The St. Albert Steel were too hot to handle in their season-opening homestand at Performance Arena.
The Alberta Junior Hockey League team lit up the Drumheller Dragons 6-2 Friday before an announced crowd of 385 and the next night burnt the Drayton Valley Thunder 5-1 in front of 475 spectators.
"To get off to a 2-0 start like that is huge. You always want to put your right foot forward," said assistant captain Reed Linaker. "Hopefully we'll go into Bonnyville [Tuesday] and get a third win and we'll keep on building."
The score from Bonnyville was unavailable at press time.
"Those two wins will mean nothing if we go there and stink out the joint. We've got to keep our heads up and get refocused for our next game," Linaker added.
The Steel were pumped after their strongest start in franchise history.
"It's all about confidence, right?" Linaker said. "Wins are going to create excitement, but in the same aspect we've got to keep on winning."
Defensively the Steel were a pleasant surprise in giving up only three goals, with a pair coming on the power play. Last season the goals-against average for the AJHL's third-worst defensive team was 4.30.
"Goaltending has been good. D has been good. Our even-strength game has been really solid too," Linaker said. "We've shown we can put the puck into the net so keeping the puck out of our net is going to be a huge key for us because defence wins championships."
Great netminding
In both wins Steel newcomer Rhys Hadfield didn't really let in a bad goal while facing 68 shots overall. Unless the product of the Southside Athletic Club suddenly goes into the tank, the starter's job is his to lose. He was by far the best goalie in training camp.
"It's been real good. I've felt comfortable. They really have lots of confidence in me," said Hadfield.
The 19-year-old was razor sharp against the Dragons with 31 saves.
"It was my first home opener in my junior career," he said. "I had some little jitters at the start but after the anthem I settled down. I got a couple of shots off the hop and I was able to find my game quick and stay with it."
After stopping all 21 shots in two periods against the Thunder, Hadfield lost his shutout bid in the opening minute of period three as the visitors connected with the man advantage.
Playing back-to-back games was a major victory for Hadfield. He split his junior A rookie season between the Grande Prairie Storm (2-1-1, 4.21 GAA in six games) and the Nanaimo Clippers (2-6, 4.11 GAA in 13 games).
"In Grande Prairie I got a couple of starts, but when I went to Nanaimo I just about doubled my starts there so that trade was definitely for the better," he said. "I learned a lesson. I needed to work harder so it was definitely a good thing that it happened. I also felt I guess a little too comfortable in Grande Prairie and maybe that's why I was moved."
The 2009 midget AAA all-star with Southside (13-2-4, 2.33 GAA and .923 save percentage) struggled trying to make it at the next level.
"I wasn't really used to sitting on the bench a lot. It got a little tough not getting any starts and I had to really battle in practice to get what starts I could."
The W.P. Wagner High School graduate is grateful the Steel took a chance on him.
"I was real happy to get an opportunity even just to try out here. It's close to home and I can stay with my family and that means a lot."
The six-foot-one puck stopper comes across as a cool customer who is solid technically.
"I like to stay calm. Probably the biggest thing I do is give the guys a little confidence out there that I can stop the pucks," he said. "I'm also trying to be a little more athletic with my game this year."
Scoring attack
The Steel did their part offensively in support of Hadfield. They went 3-for-11 on the power play in the two wins. Linaker, 18, also notched a shorthanded marker against the Thunder in what the AJHL all-star described as the team's best effort of the weekend.
"We had a little bit of a slow start in our first game but our second game we came out hard. We played fairly well for most of that game. The third period was kind of a little lackadaisical but we played overall fairly well for 60 minutes," said Linaker, who tallied twice and added two assists against the Thunder. "There was a lot more work ethic in our game. We were battling in the corners, getting pucks out, playing more simple than the first game and it really showed in the score as well."
The third-year Steel centre racked up five points last weekend.
"My first game was a little lacklustre. I had a couple of chances and didn't really bury them," said the team's second-highest scorer last season with 81 points, on 37 goals and 44 assists in 58 games. "The second game, me and T [Taylor Fraser] really built some chemistry. We were working hard and we had a couple of lucky breaks as well so that's huge.
Fraser opened the scoring in both wins skating on the top line with Linaker and Spencer Pommells. Fraser also had five points overall. Against Drumheller he got tossed in the middle period for checking from behind. Baxter Niziol and rookie Mitch Loose also got the boot for checks to the head in the third.
In the second match the Steel lost the services of Pommells with a check from behind penalty before the six-minute mark.
Tyler Parks, Niziol, Derek Bacon, Linaker and Pommells recorded goals Friday. Steel rookie Jeremy Olinyk and Topher Flanagan sniped goals Saturday. Fraser also picked up three assists.
Dane Olsen led all Steel defencemen in points last weekend with three assists.
The Steel play three games in three days this weekend against the Okotoks Oilers, Canmore Eagles and the Calgary Canucks. Their next home game is Sept. 25 against the Olds Grizzlys at 7 p.m.
