Benny Walchuk:
It's time once again for the Yorkton Terriers Coaches Show here on GX94. Joined by head coach and GM Emery Olauson after the opening weekend. I guess, coach, one game for you guys on the weekend, a nice 6-2 win on home ice in the home opener and banner-raising night against the Estevan Bruins. So, all in all, a great start to the season.
Emery Olauson:
For sure. Yeah, we were happy with, obviously, the result at the end of the day. Some young guys stepped up and did some things we expected of them eventually.
Obviously, we had a good preseason, a good week of practice and, like you said, one game of preparation. So, we got to empty the tanks once.
Benny Walchuk:
No, exactly. I know two guys that played a role for you guys last year in the run to the finals, but maybe didn't get the offensive chances. Now they kind of do here this year, with Austin Horbachewsky and Jake Briltz getting three points each. I guess it's nice to see those guys and some veterans stand up and open up here on opening night.
Emery Olauson:
Yeah, you know what? With those guys, you feel great when your depth players develop into new roles and all that kind of stuff. We've kind of said from the start, our entire team plays by the same rules and the same system.
I think sometimes momentum is not a real thing in hockey, but players feel something about confidence. So sometimes that "top six" word gets thrown around a lot, but when you are in the top six, sometimes the points follow you.
Both those players, I thought, elevated their game in the playoffs last year. Didn't get the results, like you said, statistically, but we knew if we're going to be a team that can score, those guys are going to have to get out to good starts.
And a good start they did.
Benny Walchuk:
I know six goals in that opening game. I know offense is always something hard to come by at the beginning of the year, but what did you guys do so well offensively?
Emery Olauson:
You know what? I think we defended really well. Our first and third periods were really, really strong.
Our second got away from us a little bit. I thought we started cheating towards offense, and when that happens, you never get it.
So it was just pretty tight checking, a good forecheck. We did a really good job with gapping up in the neutral zone and creating turnovers and stuff like that.
Obviously, you can create all the chances you want, and if you don't bury pucks, then you don't get the reward for it.
So, when you have Chewy and Briltsey both score breakaway goals, Tyson Medernach, a 17-year-old, get off to a start like that on the power play, we had a shorthanded goal and a power-play goal, and 11 different point-getters in Game 1, it was a team effort.
I thought we did a good job of being pretty relentless with our effort, and it paid off in Game 1. It's not always going to go that way, we know.
But yeah, I think it was just the focus on the defensive side that helped our offense a lot.
Benny Walchuk:
I know three road games here this week. Warman tomorrow, then, of course, Kindersley on the weekend. I guess let's start with Warman. I know a team that split their opening weekend as well, with a big bounce-back win. What are you expecting from the Wolverines coming up on Tuesday?
Emery Olauson:
Oh, Year 2. You know, moving from Notre Dame to Warman last year. Obviously, you're going to have growing pains and probably just roster construction, trying to obviously get more Warman and Saskatoon kids in the lineup.
So that might come at a cost of the quality in Year 1. But it's, you know, the early showing would be that's a better team this year.
I think Humboldt, if any of the experts are right, is going to be a frontrunner for league contention. And, you know, to do a good job against them is something we're taking notice of.
Yeah, I think they're a good team. They're deep. They return a bunch of guys, and obviously Brett's been there now a year and probably getting a little bit more comfortable with himself.
