West. The third year workhorse has been superb with a 2.40 GAA and a 0.919 save percentage, but somewhat unspectacular after 60 minutes of play, where he has one overtime loss, and four shootout losses. With only four games remaining for the Bisons, the Winnipeg squad will be once again be leaning heavily on their net minder to win a few more points in their quest for home ice in the playoffs.
Offensively, Manitoba is very well rounded, with nine players having recorded ten or more points on the year. Led by Rick Wood and Mike Hellyer, who are both joining the Calgary foursome in China for the Universiade games, the Bisons will look to spread the wealth once again to disrupt the flow of a rejuvenated Dinos team.
Following the series, the Bisons round out their season on the weekend of Feb. 13-14 the No. 1 Alberta Golden Bears in Edmonton. Calgary will return home briefly before making the two hour jaunt south to face the Lethbridge Pronghorns in their second last weekend series of the season.
Puck drops at 6 p.m. MT on both Friday and Saturday evening at the Max Bell Arena in Winnipeg.
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