Craig Read
First off, Doug, a good start to the season for the Mils, splitting the home-and-home against the Weyburn Red Wings to kick things off. How would you assess the opening weekend?
Doug Johnson
Well, I don't think it's a success. We have high expectations, and we want to make sure that we put our best foot forward day in and day out.
I thought at times we didn't put our best foot forward this weekend. We did get the split against a good team, but there are some chances that we let slip away, some chances we gave up, and some goals we gave up that should never occur.
So, it's still early. We're still figuring things out, but all in all, we need to be a little better moving forward.
Craig Read
Looking back over the weekend, the line of Leo Jewitt, Hudson Closson and Deegan Petruska had a pretty solid weekend. What did you see from them?
Doug Johnson
They had a lot of success because they played how we wanted them to. They played fast, they played hard, they took time and space away from the opposition, they put pressure on them and then attacked the net.
They scored some goals, and the goals they scored all came from turnovers. They put pressure on, created a turnover, and made something happen.
Just little, simple things like that. Things that really don't take a lot of skill; they just take effort.
That's what we're preaching to our guys, and it was really nice to see them have success doing what we asked them to do.
Craig Read
Now the work continues as you look forward to the weekend with a pair of games against the Melfort Mustangs. What are you guys going to be focusing on in practice this week?
Doug Johnson
It's just having a hunter mentality. Making sure we're moving our feet, making sure we're playing with pace, and making sure guys want to be difference-makers.
We need to get more of that hunter mentality into our game. We can't be a perimeter, soft-skilled team. We need to be a work-based team.
That's been the mentality all through camp. We see progression, but it's not there yet. It's coming, and that's all we can ask for right now.
Craig Read
Finally, the Melfort Mustangs are your opponent for the home-and-home this weekend. What are you expecting from them?
Doug Johnson
They're going to play a game very similar to us. They're going to be in your face, and they're going to get up and down the ice fairly quickly.
They're a defensively conscious team. They're not going to sacrifice defence for offence. They play sound, and they don't give up much.
So, we're going to have to earn every opportunity we get and just be ready for a physically hard weekend.
