Reed Linaker’s return to the line-up put the St. Albert Steel back on track, temporarily, in the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
After missing 10 games with a knee injury, the all-star centre scored once and added one assist in the 6-2 victory against the Drayton Valley Thunder last week in St. Albert.
“Anytime you can contribute and win it’s a positive feeling,” Linaker said. “It was a good team effort. A lot of guys chipped in.”
Linaker watched the last-place Steel go 2-8 in his absence and while his return sparked the team to its fifth win of the season, St. Albert has lost its last two games.
“I’ve sat out for a few games in my career because of injuries and it’s always tough, especially when you lose and you’re struggling the way we’ve been. You just try and stay positive and get healthy as quick as you can,” said second-highest point producer in Steel history with 188 in 157 games.
A low hip check made his right knee buckle in the Steel’s 6-2 win against the Calgary Canucks on Oct. 9.
“It was just all on that one leg and it kind of blew it up. It was swollen pretty good,” said the 2010 Canada West player. “It was kind of scary at the time. I thought it could’ve been a lot more serious, but luckily I was able to come back in a short amount of time.”
Linaker had earlier torn his ACL and meniscus in the same knee on a dangerous hit by Jayson Ness of the Thunder on Feb. 4. Surgery wasn’t required to fix the damage.
“It feels pretty good now.”
The Steel need a healthy Linaker in order to make the playoffs. The worst defensive team in the AJHL was five points back of the Grande Prairie Storm for the seventh and last playoff spot in the north before Friday’s home game against the Lloydminster Bobcats. The score was unavailable at press time.
“There is still a lot of season left with over 30 games. You just have to take it one game at a time and hopefully collect a few points and trim down that lead,” said the Steel’s fifth-highest scorer with 15 points in 16 games.
In the last 10 games the Steel played their best hockey of the season while going 3-7.
“Our skill guys are putting the puck into the net a little bit more. Our defensive end is shaping up a little bit. It’s just a matter of getting some wins now.”
The Steel’s 18th loss in 25 games was Tuesday’s 5-1 defeat in Fort McMurray. After the Steel opened the scoring in the second period on Jamie Johnson’s third goal in three games, the hometown Oil Barons tallied three times before the period ended.
The Steel was outshot 56-21 as Ty Swabb (3-9-2, 3.83 GAA) took the loss in net.
“It was a tough one. I think personally they’re the best team in the league that we’ve played so far. They have a real fast, skilled team,” said Linaker. “It’s also a tough barn to play in. You give them a lead of a couple of goals and usually you’re not coming back.
“The first period was actually a pretty good road period for us but then in the second and third the wheels kind of fell off. I think we also respected them a little bit too much. We gave them a little too much room and a little too much time to create some plays.”
The teams meet again Sunday at Performance Arena at 2 p.m.
“We obviously want to send Fort Mac a message back that we’re not going to be a pushover.”
The four-game homestand wraps up next weekend against the Canucks and Camrose Kodiaks.
“Hopefully we can string a few wins together. We’ve beat Lloyd twice. Calgary we’ve also beat. Any team can win on any night so you just have to bring your A game.”
After his fourth and final AJHL season Linaker will play for the Penn State Nittany Lions in their inaugural 2011-12 NCAA division one campaign. He is still committed to Penn State despite the child sex scandal that’s rocked the university, leading to the downfall of football coach Joe Paterno.
“It’s a crappy situation. It’s kind of scary, too, but that’s a totally different program. Coach [Guy Gadowsky] had reiterated that wouldn’t be happening with the hockey program,” Linaker said. “As bad as it is it sucks to see a legend like that lose his legacy that way because he’s done a lot for that program, a lot for that school and a lot just for college football in general. It kind of sucks to see it end that way.”
