Of all the tired clichés in sports - and there are many - perhaps none is more misused than the idea of a "must-win" game. The term should really be reserved for situations that require, well, a must-win.
With that caveat in mind, it wouldn't be appropriate to label Game 2 of the SJHL playoff series between the Humboldt Broncos and Melfort Mustangs, held in Humboldt on March 15, as a must-win for the home side. After losing 8-3 in Melfort the night before, the Broncos' season wouldn't end if they lost. Still, the thought of falling behind 2-0 was so unpalatable to Dean Brockman and his team that the game was probably an "almost-definitely-a-must-win."
The players knew the importance of the game, and so did the fans. One of the largest crowds of the year was excited for the team's first home playoff game of the year. There were noisemakers and Thunderstix and even some beat-up old garbage cans that were used as some of the most obnoxious drums you've ever heard. Just by looking at the Broncos players on the bench, you could tell something was different: they all dyed their hair varying degrees of yellow. Some looked more natural than others, but it was the thought that counted.
The Broncos gave all those fans something to cheer about when Dylan Fluter opened the scoring with three minutes to go in the first period. The Mustangs quickly tied things up when Jamie Miller beat Ryland Pashovitz high on his glove side early in the second, but from there the Broncos took control of the game. They scored three unanswered goals, capped off by a shorthanded score from Ryan Aubertin, who rushed down the right side to put the Broncos up 4-1 with about 14 minutes left. At that point it seemed as if the Broncos tying the series was a foregone conclusion, but things can change quickly during a hockey game.
"They got a power play and they execute and all of a sudden it's 4-2," Brockman said of the Mustangs' second goal, scored after David Miazga picked up his second of three penalties on the night. "Then you scramble a little bit, get on your heels and they get another one. That's why it's a 60-minute game."
About five minutes after their second goal the Mustangs scored for a third time, bringing them within a goal and causing some anxious moments in the stands and on the ice. After Rhett Blackmur picked up a tripping penalty with less than two minutes to go, the Mustangs pulled their goaltender to give themselves a six-on-four advantage. Fortunately for the Broncos, the puck skipped out of their zone and onto the stick of Gray Marr, who scored an empty net goal to clinch the win and the 5-3 final score. It was the second goal of the game for Marr, who also put the Broncos up 2-1 in the second period.
"We were coming out to win this one," Marr said after the game. "Our minds and bodies would have been down if we'd lost. Now we can have some excitement coming into the next game and we can keep our composure."
According to Marr's coach, the biggest difference between the first and second game was a matter of aggression.
"Last night we were waiting for them to do something and then reacting," Brockman said in his office after the win. "Tonight we initiated everything and went after it."
Brockman also revealed that defenceman Logan Sproule was injured during the series' first game with an upper-body injury and could be out for a while.
Even if the Broncos had lost the second game, Brockman was happy with how his team played and hopes they can keep the momentum going during Game 3, held on March 18 in Melfort, after the Journal went to press.
"I just wanted us to play like we're capable of playing," Brockman said of his team's performance. "Win or lose, you just want to go out battling as hard as you can. If you lose and play well, there's nothing you can do about it. But if you lose and don't play well and go down 2-0 then it's an impossible climb.
"I felt really good about our game tonight," he continued. "If we had lost the series would have been far from over because I feel like we could have bounced back."
Note: After the Journal went to press the Broncos and Mustangs played Game 3 of their series, which the Mustangs won 6-0. Melfort now leads 2-1, with Game 4 on March 20 in Humboldt.
