Benny Walchuk:
It's time for the Melville Millionaires Coaches Show on GX94. I'm joined by head coach and general manager Doug Johnson following a big win over the Warman Wolverines.
The Millionaires have now won five straight games, including an impressive victory over Nipawin last Friday. Doug, things are starting to come together for your group. What have you liked about the way the team has been playing lately?
Doug Johnson:
We've said all along that we really like this team. There were some speed bumps to get through and things we needed to work on, but we're starting to see progress. The chemistry is coming together, the lines are becoming more settled, and we're getting guys into the right spots.
Tuesday night was all about the power play. We've been working on it and talking about getting it going. It had been operating around 14 or 15 per cent, and then we exploded for four power-play goals. It comes down to shooting the puck and having an aggressive mentality.
Cole Brown had a great game, and you also saw guys like Margolis grabbing pucks, moving their feet and getting up the ice. He was rewarded with a goal. Those are the kinds of things we're looking for.
The players are starting to feel it and understand how good this team can be. We're not satisfied with where we are. We're trying to keep improving and get to where we believe we can be. As a coaching staff, that's exciting to see.
Benny Walchuk:
You mentioned Cole Brown. He's had opportunities throughout the season, and it was nice to see him get rewarded with a big night offensively.
Doug Johnson:
Absolutely. The opportunities have always been there, but it's about having that aggressive mindset and taking the puck to the net instead of fading away from the play.
After he scored the first one, you could see him start to feel it. His second goal was a good one, and he even hit the post on another opportunity. He had a great feed from Oatman in the third period and tried to one-time it, which is exactly what we're asking him to do.
He could have easily had five goals. He was finding the open areas, getting to the net and using his skill. He's a very talented player, and he just needs to get comfortable with himself and how to play at this level. I think everyone is starting to see why we were so excited about him coming in.
Benny Walchuk:
Another big addition on the back end is Blair Erickson. What have you seen from the six-foot-seven defenceman from Irma, Alberta, over his first few games?
Doug Johnson:
The thing we really like about Blair is his skating. Usually, with a player who's six-foot-seven, you might see some awkwardness on his feet, but Blair skates incredibly well for a big man.
He's very coordinated for someone his size and age, and you can tell he's put a lot of work into his skating. He's also an intelligent young man who uses his length and reach well. He's not trying to do too much right now and is just getting comfortable in our system.
He's only had a few practices with us, but he's already shown a tremendous amount of intelligence and skill. We've trusted him with some big minutes, especially with us being a little short on the back end.
Benny Walchuk:
The Millionaires get another look at the Nipawin Hawks on Saturday after picking up a big win over them last Friday. What do you want to see from your team as you head into the weekend?
Doug Johnson:
We want to keep playing with the speed we've shown lately. We're getting up the ice quickly. People might look at us as a defensive team, but we've preached skill, speed and getting into transition all season.
The guys are starting to understand that. They're not cheating the game. They're still committed to playing a good 200-foot game, but when we get possession, we're avoiding poor turnovers, getting up the ice and finding those open areas.
We just need to keep doing that and continue to manage the puck.
