Benny Walchuk
Doug, you split the weekend — a win over Battlefords and a loss Saturday to the Flin Flon Bombers. What was the biggest difference between those two performances?
Doug Johnson
Just our special teams. We got the power-play goal Friday night, that was a big one for us to get that third goal. We built a three-goal lead, maybe coasted a bit the last 10 minutes and put ourselves in a tough spot with a five-on-three against, but we found a way. Saturday, we give up two power-play goals and then one right after a penalty expired — our power play didn’t step up and the PK made some uncharacteristic mistakes.
Benny Walchuk
You mentioned the power play. It’s had stretches where it looks good but maybe hasn’t always produced. What’s the biggest difference when it’s working versus when it’s not?
Doug Johnson
When it’s humming, we’re moving pucks quickly, not forcing plays, creating seams and being aggressive with our shots. When it’s stagnant, we overhandle, stay on the perimeter and don’t get quality shots. And when we do shoot, it’s just something soft to the net, not with authority. It’s like our overall game — when we’re aggressive and moving, it’s really good. When we’re vanilla, it’s a dog’s breakfast.
Benny Walchuk
Looking ahead, Friday in Humboldt against a team right behind you in the standings — what’s key in that matchup?
Doug Johnson
Humboldt’s got some momentum. They made changes at the deadline and are working to build their culture. They took it to us in our last meeting here when we were pretty vanilla. We need to be hungrier around the net, hungrier in the offensive zone, and defensively play our nasty, aggressive game. When we get on teams and stay on them, we frustrate them. We’ve got to make sure we do that Friday.
