Jordan Revie had two goals and an assist while goaltender Cam Barnes recorded his first win of 2014 as the Canmore Eagles extended their winning streak to four games with a 5-3 win over the lowly Calgary Mustangs on Tuesday (Jan. 21).
The streak runs the Eagles’ record to 26-17-3 on the season, which is good enough for fourth place in the AJHL’s southern division. They sit two points behind second place Drumheller and eight points back of first place Brooks.
“I think we’re playing pretty good hockey right now. We’re in a bit of a dogfight in the standings, but we’re developing good habits and structure in our game,” said head coach Andrew Milne.
With wins over the Mustangs, Olds and Drayton Valley, the Eagles have defeated a few of the weaker sisters in the league. In years past, they might have dropped those games, but this year, they’re not giving up easy points.
“At the end of the day the objective is to win. We’re doing just enough to win some days, but that’s what we want from the guys,” Milne said.
The usual suspects have powered the Eagles’ winning streak, as Trey Phillips now has 48 points in 44 games and Connor Wilson leads the league in assists with 35, but Milne said the grinders have played just a big a role in the team’s success.
“We’ve got a group of forwards playing at a top rate with Wilson, Jordan Revie and Simon Philp, but it’s the Lane Olsons and Austin Heberts that are also contributing,” Milne said. “Nic Kosman is often playing behind Trey, but he’s evolving into one of the best in the league in my opinion. It’s great to have him get a look at how Trey plays, because when we lose Trey next year, Kosman will be ready to take over. I don’t think he’ll score as many points, but he’ll be a force back there.”
Since the division is so tight, Milne doesn’t believe the team can take any nights off with only six weeks left in the season. The team still has seven 20-year-olds, which means one must sit out every game. That’s kept their core players fresh.
“As the whole division lays out, we’ll be full on until the 60th game of the year. Everyone is jockeying for position,” Milne said.
The team has remained healthy this year, which is a big change from previous Eagles lineups. Milne said assistant coach Jeremy Reich has kept the team on top of their conditioning routines, and the medical team has done well after so many freak injuries last year.
“We learned hard lessons over the past few years. I think injuries breed injuries, and that has cost us in the past. This year we’ve been fortunate, but our medical staff deserves credit,” Milne said.
The team also received another visit from goaltending coach Ian Gordon, who’s helped both Barnes and Ferguson this year. Milne admits goaltenders need special attention occasionally, and Gordon has helped the team.
“Ian has been a great addition to help our staff. We often forget about the goalies, so having a goalie to give advice (to Barnes and Ferguson) has been a big advantage. He’s given them tons of support,” Milne said. “He’s done lots of video work and can communicate with them from a goalie’s position.”
The Eagles play two home games this week as they match up against Drumheller on Friday (Jan. 24) and Sherwood Park on Saturday (Jan. 25). Ferguson will get the start on Friday.
