Canes bounce back in weekend split

By Lethbridge Herald on February 4, 2025.

Herald Photo by Justin Seward Lethbridge Hurricanes Brayden Yager embraces for a check from Rylen Roersma of the Edmonton Oil Kings during WHL action at VisitLethbridge.com Arena on Saturday.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

The Lethbridge Hurricanes are coming off a weekend where they were able to bounce back in one game after a lackluster effort the night before.

The Canes were blanked by the Edmonton Oil Kings 3-0 at home on Saturday before getting a much needed 4-3 win over the Calgary Hitmen on Sunday.

“I think starting with Saturday it was a little bit of a disappointing effort,” said Ryan Aasman, Canes assistant coach.

“We were fresh playing against a team that had played Wednesday and Friday, and then travelled in that day ,and we were really flat.”

The Canes had to reset heading into Calgary by holding players accountable for Saturday’s effort and coming out with a better effort  on Sunday.

“It showed with how we started the game and how it ended too,” said Aasman.

“I give the leadership group a lot of credit for making sure that they got the dressing room pointed in the right direction.”

Aasman felt on Sunday the Canes were competitive from the start.

“We were on our toes early and then managed to play a consistent 60 minutes where we didn’t waver from our game plan and we played the right way,” said Aasman.

“But when you play against a team like Calgary, they force you to play the right way and be detailed.”

Brayden Yager led the way for the Canes with a natural hat trick in Sunday’s win.

“That’s just part of our group,” said Yager ,on the response in the win after the loss the night before.

“We gotta great group of guys that I think know what it’s about, and having a short memory and just focus on the next game.”

Yager hit 300 points for his WHL career in the game.

Shane Smith thought it was important to get a win against Calgary.

“They’re a team that we’re probably gonna have to go through in playoffs and with the Central Division being so tight, those division match ups are always huge in the division standings,” said Smith.

The Canes now look ahead to Friday’s home game against the Prince Albert Raiders, who boast the second best powerplay in the league that operates at a 28.6 per cent efficiency.

“They have a lot of pieces on that powerplay and they have a lot of movement but they’re very connected and that’s just a small piece of it too,” said Aasman.

“They have a good kill that doesn’t allow you to enter clean, their five-on-five play’s really  good and they have really good goaltending. So their team play is really good and we haven’t seen them in a while, so it’s also exciting to take sometime this week and do a dive and see how they are.”

Yager feels the team’s penalty kill is great, which is fourth in the league.

“I think we run a pretty good penalty kill system,” said Yager.

“So if we can just execute as best we can, I think we’ll shut them down.”

Smith was asked how he sees the team preparing for PA.

“It’s pretty exciting to have this full week of practice to get in the gym together, get a couple of work outs in and we’re just getting better and better every day and getting prepared for Prince Albert,” said Smith.

 The Canes will be tested the with line of Brayden Dube, Aiden Oiring and Tomas Mrsic.

“We got to find ways to cut off Mrsic and Dube and take their ice away from them so they can’t  play within the neutral zone,” said Aasman.

The Canes will look to play a heavier game on Oiring, who is a smaller player, in hopes of wearing him down.