Benny Walchuk:
Good morning, it's time once again for the Yorkton Terriers Coaches Show on GX94. Joined as always by head coach and general manager Emery Olauson on this Monday morning.
Emery, you guys split the two games on the road in Kindersley this past weekend. Four games are now in the books for your hockey club. What was the biggest difference you saw from Friday's win to Saturday's tough loss?
Emery Olauson:
I think it was urgency. We're a young team, and I think my biggest concern four games in is how we follow up wins. I know we've got the pride in the group to come to work the next day after a loss or a setback. The guys are really dialled in after those situations.
Including exhibition, Saturday was our first regulation loss. But it's the nonchalance and comfort after having one game go our way that concerns me at this point. That's what we saw on the weekend.
We started with a great home opener against Estevan, then went to Warman and didn't have our best effort to start the game. We played 50 good minutes and obviously extracted a point to keep the regulation losses away. We learned a lesson in that game.
Then we went into Kindersley on a long road trip, and I thought we did a great job of answering. They scored first, we scored four unanswered, and we really managed the clock and the puck well the rest of the way.
Then again, Saturday maybe just felt a little bit easy. We tell the guys all the time, average is easy and below average is even easier. I think that's what we got Saturday night. We were a team that was okay being average, and we were.
Benny Walchuk:
The offense has certainly come early on. You've scored three or more goals in each of your first four games. What have you liked about the offensive side of the puck?
Emery Olauson:
We teach offense. We teach the offensive zone, we teach how to transition pucks, and we spend a lot of time on that. We recruit players that we believe can keep a high-paced offensive game going, so I think that's part of it.
Our special teams really haven't gotten going yet, so it's not those punishing power plays that we've had over the last two years.
It's in our five-on-five play, our pace and our relentless pursuit of offensive opportunities. The guys are just learning how to couple that with not giving up the home run against and not giving up Grade A chances.
It is a work in progress for sure, but we feel like we've got some really good puck managers and a lot of guys that can play with pace. At this level, we feel like, over time, that turns into pretty good offense.
Benny Walchuk:
You've got a week to prepare for two games this weekend. Saturday, Flin Flon comes to town for a rematch of last year's final, and then you're on the road Sunday for a divisional showdown in Weyburn. Another big weekend ahead for your hockey club.
Emery Olauson:
Yeah, it feels like this year in the SJHL there aren't going to be any nights off, and this weekend is no different.
You start the season with three road games and one at home. I think we've navigated that part of the schedule well, but it doesn't get easier.
Flin Flon is coming in, and that's as well-built a team as I've seen in this league again. Weyburn is off to a great start and has a very high-octane offense, and their power play is clicking.
So, two very different challenges. We're excited about the home show against Flin Flon and the rematch. Hopefully we've taken strides by then to play a very, very competitive and physical team.
Then we go on the road for our first in-division matchup since the home opener against Estevan. Those division games are so important, and getting out on the road and playing the right way in our division is going to be huge.
