Cubs continue to build and grow while picking up three points

jtubb@medicinehatnews.com
@ReporterTubb

The Medicine Hat Cubs implemented new systems in their game and picked up three points in the process.

The Cubs ended their weekend on a high note, with a 6-4 win over the Three Hills Thrashers on Sunday after falling 6-5 in overtime Saturday at Strathmore against the Wheatland Kings.

A back-and-forth affair Sunday saw the Cubs trail Three Hills 3-2 through 40 minutes before they rattled off four third-period goals for their 10th win of the season.

Carson Christianson scored twice and both Callan Prosofsky and Mace Carriere added a goal and an assist. Darnell Glasgo and Jacob Hazzard rounded out the scoring with a goal each, and Dominik Jagielski made 22 saves for the win.

Head coach and general manager Randy Wong says the game was full of emotion and was happy to see they pulled out the full two points.

“Some wins aren’t perfect, at the end of the day you get your two points and you move on,” Wong said. “We were really yappy today, we have to talk to the guys about settling down and staying focused. We’ll chat and look to be better next week.”

The two teams combined for 88 penalty minutes, with the Cubs accounting for 50 that sin-bin time. There were scrums throughout the game that followed whistles or hard hits thrown by either side. While the Cubs want to get more disciplined moving forward, Wong says there’s value in standing up for one another and playing with passion.

“There’s some things you don’t want to (ask), why did it get to that point, but it’s whatever and you move forward,” Wong said. “You can take some good things out of that, scoring six goals is a plus, we don’t have a problem scoring goals, we’re one of the top scoring teams in the league. So we just have to learn how to defend a little bit better and not give them easy ones.”

The Cubs sit second in the league in goals per game with 5.62, trailing the North division-leading Sylvan Lake Wranglers. They do sit middle of the pack in goals against, allowing 3.46 goals per game, putting them tied for sixth with the High River Flyers.

Caleb Garrecht led the offence in Saturday’s loss, with two goals. Prosofsky had a goal and an assist, and both Owen Wagner and Josh Drefs added a goal. Dimitrius Virostek made 18 saves.

The need for stronger defence is why the Cubs made an adjustment on defence heading into the weekend, which cost them in Strathmore as they become accustomed to the new structure.

“We knew we were going to make some mistakes from it, but we wanted to implement it this weekend, work on it and practise next week and then have a couple more games next week, we knew that was part of it,” Wong said. “So, whether that affected not getting the two points (Saturday), it is what it is. It’s early in the year and we can learn from it.”

Wong says the new structure focuses on quicker and stronger exits from their own end, bringing all five skaters back to make it easier and more effective.

“We’re bringing everybody back a little bit deeper and giving ourselves a chance,” Wong said. “Making smaller passes, cutting the ice in half and just giving us a better opportunity to get out. We had lots of success from it and we’ll continue to learn from it.”

The Cubs have two games this weekend as they host the Red Deer Vipers on Friday at the Kinpelx before hitting the road Saturday to High River to face the Flyers.