Three games in. Three 3-2 scores. Three wins by the home team. That has been the story early in the Canalta Cup Final as the talented Humboldt Broncos and the Yorkton Terriers have given SJHL fans a treat with three very hard fought and entertaining championship games to set up a tense Canalta Cup Final.
Going into the series the Terriers knew that they would be coming in as the slight underdogs facing the defending champion Broncos team that won the regular season SJHL title narrowly and would have the all important home ice advantage in the final, making the Terriers task of having to knock off the league champs at least once in Humboldt's barn.
Game One gave the Terriers a golden opportunity as Dakota Odger's late third period goal on the powerplay sent Game One into overtime with the Terriers outshooting the Broncos in regulation, giving the Terriers the feeling that they might just be able to take away the home advantage right off the jump in the final.
However a quick OT winner from Alex Forsberg gave the Broncos the Game One victory despite the Terriers outshooting the Broncos 36-24. Forsberg's goal game 1:01 into overtime, giving the Terriers no chance to settle in and carry over their dominant play in the second and third periods i9nto overtime. Despite the loss assistant coach Casey O'Brien felt the Terriers showed that they will be able to beat Humboldt on the road. "I felt we had a really good game in Game One" says O'Brien "We outshot the Broncos and skated really well and just couldn't pull it out in the end, but we know that we can pull one out in this series."
O'Brien also noted that no matter how good the Terriers play any win they will get in this series will be tight. "There likely won't be a game where a team wins 5-2 or 6-3 in this series we are going to have a lot of 2-1 games or 3-2 games so whatever win we get in this final will be a tight and hard fought battle to get it" concluded O'Brien.
Game Two was back at the FAA in the one and one SJHL playoff format and the Terriers were in a must win mode in this series where home ice is going to be the deciding factor needing a win to avoid going down 2-0 and having a major hole to climb out of with Matt Hrynkiw's hot goaltending for Humboldt.
A fast paced and physical first period saw the Terriers get a wealth of chances as Tayler Thompson got the periods best scoring chance after some nifty stickwork showed off Thompson's world class hands before Hrynkiw made a stellar save in what would be the story of the first period. With the officials letting nearly everything go to start the game both teams had very little space to generate much quality scoring chances in the opening twenty minutes.
In the second period the refs finally started blowing the whistle as the Terriers were given three powerplays in the opening half of the second period as two David Stumborg penalties led to Terriers goals to make it 2-0. Patrick Martens scored his ninth of the playoffs off a nice feed from Dakota Odgers to find Martens open in the slot in front of the goal where he would make no mistake. Odgers would then tip in a Chase Norrish wrist shot from the blueline to beat Hrynkiw for the second goal of the period, giving Odgers three goals since his SJHL Playoff debut in Game Five against Melville. The Broncos would get on the board on the powerplay themselves in the second period as a nifty pass from the crease by Hrynkiw caught the Terriers penalty kill on a line change before Joey Davies shot sneaked just past Dawson MacAuley for his 13th goal of the playoffs.
Patrick Martens once again came up big for the Terriers to start the third, scoring on a rebound just 28 seconds into the third period for the eventually game winning goal. Humboldt made things interesting in the final five minutes after Ryan Aubertin's goal, but MacAuley stood his ground and the Terriers escaped with a 3-2 win. Huge considering the Terriers do not have home ice advantage in the SJHL Final.
A quick pace led to a combined 68 shots between the two teams in Game Two. Hum-boldt wound up leading the shot count 37-31 after being outshot by the Terriers in the opening game. Something that did not surprise Terriers assistant coach Casey O'Brien. "Hum-boldt has had a few 50 plus shot games in the earlier rounds of the playoffs and are one of the highest shooting teams in the league so with both teams skating really well and playing hard it wasn't a surprise to me that both of us got so many shots on goal" said O'Brien.
Game Three back in Humboldt was a similar affair to Game Two in Yorkton with second period powerplay goals for the home team proving to be the turning point. Tyler Giebel opened the scoring for the Terriers with a powerplay goal giving the veteran his third goal of the playoffs. Broncos enforcer Justin Lund game up big at the end of the first to get his third of the playoffs and send things into the first intermission all evened up.
In the second unfortunate penalties cost the Terriers as the Broncos took advantage of Zak Majkowski and John Odgers penalties to go up 3-1 with two straight powerplay goals. Adam Antkowiak struck first on the Majkowski roughing penalty before John Odgers was given a game misconduct for a checking from behind penalty minutes after. The Broncos were given an instigator penalty as Rhett Blackmur decided to have a go at Odgers before the two had an old school playoff tilt, in the end on the ensuing three minute powerplay Alex forsberg scored his second of the final and the playoffs to put Humboldt up 3-1 to end the second.
Dakota Odgers got his fourth goal in five playoff appearances on an assist from Patrick Martens early in the third, but it was too little too late as Hrynkiw shut the door and the Broncos once again barely escaped with a 3-2 win in what has been two inspired performances by the Terriers on the road thus far.
The Terriers powerplay has been extremely potent to begin the series with the first four Yorkton goals coming off the powerplay and five goals on the powerplay in total in the series giving them five of their seven goals on the man advantage. Humboldt added four goals of their own on the powerplay in the opening three games, making special teams a focal point for the Terriers coaching staff. "No matter what series it is special teams are going to be important, a blocked shot on the penalty kill can fire up a team and at the same time a timely powerplay goal can deflate your opponent so we have been looking at our special teams especially going into the series" explained O'Brien.
Dakota Odgers and Patrick Martens have been the difference makers for the Terriers over the last two weeks. Martens has ten goals in the playoffs now after missing a chunk of the second round due to injury while Odgers, who played with the Harvest this year after making the Swift Current Broncos has six points in five playoff games since coming into Game Five of the Sherwood Final and has developed a newfound scoring touch in front of the net after being primarily a playmaker during his time with the Harvest this season. With Alex Forsberg stepping up for Humboldt after being quiet for most of his time with the Broncos since being sent home from Prince George, it is comforting for the Terriers that they have a WHL prospect who has been showing that he is the one WHL scouts should be watching in this series. Joey Davies for the Broncos is also a player to watch during the rest of the series with 13 playoff goals making him a leading contender for playoff MVP should he lift his Broncos to another title.
Game Four will take place in Yorkton on Thursday night before Game Five goes in Humboldt on the weekend in what will be two games that put some of the pieces together in a series puzzle that is looking more and more like it will be a seven game series. With the way both teams have been battling in the opening games, it just seems inevitable that this series will be a classic that goes the distance.
