Aces coach Curtis Creaser says his team is facing an uphill battle to qualify for North Central Hockey League playoffs.
The Aces are second last in the league, and if they slip below last-place team Rocky Mountain House, their season will be over at the end of the month.
“If we don’t put some wins together, we’re in trouble,” said Creaser, noting that for as long as he can remember, the Aces have made it to playoffs.
The struggle is not due to any skills deficit, said Creaser, but because of a collective mental block.
“On paper, we’ve got a good team,” said Creaser. “I think it’s a psychological issue. We just have to play through it.
“We need a little bit more of a winning mentality instead of this catch-up game that we keep playing,” he said, reflecting on the Aces’ three straight losses since play resumed this month.
The Aces lost 7-3 to Edson Jan. 4 in what Creaser characterized as one of his team’s poorest games.
“It was our first game back after the break. We didn’t get a chance to skate as a team, and it showed,” he said.
Last Friday, the Aces played at home against the Westlock Warriors, losing 5-4.
“Our compete level was good — just every time we made a mistake, it ended up in the back of our net,” Creaser mused.
The last time the teams met, the Warriors won by a two-goal margin, and Creaser said the tighter score last week was reflective of better play by the Aces — just not quite good enough.
On Saturday, the Aces were back on the ice, this time in Morinville for one of their best games yet, said Creaser, especially considering the Aces’ short bench (12 skaters instead of their usual 18). Unfortunately, this was not reflected in the score, as Morinville won 5-3.
“Three really crappy bounces went Morinville’s way, and that was pretty much the difference in the game,” said Creaser. In one case, he said, the puck bounced off a glove, then off the post, then in; in another, the puck banked off a skate.
“It was one of the best team defence games we’ve played,” said Creaser, noting that one of Morinville’s goals was on an empty net.
Offensively, Aaron Grey scored two goals for the Aces, while Alfred Lavalee scored the other.
“It didn’t feel like a loss until we looked at the scoreboard,” Creaser said.
Creaser pointed out the Aces outshot Morinville 45-24; at Friday’s game against Westlock, the Aces also outshot their opponents 24-17.
“I think this is the sixth game of the year that we’ve outshot and outplayed a team and come out with a loss,” said Creaser. “It’s just getting really redundant. It’s getting frustrating.”
As for how to turn those attacks on net into wins, Creaser said he’s noticed a tendency for the Aces to turn over the puck at bad times: near the end of a period or when they are up a goal.
Exhibit A: at Friday’s game, with two seconds left in the second period, Westlock scored, tying the game up at 3-3 and palpably changing the momentum in their favour.
“We can’t let up,” Creaser said. “So it’s keeping that mental focus and making that second effort at the end of a shift or at the end of a period.”
His goal is not only to stay out of last place, but to get the Aces into a more favourable matchup for the first round of playoffs.
“The last three games of the season, if we can turn this ship around as far as that psychological battle that we’ve been facing, I feel excited about playoffs. But we’ve got to make it first.”
