The St. Albert Steel got strong goaltending and a solid team effort to skate to their fourth victory on home ice and end a 10-game losing streak in the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
Game star Tanner Kovacs stopped 32 shots and Brady Goebel scored the winning goal with 7:24 remaining in regulation time in Friday's 3-2 decision against the Grande Prairie Storm in front of 237 fans at Performance Arena.
"We came out hard. It was a game that we really wanted to win and we knew we could if we put it all together. We needed a full team effort and every guy came to play," Kovacs said.
Dallas Smith potted his first two goals with the Steel during a 4:22 minute span in the second period to make it 2-1. The Storm replied with the equalizer at 6:53 in the third. The Steel outshot the Storm 11-6 in the period but the final shot count was 34-29 for the visitors.
"Smitty obviously stepped up big for us with those two goals when we needed them," Kovacs said. "We also got the bounces that we haven't been getting lately."
The win was only the second in 19 games for the last-place Steel (7-35-2). They are 19 points behind the Storm (16-23-3) for the seventh and last playoff spot in the north.
"It was really big for the whole team. Hopefully we can use it going forward and maybe put a few more together here in the near future," Kovacs said.
The next night in Bonnyville, he was pulled after letting in three goals on seven shots before the 12-minute mark in the 6-2 loss to the Pontiacs (27-11-4). The Steel were outshot 14-3 in the first period and 36-20 overall.
In the second period Jamie Johnson scored shorthanded and Bryce Sauers struck on the power play as the Steel trailed by three going into the third.
The Steel finished 1-for-10 with the man advantage and Bonnyville was 1-for-7.
"It was just one of those nights for everyone. We were probably a little too high off that game against Grande Prairie. It was a big win and we just weren't prepared to play," Kovacs said.
First AJHL win
Friday's win was also the first after five losses for Kovacs in eight appearances with the Steel since the Lethbridge Hurricanes re-assigned the 17-year-old netminder to the AJHL team on Dec. 6.
"There has been ups and downs so far, but mostly downs so it was nice to get that first one over with," he said. "You could probably tell by my emotion at the end of the game how happy I was."
In Lethbridge the former midget AAA St. Albert Raider started one game and saw action in two more while posting an 0-2 record and 6.19 GAA in 155 minutes played.
"I didn't play a whole lot but it was an experience. Hopefully I will be back there right away," said Kovacs, who is completing his Grade 12 online through a Lethbridge high school.
He had mixed emotions joining the AJHL's worst defensive team after trying to crack the Lethbridge roster.
"At first it was pretty disappointing to be honest, but they're giving me opportunities here and it's been really good for my development. I'm working on the technical aspects of the game and I'm getting those reps in at practice where there is two goalies here and there were three goalies in Lethbridge," Kovacs said. "It's just nice to get some game time in now and get pucks at you. Whether you're facing 20 or 50 shots a game, it doesn't hurt you. You just have to go out there and put in your best effort and see what the outcome is."
The six-foot-one Kovacs uses his size advantage to stop the puck.
"I'm a pretty tall guy so I'm looking over guys and I think it helps me find the puck," he said. "I also consider myself to be a pretty solid butterfly goalie. I read the play pretty well too and I like to play the puck."
Kovacs is only the third Raider in team history to receive the Bill Ranford Trophy as the top goalie in the Alberta Midget AAA Hockey League. Previous winners were Jamie McLennan in 1988 and Liam Liston in 2010.
Kovacs led the league with four shutouts, a 1.95 GAA and .925 save percentage while going 11-6-4 for the 20-10-4 Raiders.
"It was obviously a big personal achievement but it reflects the team as much as it reflects on me. We had a great defensive core and that really made it easy on me last year," said Kovacs, who played one season in the Alberta Minor Midget AAA Hockey League with the Red Deer Chiefs before moving to St. Albert.
Tonight at 7 p.m. the Steel play the first-place Spruce Grove Saints (34-2-7) at Grant Fuhr Arena.
This weekend the Steel and Sherwood Park Crusaders (27-13-4) hook up Friday in St. Albert and Saturday in Sherwood Park. Games times are 7 p.m.
