Pontiacs Split Weekend: Blown Open in Whitecourt, Bounce Back in Overtime Thriller at Home

The Bonnyville Pontiacs saw both extremes in a 24-hour stretch.

A 10-3 loss in Whitecourt on Friday was followed by a resilient 5-4 overtime win over Canmore on Saturday at the RJ. Lalonde Arena. The result? A split weekend — and a team still fighting.

Pre-Game Focus Falls Apart in Whitecourt

Coming into Friday’s game against the Wolverines, the message from both the room and the bench was clear.

Defenseman Evan Shulha stressed the importance of structure in a smaller rink.

“I think establishing a forecheck, especially in this rink… and staying above our guys defensively,” Shulha said before puck drop. “They have a lot of speed and they like to use it.”

Head coach Chad Mercier echoed that.

“We want to establish a forecheck. We want them to try and put pucks around the wall on their breakout,” Mercier said. “When they do make direct plays, they got a ton of speed… hard to defend that way.”

For 15 minutes, the game was manageable.

Gavin Harrison opened the scoring on the power play at 4:26 of the first, his 23rd of the season. After Whitecourt responded with two, Pendy tied it at 2-2 late in the period.

Then the wheels came off.

Whitecourt exploded for five goals in the second period and added three more in the third, skating away with a 10-3 win. The Wolverines outshot Bonnyville 42-25 and went 2-for-5 on the power play — continuing a troubling trend in the season series.

Mercier had pointed to discipline as a key factor.

“This is a team where you got to be four or less,” he said of penalties. “You can’t take back-to-back penalties because you give them momentum.”

Whitecourt capitalized again.

Ruskowski led the charge with a hat trick. Bianchet added two, including a third-period power play goal that pushed the game fully out of reach.

Bonnyville’s lone third-period marker came from Baar.

The final line read 10-3 — but it was the five-goal second period that defined the night.

No Quit, Just Response

If there was one thing Mercier emphasized pre-game, it was belief in his group.

“I have zero indication… that these guys have given up one bit,” he said earlier in the week. “Nor will we. Nor will they.”

Saturday backed that up.

Back on home ice, the Pontiacs erased a two-goal third-period deficit and won 5-4 in overtime against Canmore.

Harrison tied the game at 10:45 of the third. Wilson responded just 25 seconds after Canmore regained the lead. Costantino gave Bonnyville its first lead of the night at 15:09 on the power play.

Canmore pushed it to overtime — but Harrison ended it at 2:44 of OT, finishing off a feed from Shushkov for his 25th of the year.

Laurette stopped 22 of 26 shots for the win.

The shots favoured Bonnyville 34-26.

Big Players Stepping Up

Mercier was blunt before the Whitecourt game about what needed to happen.

“Our best players are going to have to be our best players,” he said. “They’re going to have to be better than their best players for us to come out with two points.”

Saturday, they were.

Harrison had two goals including the overtime winner. Wilson scored twice. Costantino added one. Pendy chipped in three assists over the weekend.

The response showed compete — something Mercier has consistently praised.

“If you see our practice… it’s as highly competitive and as good a practice as we’ve had all year,” he said. “That tells me they’re all in.”

Oil Barons Up Next

The Pontiacs now prepare for Fort McMurray on Wednesday, February 25 at home.

That game was originally scheduled for last Wednesday but was postponed due to Highway 63 being closed because of weather. It now becomes a critical midweek matchup.

Shulha said it best before the weekend began:

“Take care of business tonight and then we’ll worry about that later.”

Later is now.

Bonnyville sits in a tight race where margins are thin and consistency matters. One lopsided loss. One gritty overtime win.

Wednesday offers another chance to define which version shows up.