The St. Albert Steel were gung-ho to start the playoffs this weekend in Fort McMurray after a dismal end to the regular season with six straight losses.
“I’m excited to get it going,” assistant captain Spencer Pommells told the Gazette on the eve of the best-of-five affair with the Oil Barons. “It will be a real good series with Fort Mac. It’s probably going to go five games for sure.”
Friday’s score was unavailable at press time. Game two goes tonight at 8 p.m.
The Steel hosts game three Monday and game four Tuesday at Performance Arena at 7 p.m.
The fifth and deciding game is Thursday in Fort McMurray at 8 p.m.
In the north division the seventh-place Steel (26-31-3) finished 32 points behind the second-place Oil Barons (43-16-1), with 17 fewer wins.
The Oil Barons also held the edge in the season series at 3-2-1.
“They kind of play a lot like us,” Pommells said. “They’re not the usual Fort Mac team that we’re used to seeing over the last couple of years. They’re more of a skilful team who play their systems well.
“We definitely have to get our physicality going against them.”
Last year the Oil Barons swept the Steel in the first round after placing third in the north with 13 more wins and 23 more points than sixth-place St. Albert.
“We’ve had better success this year than we did last year against them,” Pommells said. “We’ve got a better group of guys that we’re going with right now than we did last year. We had some pretty good players last year, but this group is special, too, and I’m excited to see it.”
The last tune-up before the playoffs was Tuesday’s 6-5 loss in Calgary against the Mustangs.
Jordan Kochan scored twice in the first period as the Steel outshot the Mustangs 17-4. Kochan later added two assists. In 27 games with the Steel, the former Spruce Grove Saint collected eight goals and 19 points.
The Mustangs tied it up in the second and potted a pair early in the third. Defenceman Jordan Abt’s third goal in three games and Brandon Fagerheim pulled the Steel even at four apiece. The Mustangs netted the game winner at 11:28 and the insurance marker at 17:34.
Pommell’s 18th goal rounded out the scoring in the last minute of play.
Shots were 40-28 for the Steel. It was a rare game in which they dominated the shot counter. In net was Rhys Hadfield (26-25-3, 3.74 GAA).
The fourth game in five days for the Steel completed the Alberta Junior Hockey League schedule.
“We’ve got a couple of days off and then Friday we head up to Fort Mac. It will give guys some time to rest. Some of the guys are pretty banged up right now,” Pommells said of the Steel’s injury-riddled roster.
The AJHL’s fourth-worst defensive team mustered only three points in its last 10 games while going 1-8-1.
“The wins and losses aren’t the big thing, it’s how you’re playing going into the playoffs,” Pommells said. “You want to be chipping pucks in deep and blocking shots and do all the little things and carry that stuff into the playoffs.”
This is the last hurrah for Pommells, a 20-year-old centre, as well as captain Mike Giese, Fagerheim and Shawn Proulx as the Steel’s graduating juniors.
“The season goes by so fast and you don’t have time to think about it too much,” Pommells said. “I’m just trying to enjoy it while it lasts, and that’s a lot easier when you’re winning games, so very game you want to give it everything you’ve got.”
After arriving in St. Albert in November 2009 from the Golden Rockets in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League, Pommells sniped a penalty shot goal in his first game with the Steel. The Grande Prairie product finished the season with 15 goals and 37 points in 39 games for sixth place in team scoring. His efforts were rewarded with a spot on the north division all-rookie team.
Pommells’ three-point performance against the Mustangs gave the Steel’s third-highest point producer 59 in 60 games. He also led the team in assists with 41.
“I’ve had a couple of bad games here and there but for the most part I’ve been playing the way I want to play,” said the versatile forward, who split time between the first- and second-line units. “I thought I did well in all the little things too so I guess it was a pretty good year for myself.”
ICE CHIPS: Right-winger Taylor Fraser tied for sixth in the AJHL scoring race with 67 points in 60 games. His 35 goals were three less than the league high. He also led the team in power play goals (14) and shorthanded markers (two).
Hadfield led all goalies in minutes played (3,032), goals against (189), shots faced (1,862) and saves (1,673). He also set team records for wins, losses, minutes played, shots faced and saves in his first season with the Steel.
