Hitmen’s Jakob Stukel starts to make impact
French happy as forward finds back of the net in consecutive games
After a slow start, Jakob Stukel has found his scoring touch of late for the Calgary Hitmen.
Stukel has scored goals in backto-back games, including a nice individual effort where he used his speed to split the defence before making a quick move and depositing a shot past goalie Zach Sawchenko during Monday’s 4-3 OT loss to the Moose Jaw Warriors at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
“It was nice to get one of those,” said Stukel. “I’m trying to do a lot this year and just kind of create offence. At the same time, I want to work on my defensive game as well. It was nice to get goals in back-toback games for sure.”
Hitmen coach Mark French was happy to see Stukel get rewarded for his efforts.
“It was a prototypical Jakob Stukel goal,” said French. “He found a bit of space and jumped through. I think Jakob’s been playing well. He’s had some really good attention to detail and there he was able to be rewarded for it.”
Stukel also started slowly last season as he put up just two goals and two assists in 12 games with the Vancouver Giants before being traded to the Hitmen.
Once in Calgary, Stukel flourished as he notched a team-leading 34 goals to go with 22 assists in 57 games.
“In a 72-game season, you’re going to have some ups and downs,” said Stukel, who was selected in the sixth round, 154th overall, of the 2016 NHL Draft by the Vancouver Canucks. “It’s just a matter of about how hard you want to battle through that.”
After attending his first NHL training camp with the Canucks, Stukel failed to register a point in his first two games back with the Hitmen.
He’s now riding a three-game, point-scoring streak heading into this weekend’s action when the Hitmen take on the Rebels on Friday (7 p.m., Sportsnet 960 The Fan) in Red Deer before returning home to face the Prince Albert Raiders on Sunday (4 p.m., Sportsnet 960 The Fan).
“Just getting on the winning track again is what we need to focus on,” said Stukel, whose team is sitting fifth in the WHL’s Central Division with a 3-3-1 record.
After notching an impressive 18 power play goals for the Hitmen last season, Stukel has yet to score this year when the Hitmen have a man advantage.
In 42 power play chances through seven games, the Hitmen have found the back of the net just four times for a conversion rate of 9.5 per cent, which is second last in the WHL, just ahead of the Seattle Thunderbirds.
“That’s one struggle where we need to do a better job of just communicating out there and being crisper,” said Stukel, who noted the Hitmen are missing the likes of forwards Radel Fazleev and Jackson Houck as well as defenceman Travis Sanheim from last year.
“Last year we had some success there, but I think it’s just going to take time to get guys to click.”
Making matters worse is the fact that power play quarterback Jake Bean is out of the lineup on a week-to-week basis with a hand injury he suffered during a 7-2 road loss to the Medicine Hat Tigers last Friday.
French has even tried to spark the power play unit by putting forwards Jordy Stallard and Lucas Cullen on the point.
“That’s a little bit of a reaction to Jake being out of the lineup, putting a forward there,” said French.
“We’re looking at things. That was a move that was made without having a week of practice. I think we’ll probably stay with it.”
Although he hasn’t quarterbacked the power play much during his five WHL seasons, newly appointed Hitmen captain Micheal Zipp has confidence he can help Calgary improve in that area.
“Our power play should figure it out coming up with these next few games here,” predicted Zipp. “It’s definitely something new for me. I’m more of, I guess you could say, a steady Eddy kind of guy. I think I have that ability in my game, too, and I think I can do that and step up for missing Travis (Sanheim) and Beaner.”