Stacking wins together is an unfinished project for the St. Albert Merchants.
The Capital Junior B Hockey League team posted back-to-back victories once while going 4-4 to kick off the season.
“We want to get on a roll as soon as we can,” said centre Peter Corrigan. “We know how important points are at the beginning of the year because they will matter later on in the year.”
After eight games last season, the Merchants were 6-2 while winning the opening five matches en route to a fourth-place 21-16-1 record in the west division.
“It’s always good to get off to a good start,” said Corrigan, one of 13 returnees from the 2018 quarter-finalists. “We’ve been doing pretty well so far. There are some games where we should've won but we’ve just got to play a full 60.
“A lot of guys haven’t played with each other before so we’re still getting to know one other but as the year goes on, I’m sure we’re going to perform better.”
Sunday’s 8-3 decision against the Stony Plain Flyers (5-3) at Akinsdale Arena stopped a two-game winless stretch after losses of 3-2 to the North Edmonton Red Wings (7-0) at Londonderry Arena and 6-3 to the host Wetaskiwin Icemen (5-2) and CJHL champions the last two seasons.
“That’s one of our better games we’ve played this year. We almost played a full 60 which is what we’ve been struggling to do,” said Corrigan of downing the Flyers.
The second-year Merchant combined with linemates Bryce Sturm and Ryan Deets to snipe his team-high eighth goal to make it 6-2 late in the second period.
The CJHL’s top goal scorer is Braeden Nesbitt with 11 in eight games.
Corrigan, 19, also picked up three assists and is tied with Sturm for the most points on the Merchants with 12.
“I try to not care about that stuff. I care about winning more but it’s always good to get off to a good start like that,” said Corrigan, the second-leading scorer on the Merchants last season with 37 points in 36 games and five of his 14 goals were potted on the power play.
“Last year was a lot of fun. I had a lot of opportunities to play with some good players and the coaches were really good. They coached us well and gave everyone equal opportunity,” said the 2016-17 midget AAA St. Albert Raider and former midget AAA KC Pat, midget 15 St. Albert Flyer and bantam AAA PAC Saint.
Sturm on the power play in the first, Cole Gupta, Robert Putt, Kole Bryks and Deets in the second and Ryan Cooper and Bryks in the third also found the back of the net.
Sturm, who played the last two seasons with the Creston Valley Thunder Cats in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League, added two helpers.
Gupta’s goal was his fourth and is third in team scoring with nine points.
Shots were 26-17 in the second and 50-49 overall for the Merchants in support of Colton Iwaschuk (3-1, 2.04 GAA).
The Merchants are averaging three goals against per game while clicking at 4.75 goals scored, compared to the 3.95 goals for/against average last season.
“We had a really good D core last year and our defence is really strong again this year and I feel like we’re going to be able to score a lot like we did last year, too,” said Corrigan, a Bellerose Composite High School graduate.
The Merchants are 3-1 on home ice when the Royals (4-4) visit St. Albert on Friday at 8 p.m.
Sunday the Merchants face off against the Fort Saskatchewan Hawks (3-4) at 7:45 p.m. at JRC Arena.
