“We need to get healthy soon as we are not a deep enough team that can play short. Guys are feeling comfortable with their ice time and they shouldn’t be. When we get some healthy bodies back, we are going to create some internal competition for those valuable minutes” – Andrew Milne – Canmore Eagles Head Coach and General Manager.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012 – With six injured players crowding the Father David Bauer Arena press box, the injury ravaged Canmore Eagles lost their sixth consecutive Alberta Junior Hockey League game last night going down 3-2 to the home town Calgary Mustangs.
With the loss, the Eagles now find themselves in last-place in the Southern Division standings with 24 points and a record of 10-13-4.
With the score tied at 2-2 late in the second period, the Eagles allowed the Mustangs to score the eventual game winning goal with just three seconds remaining in the period.
“That goal was the killer,” admitted Milne following the game. “We had them contained behind their own net with 15 seconds left in the period and then we made a number of minor mistakes that added up to one huge one. That goal gave them the momentum and energy they needed for the third period.”
The Eagles, who were missing defenceman Nikolas Kosman, Alex Barnes and Ryan Whitell, goaltender Ty Swabb, and forwards Jeremy Margeson and Simon Philp, had plenty of excellent opportunities to win the game but failed to capitalize.
“We just can’t seem to buy a goal,” said Milne. “We had a lot of chances and for whatever reason, the hockey gods are just not on our side lately. I thought we out chanced them by a 4-1 count. They scored two power play goals, and that was the difference.”
Newly acquired Bryan Arneson and Steven Phee had the Eagle goals.
On a positive note, the Eagles now enter a part of their schedule that should allow them to get some rest and get healthy as they will only play four games during the next 16 days, all of them at home.
Canmore will host the Brooks Bandits (25-1) on Friday Nov. 30, the Fort McMurray Oil Barons (13-12-3) on Saturday, Dec. 1, the Calgary Mustangs (12-16-1) on Saturday Dec. 8 and the Okotoks Oilers (15-11-2) on Tuesday, Dec. 11.
NOTEBOOK: Following last week’s trade of Connor Hoekstra and Paul Lamoureux to the Spruce Grove Saints, the Eagles had all three newly acquired players in their lineup last night as forwards Arneson, Austen Hebert and defenceman Mattia Bortolotto all suited up . . .The Eagles also called up forward Dylan Houston for the game. Canmore native Forrest Ayearst was the back-up netminder for the Eagles. . . With penalty killing specialist Jeremy Margeson out of the lineup, the Eagles have allowed two power play goals against them in four straight games.