Discipline is the key
Pride host Wild tonight in Game 2 of major midget final
The Charlottetown Bulk Carriers Pride is hoping to stay out of the penalty box tonight as it looks to even the best-of-seven provincial major midget hockey championship series with the Kensington Monaghan Farms Wild.
Game time is 7 p.m. at MacLauchlan Arena. The Wild took the opener 4-1 Saturday in Kensington when the Wild was 0-for-7 on the power play and the Pride was 0-for-6.
“We can’t go to the (penalty) box constantly against these guys,” Pride head coach Luke Beck said. “They have some skilled players who can capitalize, but I thought our PK did a good job (in Game 1) and Erik (MacInnis) was solid in nets. It’s playoff hockey, and little details can be the difference between winning and losing. We will focus on those and be back at it Wednesday.”
The Wild quickly turned the page after the Game 1 victory.
“We know it’s not going to be an easy series and they’re not going to give us anything,” head coach Kyle Dunn said Tuesday. “We have to go out and earn it.”
The Wild doesn’t have to look too far back to see what is possible when these two rivals meet.
In 2017, the Pride took a 3-1 series lead before the Wild won three straight, including a pair of one-goal victories, to win the championship.
Beck said it needs all 20 players contributing and pushing in the same direction to have success.
“We can’t have anybody sitting as a bystander,” he said. “We want all our guys to contribute, and we feel they are all capable of contributing and that’s how we want to play as a team. That will be our focus as we prepare for Game 2.”
The Wild hadn’t set its starting goalie for tonight’s game before Tuesday’s practice. Chad Arsenault won the opener. Defenceman Zac Arsenault and Simon Hughes remain out of the lineup.
Both teams will go to Atlantics this season as the Pride are hosting the competition.
“We want to go through the front door,” Dunn said. “We want to be the Island champions.”
Game 3 is Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in Kensington.