If there's one thing that's held the Humboldt Broncos back so far this season, it's been inconsistency.
For every brilliant start there's been a whimper to the finish line; for every sluggish opening there's been a furious rally. That sort of inconsistency reveals itself in a mediocre record, which is what the Broncos have.
For at least one night, though, the Broncos put those questions behind them by putting together a complete 60-minute domination of the Nipawin Hawks.
The final score read 3-0, but Humboldt probably left another goal or two on the table. Cade Spencer was brilliant in net, stopping all 16 shots he saw for his first shutout of the season. The Broncos out shot the Hawks by 20 in the second period alone and toyed with Nipawin the way a cat bats around a mouse before delivering the killing blow.
"It was definitely our best effort of the year," assistant coach Brayden Klimosko said. "It's hard to complain about anything. It was nice to see the effort and how hard the guys played."
Perhaps no one stood out more than Jarrett Fontaine, who scored the Broncos' first goal of the night with seven seconds left in the first period. The diminutive forward (he stands only 5'6") has been a bright spot so far, with 13 points in 17 games.
"We were actually commenting about it today," Klimosko said of Fontaine's play. "How much he's improved from the beginning of the season to now, it's just been phenomenal.
"He's catching his legs, getting his speed back after two years of not playing much in the WHL."
Fontaine spent the past two seasons with the Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League and said he's adjusted to the more physical style of play in the SJHL.
"If you make the right play here you'll get better opportunities because guys are out of position here more than in the WHL," Fontaine said.
Another positive sign for the Broncos was the home debut of Justin Lund, who scored the team's second goal. Lund was only playing in his second game of the season following a knee injury he suffered in the summer.
Acquired in a trade with the Kindersley Klippers last season, Lund is a big, physical forward on a team that lacks size up front. Lund has had a lot of time to sit and watch and he sees a team on the brink of better consistency.
"We're still pretty hot and cold, but we're starting to play full 60 minute games," he said. "We've got a lot of young guys but they're getting their confidence and starting to progress well."
The Broncos now face their longest road trip of the year: back-to-back games in Flin Flon this weekend. Humboldt lost to the Bombers at home on Oct. 30 so they will be looking for revenge in Manitoba.
It will be a great opportunity to test they've found that elusive consistency or if the game against Nipawin was just a flash in the pan.
