Bonnyville Pontiacs suffer crucial loss to Whitecourt, prepare for trip to Drumheller

Slade Firkus and Maxim Shushkov talk during a stoppage in play during the Bonnyville Pontiacs game vs the Devon Xtreme. Image credit: Emma Jonker Photography.

Faint glimmers of playoff hope remain for the Bonnyville Pontiacs, but a loss indicative of the team’s season overall deepens the blow following the 6-2 defeat to the Whitecourt Wolverines on Tuesday night at home. 

Home ice has been good to the Yaks lately. 

In fact, following Saturday’s strong 7-3 showing against the Devon Xtreme, Bonnyville had rattled off four consecutive wins at the RJ Lalonde Arena. 

It set the stage for a sprint: five games to go, six points of the Fort McMurray Oil Barons for the last playoff spot.

The game started well. A terrific 1st period, an early goal from Porter Byrd-Leitner, and a 1-0 lead at the intermission.

Fast forward to the latter stages of the 2nd period, where the Pontiacs allowed four goals in 2:44. It could’ve been five if not for a failed penalty shot.

For all intents and purposes, this segment crushed Bonnyville’s hopes in this game.

“We just shot ourselves in the foot and melted down there for a four minute stretch and they scored four goals. Almost the same script when we were in Whitecourt a week ago, and they took advantage in the 2nd period and we couldn’t play catch-up,” said assistant coach Chad Carder in the post-game.

“I think tonight guy’s started to unravel on the bench because of the non-calls. Guys were getting hooked all over the ice and we weren’t getting anything from it. I think frustration creeped in there and then it started against each other. It’s never a good thing on the bench. We sorted it out after.”

Highlights from the Yaks impressive 7-3 over the Devon Xtreme on Saturday. 

2nd period issues

This particular outing highlighted two aspects of the Pontiacs’ season that have undone so much of the good work they’ll do in games: Response shifts after goals and 2nd period play.

Combined with a road record of 5-16-4, it’s drug down a team, that for 40-50 minutes most nights, are in pole position to achieve success.

Often times, these two aspects converge, like they did on Tuesday night.

The Pontiacs were surrendering few high danger chances against until the tying goal from Tyler Rowland.

Ty Rayan was screening Cody Butikis and dancing in and amidst the blue paint, which drew the ire of Butikis as Rowland fired the puck in. He protested the call.

“The ref is saying he’s in the crease and the puck goes in on his stick side, and they say he can’t get to that spot, but also it’s not goalie interference, which is confusing to me,” Carder relayed. 

That seemed to flip the game because the next shot went in on a re-direction for Chayce King’s first ever AJHL goal, and then a rush from Wolverines’ leading scorer Jalen Bianchet created a rebound that Ethan Short converted in.

But the team’s attention to detail, and the puck focus, reared its head.

Quentin Bourne rushed in zone to zone, cut across the goal mouth, and scored the fourth goal, a dagger.

After an offensive zone turnover, Braden Keeble launched into a breakaway, and was hooked by Justin Berezniuk. He bobbled the puck on his penalty shot. Otherwise, it could’ve been the fifth goal in less than four minutes.

Maxim Shushkov gave the Yaks a hope in the 3rd period with a marksmen level shot, top corner over Zac Onyskiw. That’s the rookie defenceman’s 6th goal of the season, plus another helper from Byrd-Leitner.

But it was all for not. The Wolverines exploited breakdowns near the tail end of regulation to put the game out of reach.

What are the odds?

The Pontiacs go on the road to Drumheller to play one of the hottest teams in the league of late. The Dragons are 11-2-1 since late January, and threaten to overtake the Camrose Kodiaks for 3rd in the South.

Seven playoff positions are clinched, it’s just the Oil Barons and Pontiacs who are in contention.

Fort McMurray will play their last five games on the road.

They begin a five day road trip on Friday with a pair of games against the Grande Prairie Storm, have a day off on Sunday, visit the Devon Xtreme on Monday, and finish on Tuesday in Camrose.

The matchup against the Kodiaks is a makeup for the postponed Feb. 12 appearance, where there enough Oil Barons’ players sick, the league agreed to re-schedule the game.

Then they come to Bonnyville on Saturday, March 15 to round out the season.

To make the post-season, the Yaks have to win their four remaining contests, and they need the Oil Barons to essentially lose all five.

Byrd-Leitner receives weekly honour – again

For the second time this season, Porter Byrd-Leitner is the AJHL Rookie of the Week.

His prowess from December on has been just about as good as anybody in the league.

After another multi-point game on Tuesday, following up a four point night on Saturday, Byrd-Leitner has a 10 game point streak cooking.

He’s leaped to fourth amongst rookies in scoring with 48 points, and is tied for 11th overall in league scoring.

Only three times since Dec. 17, a total of 23 games, has he been held off the scoresheet. The handiwork is impressive for the player, who arrived on the roster a couple weeks into the season already committed to Colgate University (NCAA D-I).

Division I commitments are just not happening for AJHL players anymore, especially in light of the US ruling, where CHL Major Junior players are now allowed to play NCAA.

This is a Richter scale level change in junior hockey that has already greatly changed the landscape.

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You can listen to ENT Oilfield Bonnyville Pontiacs hockey on Lakeland Connect with Michael Menzies right here.