NEXT GAME – Friday, Feb. 13 in Drumheller
NEXT HOME GAMES – Saturday, Feb. 14 versus Calgary Mustangs (7 PM)
– Monday, Feb. 16 versus Drumheller (2 PM)
Special team play was the big difference on Wednesday night as the Canmore Eagles dropped a 5-2 decision to the Brooks Bandits in Alberta Junior Hockey League action in Brooks.
The Bandits scored three powerplay goals on their six opportunities, while the Eagles went scoreless on their three powerplay opportunities and that was the difference in the hockey game.
The loss dropped the Eagles overall record to 23-28-2, while the Bandits improved to 38-13-2.
Defenceman Griffin Mumby (7th) and Jakob Lavoie (2nd) had the lone Eagle goals, while goaltender Ryan Ferguson took the loss to see his record drop to 18-25-2. The Eagles were outshot 33-21 on the night.
After absorbing a 9-0 loss in Lloydminster on Saturday night and a 2-0 loss in Camrose on Sunday afternoon, the Eagle forwards have now gone three straight games without scoring a goal and many players are in severe goal scoring droughts.
“When everyone goes dry, that’s a tough thing,” said Eagles Head Coach and General Manager Andrew Milne, whose club has gone 3-6-1 in their last 10 games. “Confidence is at a low point right now and we have to figure out a way to get that back. We’re not far off. We played Camrose to a tight game on Sunday and we played well in Brooks, but we took too many penalties and it cost us.”
The Eagles will now head to Drumheller on Friday night to wrap up their current five-game road trip.
Canmore will then return to the friendly confines of the Canmore Recreation Centre for home games on Saturday night (Calgary Mustangs) and a Holiday Monday afternoon game against the Drumheller Dragons. The Eagles will play five of their last six regular season games on home ice.
NOTEBOOK: While attendance at Canmore Eagle home games is averaging 440 fans this year, the Eagles have played before packed houses on their recent road trip. Attendance in Brooks was 1,193, while 1,035 showed up in Camrose, and 1,130 fans were in Lloydminster. . . .There will be a complimentary “Skate with the Eagles” promotion immediately following Monday afternoon’s home game (4:30 – 5:30) against Drumheller. Bring your skates, camera and autograph book with you and enjoy a free skate with the boys. . . With seven regular season games remaining on their schedule, the sixth-place Eagles remain four points behind the fifth-place Olds Grizzlys, and 10 points up on the seventh-place Calgary Mustangs and Calgary Canucks in the AJHL Southern Division standings.