Back in action
The Summerside Western Caps will be back on the ice Thursday.
The Summerside D. Alex MacDonald Ford Western Capitals will do something they haven’t done in a while on Thursday. That is play a game!
The Capitals will travel to New Glasgow, N.S., to take on the Pictou County Crushers at 7 p.m. It will be the first game in 11 days for the Caps, who will then be idle from game action until Saturday, Nov. 18, when the Crushers pay a return visit to Eastlink Arena for a 7 p.m. start. That match will mark the Caps’ second game in a 20-day period, and will be their first home contest in 34 days.
“It’s tough on the guys,” admitted Caps head coach Billy McGuigan in an interview with the Journal Pioneer. “We had 10 games last month, and five games this month. It’s kind of a tough schedule this year.” The Caps are 6-8-1-0 (wonlost-overtime losses-shootout losses), and the Crushers are 7-9-1-0.
“The big thing we are looking for right now is work ethic and structure,” said McGuigan. “We have had our best results when we’ve worked hard and had good structure in our games. “It’s the games we get in runand-gun situations and forget about our structure is when we end up on the wrong side of things.”
Starting goaltender
McGuigan said Brayden Lachance, who stopped 35 of 38 shots in a 3-2 loss in his debut in Edmundston, N.B., on Oct. 28, will get the start in goal. Lachance and Rett Rook currently form the Caps’ goaltending tandem after Cody Smith returned to Cape Breton. McGuigan noted forward Kallum Muirhead is still doubtful with an injury, but notes everyone else is expected back. “We will be at 10 (forwards) and six (defencemen), and we are looking at calling up a couple of affiliated players,” said McGuigan. “The team has had a good break, some good practices and they are working hard.”
When asked how the coaching staff is dealing with the long breaks between games, McGuigan explained: “When we have these long stretches of a week we basically do skills the first day Monday; a competition on Tuesday with some compete drills and battles; on Wednesday we are getting back into our structure; Thursday we are into our structure heavy, and Friday is special teams.” McGuigan also pointed out strength and conditioning coach Joe Borden is working with the players a couple of times a week following practices.
“We have pushed them pretty hard with us not playing,” said McGuigan.
“Our skates have been upbeat and very hard, and Joe pushes them off ice. Our conditioning should not be an issue, but we may struggle with our crispness and execution early on in games, but once we get back rolling we will be fine.”