Benny Walchuk:
It's time once again for the Melville Millionaires Coaches Show on GX94. We're joined by head coach and GM Doug Johnson. Doug, it's been a quieter couple of weeks, but the Millionaires picked up a 1-0 win over the Battlefords North Stars on Friday. Talk about that effort and another good win here in October.
Doug Johnson:
Every win is a good win. Obviously, a 1-0 game isn't what we draw up as coaches. Some people might think I'd like to win every game 1-0, but I'd love to win 5-0, 6-0 or 7-1 while maintaining our defensive structure and scoring more goals.
We found a way to win. Battlefords played a little harder than we expected, and we had our chances. We just couldn't finish, putting pucks into the goalie's chest and making him look better than we probably made him look.
We got the win, which is what counts, and came away injury-free. That's important right now, with two huge games coming up.
Benny Walchuk:
Noah Kraus picked up his first SJHL shutout. You mentioned Nathan Claydon for Battlefords, but Kraus was also excellent. We talk every week about the strong goaltending you've received.
Doug Johnson:
Kraus was outstanding. He made everything look easy and put very little pressure on our defencemen. When you have brick walls back there, it's nice to see.
He's been a pillar for us all year, just like Kaleb Page. The goaltending position has been a bit of a revolving door over the last two years, so it's great to come to the rink knowing you have two solid goaltenders who are outstanding people, work hard in practice and make everyone better.
Benny Walchuk:
You mentioned Kaleb Page. He and Parker Salisbury will represent the Millionaires and the SJHL at the Western All-Star Challenge in Martensville next week. That's a great achievement for two young players who have played well for you.
Doug Johnson:
You can't say enough about both of them, first as people and then for their work ethic. They're the youngest guys on the team, but everyone appreciates what they bring. They work hard, don't complain, cause no issues and get better every day.
We've talked about it before. They want to be here, and that matters. Playing against men makes you better, and by the end of the year, these two will be well ahead of where they would be playing AAA hockey.
I think we're only seeing the tip of the iceberg. Salisbury is becoming a real 200-foot threat. He's solid defensively, and you've seen glimpses of his offensive ability. That production will become more consistent as he continues to develop.
Page also gets better and more confident every day. Unfortunately, we've only played one game since his first win, but he's still riding that confidence. Getting the Western All-Star nomination should make him feel great, especially with the quality of goaltenders in this league.
Benny Walchuk:
A quick look ahead to Friday, when the Nipawin Hawks come to town. They're playing good hockey and scoring plenty of goals. What are you expecting?
Doug Johnson:
They're an all-offence, full-throttle team. We'll have to slow them down, manage the puck and get on their defencemen to create turnovers.
Their weaknesses should play into our strengths. Their back end is an area we can attack, and while our goaltending has been a strength, our forwards are going to break out and start scoring more goals.
Our structure should match up well against how Nipawin plays. It comes down to which team executes its game better. If we play our game better than Nipawin, we should come away with a win. If we don't and they're on top of their game, it's going to be a long night.
