The Nipawin Hawks will meet the Kindersley Klippers for the fourth and final time this SJHL season on Wednesday. (Clark Stork/northeastNOW Staff)

By Clark Stork

Hawks hockey

Hawks soar into Kindersley for clash with Klippers

Jan 26, 2022 | 11:01 AM

The Nipawin Hawks will embark on a road trip to Kindersley Wednesday for another key game in the team’s quest to make the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) playoffs.

Nipawin is searching for their first win of the season against Kindersley as the teams meet for the fourth and final time this season. Head coach Tad Kozun said the team can’t be satisfied scoreboard watching and hoping for help from other teams if they hope to make the playoffs.

“When we’re going out there and not giving our full effort and we come in say we let that that one slip away again then that’s when issues arise. We just have to make sure we go out there take care of business and win the game,” Kozun said.

The Hawks fell 3-2 in a shootout, 2-1 in regulation and 3-1 to Kindersley this season. Those losses have contributed to Nipawin being in 11^th place and four points back of the Klippers who right now own the final postseason berth.

Playing into the Hawks favour Wednesday could be special teams. Nipawin’s power play is improving and the club’s penalty killing units are middle of the SJHL pack in efficiency rankings. Added to that formula is the Klippers power play that converts on under 10 percent of their opportunities.

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“Special teams win or lose hockey games,” Kozun said. “Special teams are a key, you need to score once or twice, you want to be running at a good clip to be successful. Same with the penalty kill, you need to shut down what the other team is trying to do. Our guys have been buying in and we’ve been climbing the rankings.”

Harmon Laser-Hume will draw back into the net for the Hawks after Chase Hamm took the loss in La Ronge on Saturday. Kozun said he’s not sure who will start for the Klippers but the Hawk’s coach said the team needs to do a better job of generating scoring opportunities.

“If you don’t get traffic to the net and get in his eyes, no matter what goalie it is, it’s going to be an easy night for him. There are not many goalies in this league you can just throw pucks and not have traffic there. They are going to stop it. Traffic is key and making sure there is rebounds and banging those home,” he said.

Kozun said the team has progressed recently and he needs the players to continue to play hard and put a full game together.

“I’ve liked our games a lot in the past couple weeks where we’ve done really well putting 40 to 50 minutes together but that 10 minutes, we take a rest has really come back to bite us,” he said.

This game is a make up date from Jan. 12 when COVID forced the Hawks to shut down for five days. Faceoff is set for 7:30 p.m. The game will be broadcasted on Saskatchewan’s Beach Radio beginning with the pregame show at 7:15 p.m.

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clark.stork@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @ClarkStork