The Hawks took on the Ice Wolves in La Ronge Saturday in SJHL action. (Clark Stork/northeastNow Staff)

By Clark Stork

Loss in extras

Hawks scratch out point in La Ronge

Sep 24, 2023 | 12:38 PM

The Nipawin Hawks closed their opening weekend of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) season with a 3-2 shootout loss in La Ronge.

During the pregame show of Duplex Furniture and Appliances Hawks Hockey on 750 Beach Radio, Head Coach Tad Kozun warned about the importance of special teams and the potential results when power-plays become a factor.

After killing all seven Flin Flon power-plays on Friday in a 5-3 loss to the Bombers, Nipawin was down a man, or two eight times in loss at the Mel Hegland Uniplex. Both the Hawks goals in the second period of Saturday’s game from Braxton Buckberger and Chase Visser were scored shorthanded, but the Ice Wolves scored two power-play goals of their own plus Niapwin didn’t score on a handful of their own power-play chances including four in the third period and overtime. Head Coach Tad Kozun said the foreshadowing was spot on.

“Special teams can win and lose you hockey games, especially at this time of year. Obviously, we got two shorthanded goals which is huge, but we have to find a way on the power-play when we have all those chances, especially in overtime. We’ve got to have a killer instinct.”

Kozun added the team isn’t helping themselves when it comes to the amount of times they have been shorthanded.

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“We have to start working harder, if we start working harder those penalties don’t happen because we have the puck,” he explained. “We want to be a puck possession team, when we don’t have the puck you are going to take penalties because we’re not moving our feet, we’re not getting pucks out, and we’re having to chase everyone around the ice.”

For the second straight game the Hawks also gave up 49 shots which forced Damon Cunningham to be brilliant for all 125 minutes despite just collecting a point in the standings.

“I can’t say enough about him, he made some huge saves. They had some pretty good chances, you can’t fault him,” Kozun said.

Topher Chirico made 46 stops in the Ice Wolves’ net for the victory.

The Hawks now have a week to prepare for back-to-back home games against Kindersley Friday and Notre Dame on Saturday night. Kozun said Sunday will be an off day before the team begins their first full week of practice.

“We have to find a way to score on the power-play and we haven’t done five-on-five much either,” Kozun lamented. “We have to find a way to do that, and we have to take care of own end because I think it’s pretty lackadaisical right now.”

Both games are at 7 p.m. at the Centennial Arena.

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clark.stork@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @ClarkStork

by Clark Stork

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Hawks scratch out point in La Ronge

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