The Battleford Beaver Blues are already serving notice to the rest of the Saskatchewan Prairie Hockey League that they are the team to beat.
With a pair of wins over the weekend, the Beaver Blues improved to 6-0 on the season and now hold a six-point gap over the 3-1 Meota Combines and the 3-0 Hafford Hawks in the race for first place in the nine-team league.
“The team’s really starting to gel and everything is just clicking for us,” Beaver Blues forward Brent Salzl said.
“Most of us on the team have played together for the last three to five years, and the veterans are really starting to melt with the newer faces. Our younger players are really stepping into their roles and we have a few guys putting the puck into the net.”
After falling in the SPHL semifinal last year to the eventual champion Edam Three Stars, the main focus for the Beaver Blues this season was to have a stronger lineup from top to bottom and not relying as much on their talented offensive trio of Cody Danberg, Mike George and Salzl.
“Every team in this league has a top line, but the top teams like Edam, Meota and Spiritwood [Timberwolves] all have their second third and fourth lines working for them,” Salzl said.
“We wanted to be a team that is able to roll three or four lines on a consistent basis and I think we have that here this year.”
The Beaver Blues started off their weekend with a big win over the Combines as they came away with a 7-5 triumph at the Civic Centre in the first meeting of the season between the two Battlefords based sides.
“This was a game that we had circled on our calendars at the start of the season,” Salzl said. “Meota has a really talented team and it was a battle right from the outset.
“With about 10 minutes left in the third period, we felt like we got our second wind and our legs got under us a little bit more. It’s a little bigger ice surface in North Battleford and it can take a little bit for us old guys to get accustomed to that, but once we got used to it late in the game, I feel like that was the turning point.”
Salzl had a four-goal night and also had an assist, while Danberg dished out five helpers.
George and Tyler Wasmuth had a pair of goals and Mason Carrier also found the back of the net.
Vince Sauvie scored twice in the loss for the Combines, who also got goals from Riley Albert, Kihisis Derocher and Brandon O’Donnell.
Salzl continues his strong play Saturday night as he had a hat trick in his team’s 5-2 win over the Maymont Settlers in Langham.
Danberg and Braydon Kotyk also scored in the victory, while Quinton Cubbon replied for the Settlers.
The Beaver Blues will be back in action once again Saturday as they’ll go on the road to play the Glaslyn North Stars.
Their next game at the Battleford Arena will be on Friday, Dec. 22 against the Hafford Hawks at 8:30 p.m.
Meanwhile, the Combines rebounded from Friday’s setback with a 6-0 win a night later over the host Spiritwood Timberwolves.
It was a spread out offensive performance for the Combines as Aaron Cadrin, Daxen Collins, Bo Gervais, Michael Pylypow, Albert and Derocher all found the back of the net.
Josh Alook turned aside every shot he faced to pick up the shutout.
The Combines will be travelling to Shellbrook Saturday to take on the Silvertips.
