By Scott Fisher /
The difference between a slump and a losing streak is simple if you ask Hitmen head coach Mike Williamson.
After snapping out of a 3-7-0 funk, the Hitmen responded by winning three straight on home ice.
And Williamson had a straightforward explanation.
“We started working,” Williamson said.
“There was a long stretch there where we worked for parts of games, but not the whole game.
“I don’t know if you ever get a full 60 minutes you’re satisfied with. But the last three games, we’ve been a lot closer and we took our game to a different level.”
Williamson was especially pleased with his club’s 5-0 win over the Moose Jaw Warriors.
Overage forward Joel Broda returned from a three-game absence due to concussion-like symptoms to score a natural hat-trck against the Warriors, a team he was traded from last season.
“The guys were playing well last game,” Broda said. “So I knew they’d have to fit me in where they could.
“I bided my time, got some room and got a couple of good shots off.
“It was one of those nights where things were clicking and they were going in for me.”
The win over the Warriors was sandwiched between 7-5 and 6-2 victories over the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
Another reason for the Hitmen’s resurgence was the club’s powerplay.
Over the final four games of the slump, Calgary went just 2-for-23 with the man advantage.
During the three wins?
Ten goals on 18 powerplay opportunities ‚Äî including five in the 6-2 win over the ‘Canes.
Russian import Misha Fisenko had three of the extra-man tallies, giving the Hitmen back-to-back hat-tricks.
“He was great,” Williamson said. “Misha’s been in and out a little bit this year.
“But he’s played well the last few games. He was hanging around the net all night and was rewarded for it.
“He paid the price in front of the net and a few other places around the ice, too.”
Fisenko emerged from the game with an injured shoulder and a bruised leg.
Winger Brandon Kozun, who ran his points streak to four games, agreed with his coach when asked why the powerplay had caught fire.
“It’s just work,” Kozun said. “The biggest thing about the powerplay is making sure you outwork those four guys.
“When we work, we have some talent out there, so it’s going to work out.”
HIT PARADE
Hitmen GM Kelly Kisio brought in a trio of new faces at the WHL trade deadline. He acquired forwards Tyler Shattock and Jimmy Bubnick and defenceman Zak Stebner from the Kamloops Blazers in exchange for centre Chase Schaber and D-man Austin Madaisky...D Matt MacKenzie suited up in the CHL Top Prospects game. |