The Yorkton Terriers have gotten off to a solid start to the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League season, including a home ice win Saturday in overtime.
The game Saturday against Nipawin was really a tale of three different periods, at least for the host Terriers.
In the opening frame the Hawks jumped out to a 2-0.
But in the second, the Terrier offence caught fire, scoring five goals, including a pair of short-handed efforts by Robbie Ciolfi. Gary Rai, Ryan McDonell and Craig Eisenhut also scored for Yorkton, which led 5-3 after 40-minutes.
In the third the Hawks again took control, scoring a pair of unanswered goals to tie the game, sending the game to overtime.
Blaine Tendler was the Terrier hero, scoring the OT winner on the powerplay.
Devin Peters had the win in the Yorkton net, facing 24 shots and making 19 saves.Tendler said the game-winner was of course a big goal.
"Obviously whenever you score a game-winning goal it feels nice," he said. However, he was quick to add, "there was no way we should have had to go to overtime to get two points."
Tendler said after letting the Hawks get an early lead, "we clawed our way back," and after taking the lead in the second should have hung on to win in regulation time.
Terrier head coach Trent Cassan said the ebb and flow play of the game as far as his charges were concerned is an issue, but one he can live with this early in the season.
"We're still trying to figure out what makes our team go," he said. " We're finding out the strengths of each of our players."
In the second Cassan said when the Terriers "buckled down and played with some urgency we can make some things happen."
By contrast he added, "In the first period we didn't play very well."
The third was another bad period, and Cassan said in some respects the Terriers were lucky to get two points having only played well for about 20-minutes.
"They're some things we've got to work on," he said, noting that includes tightening up the defence at times in a game.
However, Cassan said with some players with good offensive skills he doesn't want to "clamp down" on them too much because it would take away from their creativity. The win was the Terrier's third in three starts, giving Yorkton six points and a share of first place in the Sherwood Conference with Estevan. Kindersley has four points, Notre Dame three and Weyburn and Melville two points each.
Thursday the Terriers hosted Kindersley and recorded a 5-4 win.
The Klippers had a 2-0 lead after the first period, and was tied 4-4 after two frames. In the third, Zak Majkowski scored the game-winner with his second goal of the game for the Terriers.
Clarke Breitkreuz, Keon Vick and Tendler also scored for Yorkton.
Peters had the win in the Terrier net facing 27 shots.
The Terriers lone loss of the season to-date came last Wednesday in Melfort. The Mustangs led 3-2 after 20-minutes, 5-2 after two periods, and hung on as the Terriers scored twice in the third to make it a 5-4 final.
Kelly Leismeister led the Terriers with a pair, with Ciolfi and McDonell adding singles.
Warren Shymko took the loss in the Terrier net, but faced 45 shots, stopping 40.
The Terrier offence has been strong early in the season, accounting for 20-goals in the four games this season.
Tender said the Terriers lost a core of players off last season's playoff-surprise team, and that has meant others have had to assume new roles.
"Everybody's got to step up," he said. "So far everybody's been scoring."
Tendler, who is wearing the Captain's 'C' this season said the playoff run last spring is something they can build on.
"We know what it takes to win," he said, adding while he is honoured to wear the 'C' there are lots of leaders back from last season. It's their job "to try and get the young guys to buy in," to the winning formula.
That said, Tendler said the Terrier coaching staff is still preaching goal prevention first.
"Trent (Cassan) always stresses take care of our end first, and the offence will come," he said.
Up nextThe Terriers play in Humboldt tonight, then host Estevan at the Farrell Agencies Arena Friday.This Saturday and Monday the Terriers will be in Wilcox to face the Notre Dame HoundsAnd next Tuesday Humboldt repays the earlier visit by visiting the Terriers.
