Back-up man Rusty has Finn in a purple haze
BRAEHEAD Clan head coach Ryan Finnerty has labelled Gary Russell as the ‘best British back-up in the league’ after a man-of-the-match performance from the netminder on Sunday night.
The fine display by Russell, who was drafted in to replace the rested Michal Zajkowski, helped the Clan grind out a 4-2 win over Coventry Blaze – their third win of the week.
Finnerty insists that fatigue was the main reason for Zajkowski’s absence, as well as a desire to reward Russell with some game-time.
“I saw a lot of the press, and it was one of those decisions we made a long time ago,” Finnerty told Clan Radio.
“We looked at the schedule and we always want to look to get Gary into the games, he deserves it, he’s a rock for us.
“We’ve played a lot of hockey, three games in a week is a lot, and we spoke to Rusty during the week to make sure he was ready and he played a great game for us.
“He’s the best British backup in the league by a mile and we’re fortunate to have him.”
The victory over Coventry takes the Clan up to fourth in the standings after also defeating Manchester Storm and Edinburgh Capitals in the last week –and gave the Purple Army plenty to cheer about.
“A six-point week, you can’t ask for too much more,” Finnerty said. “We were pretty tired, a lot more tired than I anticipated before the game.
“We came out pretty slow, it was quite flat in the first period, but I thought we got better and we found a way to grind some points out.
“Our power play wasn’t clicking early but we ended up getting a big one on the four on three, and it was a tough game.
“There wasn’t a whole lot of execution coming off the ice and we seemed to struggle to make simple plays, but it was a team that found a way to win.
“We defended well, we blocked some shots and Gary made some big saves at key times to keep us in it and keep the game in our favour.
“We found a way to win an ugly game, and with your third game in a week that’s pretty much to be expected.
“I’m proud of the way the guys competed and just found a way.”