Benny Walchuk:
You split a pair of games with the Yorkton Terriers this past weekend in the first Highway 10 battle of the regular season. It was a tough loss on the road Friday, but you have to be pleased with the response and the bounce-back performance Saturday night.
Doug Johnson:
It's kind of the same thing. When we have success, we eliminate the soft skills and play a little harder. We do things the way championship teams do.
Friday night, I thought there were a lot of passengers and some guys playing on the perimeter. Saturday, we were more in your face and played with a lot more pace.
We did make a few more mistakes defensively, but we're playing four first-year defencemen night in and night out right now because of the injuries. I think the pace Yorkton played at made them a little uncomfortable, and their minutes started adding up. We've got to take care of that, but Saturday was much more satisfying because of the intensity we played with.
Benny Walchuk:
You mentioned that young group of defencemen. There are going to be some growing pains early on, which is part of being a young player in the SJHL, but what kind of growth have you seen from that group?
Doug Johnson:
They're just more comfortable in their own skin. They understand what it takes to win.
Ryland McConnell is starting to play a little harder with the puck, making plays faster and passing the puck with some zip. Kohen Volk is understanding the pace of the game and that he needs to play a little faster and harder. The same goes for Toren Budgell, while Cohen Champagne is simplifying his game and understanding that this isn't AAA hockey. It's a much harder game.
A lot of these young guys come in thinking it won't be that big of a jump. In reality, it's the biggest jump there is in hockey. You talk to any high-end coach, and they'll tell you the jump from AAA to junior is the biggest one you're going to make.
They're getting used to it, and they're doing really well. We thought we might get 30 minutes a night out of them collectively. Right now, they're playing 65 or 70 minutes a night for us.
We'd be in a tough spot without them right now, and they're holding their own very well.
Benny Walchuk:
Getting Wesley Olson and Jaden Kokosha back into the lineup on Saturday was a big boost. Grady Carmichael has also taken some big steps forward in his second season. What have you seen from those returning forwards and the way they've performed early this season?
Doug Johnson:
With Wesley, we talk about being drivers. We talk about being lions, the kings of the jungle, and he has that mentality.
He goes out and plays with reckless abandon. He's fearless and doesn't worry about getting hurt. He plays the game the right way.
Kokosha has a little bit of that, too. He's a little more reserved, but he has very good puck skills. He's 6-foot-3 or 6-foot-4, has that reach, plays hard, gets in your face and does the things we've talked about.
They're just getting more comfortable. You look at Carmichael, and it's the same thing. They're becoming more comfortable in their own skin and gaining confidence with every rep.
That's what we're looking for: guys who can be drivers and drag people into the fight. When we're successful, we have 20 guys doing that. When we're not, we have 10. We've got to eliminate those 10 guys who are doing it inconsistently.
Benny Walchuk:
Looking ahead to this weekend, it's three games in three days. You start with the Warman Wolverines on Friday before taking on the Kindersley Klippers in back-to-back games Saturday and Sunday. What kind of challenge does that present, and what are you looking forward to?
Doug Johnson:
I'm actually really excited about it because it's going to be a test. We're still banged up and will be a little depleted, especially on the back end.
But I want to see what these guys are made of because we talk about the mentality we need: guys who will drive the bus and drag people into the fight.
With three games in three nights, it's easy to get up for one game, but we need guys to be ready for all three. It's going to be a test to see where we're at and what we're made of. It's going to be fun to be on the bench for.
Benny Walchuk:
Just a quick thought on your Friday opponent, the Warman Wolverines. They've gotten off to an impressive start this season. What do the Mils need to be aware of, and what's going to be key to success on Friday?
Doug Johnson:
I think, with anything, if you defend them hard, keep them in front of you and don't give them easy goals, you're going to have success.
On the flip side, I think we can expose some of their habits, tendencies and weaknesses. We've just got to make sure we do that consistently for 60 minutes.
