After the Calgary Roughnecks (0-2) started the season the exact opposite they expected it doesn’t seem that anyone in the club is panicking and it’s not like the team has been out of games. They lost a back and fourth affair against the Vancouver Stealth 18-14 they went to Colorado to lose a heartbreaker in OT 15-14 after making a late second half push to even get that game to an extra frame.
With the teams leading scorers doing what they are supposed to it’s been a few back breaks and possessions that just haven’t gone the Roughnecks way as well as momentum swings that the team just hasn’t quite been able to weather.
While up 9-3 mid way through the game the Roughnecks let the Stealth rattle off eleven goals in a row on a massive momentum swing that they couldn’t get anything going from, forcing passes and making bad decisions on line changes leading to offensive rushes that were very out of character from last years squad.
In Colorado the team had an opposite start trailing at half time by a score of 10-7, the team found their scoring ways holding the mammoth to only two goals in the third quarter getting the game back to a tie 12-12 and at one point holding a late lead to give up two goals late in the fourth and then perennial all star John Grant Jr got his chance for the final dagger and put an end to the late bid by Calgary to come up short once again.
But, if anything is clear this team is definitely not down or out. The team showed resilience last year having momentum swings every game and showing they can handle close games and it showed in a final record of 12-6 being in close games all year. The team needs to get back to the basics and show it’s resiliency again.
It’s not like the Roughnecks aren’t putting points on the board either. Their two leading scorers, in Scott Evans and Curtis Dickson having 28 points between them. Last year’s leading goal scorer Dane Dobbie has six goals already and ten points to sit at a tie for second currently on team scoring but, as I said it’s the timing of momentum swings and goals that seem to be the killer on the team this year.
The Roughnecks also showed they have trust in any situation they trust the goalie behind them giving both ‘tenders ample floor time to send a message to the team to wake up. Both goalie’s are also playing well when given the chance with Mike Poulin and Frankie Scigliano having .633 and .615 save percentages respectively.
This week was an off week for the team to reflect on the two tough losses to two strong teams that left it all on the floor. Their next time in action is a home date on Jan 24th when they take on another team that has seen a total opposite fortune in their schedule as last year with the Edmonton Rush who is also 0-2 after starting last season with a league record 14-0 start. Game time is 7mt at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
