Pirates focused on continuing strong start

The Strait Pirates will return to home ice Friday when they host the Brookfield Elks at the Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre.

Puck drop is 7:30 p.m.

“We are off to a strong start,” second-year head coach Taylor Lambke of his team’s 5-1 start to the regular season.

“We are playing good hockey with some consistency.”

He added the Pirates are “playing well in all three zones.”

“We are working for a full 60 minutes, which is great to see,” Lambke said, noting the depth and talent in their line-up.

Defensively, the Pirates are much improved, which he said is due greatly to a blue line led by captain Matthew Morgan, along with key off-season acquisitions Brendan Lanning and Liam Mackinnon.

Lambke also credited the goaltending tandem of Cody Smith and Peter Kopf for their strong start.

Over the weekend, the Pirates played a home-and-home with the Cole Harbour Colts, with results unavailable at press time.

Two days later, after hosting the Elks, the Pirates will travel to Trenton to face the Pictou County Scotians Sunday at 6 p.m.

“We have to keep it up and we know we need to get better and better,” Lambke said.

Last season, the Pirates finished fourth in the Sid Rowe Division, with a 14-16-3-1 record, and were swept in the opening round of the playoffs by the Miners.