By Wes Gilbertson /
Statistics seem to indicate Torrie Jung thrives on a heavy workload.
Problem is, the Edmonton Oil Kings aren’t letting nearly as much rubber get through to their starting puck-stopper, although you won’t catch him complaining.
“Defensively, I think we’ve made some huge strides,” Jung said. “You look at some of the young guys we’ve got on the back end, they’re playing a lot of minutes and they’re certainly taking the ball and running with it.
“I think they’re doing a great job. Certainly making my job a whole lot easier.”
Jung, who turns 20 this month, is trying to backstop the modern Oil Kings to their first Western Hockey League playoff berth. Through Jan. 11, Steve Pleau’s squad had just tied a franchise record with four straight wins and boasted a 20-21-2-4 record, good enough for a tie for sixth spot in the Eastern Conference standings.
Jung is certainly doing his part.
In 27 appearances after landing in the provincial capital via trade in mid-October, he posted a 12-10-1-4 record with a 2.50 goals against average, .914 save percentage a pair of shutouts.
And he doesn’t mind facing a barrage of shots in the process. In fact, it seems to bring out the best in him.
During a six-day stretch in mid-December, the Oil Kings limited opponents to 21 shots or less in three consecutive losses, with Jung giving up nine goals over that span and the offence barely providing any support.
Two weeks later, when the Oil Kings were shelled for at least 30 shots against in three straight outings, Jung surrendered just six goals en route to a pair of victories.
“As a team, you certainly don’t want to give up 45 or 50 shots a night, because it’s not easy to win games like that,” Jung shrugged. “But getting a few shots into the belly or off the pads early, it helps you get into a groove.”
Finding a groove will be a key down the stretch for the up-and-coming Oil Kings, who have proven they can go toe-to-toe with just about any squad but are also prone to the odd stinker.
With six ‘91s and four ‘92s on the roster, there’s bound to be more growing pains in the second half of the season, but Jung senses plenty of optimism in the locker-room.
“It starts with the older guys and flows down to the younger guys,” he said. “The biggest thing is playing confident. Not being afraid to make a mistake is something that takes time to develop in this league, but once you (learn), it really helps out there.”
Kings Notes
Tomas Vincour didn’t manage to light the lamp, but the Oil Kings winger chipped in three assists for the Czech Republic at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships...Blueliner Mark Pysyk had a goal and three assists in four outings for Team Pacific at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and has a silver medal to show for it. Michael St. Croix, the Oil Kings’ first-round selection in May’s Bantam draft, had two goals and five assists for fourth-place Team West. |