Losing to a team near the bottom of the west division standings was a punch in the gut for the first-place St. Albert Merchants.
And to add insult to injury the Stony Plain Flyers pumped in three unanswered goals, including the winner with 4:24 to play Friday night at Glenn Hall Centennial Arena.
“It definitely struck us pretty deep,” said left-winger Brent McGugan of the 4-3 setback to the Flyers (8-6). “We’ve been on a pretty big winning streak for a few weeks now so to lose a game like that we know we’ve got to pick it up again. It just kind of proves to us that we have to keep working.”
The Merchants (12-4) were undefeated in six games before the Flyers knocked off the Founders Cup finalists in the Capital Junior B Hockey League.
The fourth loss in 16 games is one more than the Merchants suffered throughout the 2013/14 regular season when they finished a remarkable 34-3-1.
“Teams seem to be giving us more of a go this year,” McGugan said. “We swept most of them in series play last year so they’re all trying to come back and beat us.”
It was 3-1 Merchants on consecutive goals by Casey Reid and Braeden Farge (power play) in the first and McGugan three minutes into the second when the Flyers rallied to tie it up before the period ended.
Despite an overall 37-25 shot advantage the Merchants were unable to seal the deal.
Ty Clelland suffered his first loss in net after winning all six of his starts since joining the Merchants in mid-October from the North Edmonton Red Wings.
Sunday at home against the Beverly Warriors (8-3-3) the Merchants gassed a 5-1 lead in the third before salvaging two points in the 7-6 shootout win.
“It was a good game. The first and second periods we played really well,” Farge said. “We had a few defensive lapses in the third period and they tied it up but we really showed that we can battle back against some adversity and still get the win.”
The Merchants regained the lead at 6-5 on the second goal of the season by assistant captain Taylor Wiebe but the Warriors netted the equalizer before the end of regulation time.
“We let them get a few quick goals on us and they tied it up at 5-5. We were just on our heels and we managed to get another goal and then right after that they came back and scored on us,” said McGugan, who potted his sixth goal on a line with Reid and Josh Jewell to get the offence rolling. “We had an excellent start. It was probably one of our best starts this year so far.”
The Merchants were anxious to put Friday’s disappointing loss behind them as fast as possible.
“We came out firing on Sunday. We were a little upset with that loss and we wanted to show that we’re better than what we showed in Stony Plain,” said Farge, who recorded the team’s fifth goal of the night. “All around in the first and second periods we played really well. We had all of our guys going and we were definitely playing a lot better than in Stony Plain where we let it get away in the third period.”
After an uneventful four-on-four five-minute overtime period the Merchants lit the lamp in the shootout as Clelland stood tall between the pipes.
“At the end we got the win and that’s all that matters,” Farge said. “Obviously we don’t want to lose like we did in Stony Plain but we haven’t lost two in a row so that is a positive.”
It’s been a work in progress for the Merchants after going 45-11-1 overall as the fourth-place finishers at provincials.
McGugan, 20, a second-year Merchant and former Edmonton Mustang, is among 15 returnees from one of the most successful Merchants’ teams in years.
“We started off a little bit differently this year. We’ve got a few new guys and it took us a little while to start meshing together and then right off the bat we started getting injuries to some of our top players so there was a lot of adversity playing with four D sometimes and three lines but now we’re all coming together and it’s going to be a fun time for the rest of the season,” said the security camera installer for Austin Security who is on pace to surpass his totals of 26 goals and 49 points in 33 games from last season.
Instead of running away with the pennant the Merchants share top spot with the Red Wings (11-3-2).
“We’re doing well. We have four forward lines, which is probably the deepest in the league. Any line can carry us. Our defence is no slouch either,” said Farge, a midget AAA product of the Maple Leafs who played bantam AAA and midget 15 in St. Albert.
He hooked up with the Merchants after splitting last season between the Sherwood Park Crusaders (two assists in 23 games) of the Alberta Junior Hockey League and the Columbia Valley Rockies (seven goals and 12 points in 23 games) in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.
Farge ranks second on the Merchants in goals with nine and is only a slap shot away from 20 points on the season.
“I feel like I’m playing well but I haven’t played my best yet. I’ve managed to get some points here and there consistently but I’m still waiting to have that complete game where I’m playing my best offensively and defensively,” said the versatile forward who patrolled right wing on a line with veteran Jordan MacPhee and rookie Zach Gonek against the Warriors.
Farge, 19, is enjoying his stint with the Money Men.
“I like it. I always wanted to go to school and play hockey and that’s what I’m doing. It’s a lot of fun, especially being on a winner,” said the NAIT construction engineering technology student.
ICE CHIPS: Saturday the Merchants are hosting a team fundraiser at The Bourbon Room in Campbell Business Park. Tickets are $10 in advance. Contact Jackie at 780-975-0122 for tickets or to donate a silent auction item.
Sunday the Merchants host the Mustangs (11-3-1) at 8 p.m. at Akinsdale Arena.
