Healthy bodies hard to find

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/04/2023 (1262 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Seven-game playoff series are usually tests of will and endurance.

For the Portage Terriers, facing Game 7 in their MJHL semifinal with the Virden Oil Capitals comes with something impossible to control — such as who will be well enough to play?

“I’m not trying to whine but holy Christmas, it’s been a tough go,” said Terriers general manager and head coach Blake Spiller on Tuesday as his club prepared for Wednesday’s decisive contest at Stride Place. “We’ve been sick.

“Since Game 2, we’ve been fighting viruses and flus and strep throat. So it’s been a tough grind. If you look at our lineup, it’s kind varied. We won the first two games and then after that the lineup’s kinda been based on who’s the least sick… we played Sunday and had a couple key defenceman out and four other guys that played but aren’t real healthy right now.”

Those two key defenders, Tayem Gislason and Hayden Lacquette, practised Tuesday and could be available for Game 7, set for 7:30 p.m. Portage was already missing regular defenceman Jordan Murray, who has missed six weeks with a shoulder injury.

At stake Wednesday is a berth in the league final where the Steinbach Pistons await. Steinbach downed the Swan Valley Stampeders in six games Monday.

To make up for the shortage of bodies, Spiller used call-up Brett Magarrell and veteran forward Slade Stanick to bolster his defensive corps during Sunday’s 7-1 loss in Game 6.

Tied 1-1 midway through the second period, Virden scored six unanswered goals en route to victory. The Oil Caps were well aware of Portage’s tenuous manpower situation.

“We were patient with our game plan and got pucks in behind their (defence) and towards the end of the game, in my opinion, they started to tire a little bit, especially the guys in the back end,” said Caps GM and head coach Tyson Ramsey. “They didn’t have a full six guys on the back end.”

Veteran blue-liner Trevor Hunt played a big part of the Virden offence in Game 6, scoring once and adding a pair of assists.

“We played really good,” said Hunt. “So, I wasn’t too surprised after we started scoring. Right after we got to the fifth goal, it was kind of like, ‘I guess this is us today.’ It was pretty awesome to see the group working together like that.”

Spiller could see his team was gassed in the third period but recognized the Caps for a well-executed game plan.

“Virden’s played real well, too,” said Spiller. “Give them credit. Since Christmas time, they’ve been real good and they deserve to be where they are. I mean, even in games 1 and 2 when we were healthy, those were good games, too. It’s not (like) they don’t deserve it.”

The Terriers, who will host the Centennial Cup May 11-21, would prefer not to back into the national championship tournament.

To win Game 7, they will need to solve the stingy Virden goaltending duo of Owen LaRocque and Eric Reid.

LaRocque (2.06) and Reid (2.52) are first and third in playoff goals-against average, splitting the club’s 12 post-season starts evenly. On Tuesday, Ramsey was not prepared to divulge his choice for Game 7 starter.

“As you get on in the series, the games become a little bit more exciting,” said Ramsey. “Obviously, we played in an elimination game the other night here, so that’s motivation in itself and, and as the series wears along, you run on adrenaline a little bit. Whether you can manage that or not sometimes is the key to the outcome.”

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca