Corner Brook -
The Corner Brook Royals sit in the cellar, but coach Juan Strickland really believes in his players so he isn't going to be stressing over the holiday season.
Strickland feels his team's record would be a lot better if the team had a bounce or two go their way in a lot of close games. He said his team has been getting chances to score, but during a string of losses before Christmas it seems the offensive threats on his team just happened to hit a slump at the one time.
"Everybody is gripping their stick a bit tight now. Everybody feels the pressure," Strickland told The Western Star in an interview. "The guys who are suppose to score the goals they know they're suppose to score goals, and they know that their lack of production is one of the reasons why the team is not having success.
"They are feeling that weight and they know it. They don't need me to tell them. They don't need anyone to tell them."
A way to remedy the situation is to have a pure goalscorer added to the mix. He met with management last week to discuss possible additions to help the team on the offensive side of things, so it will just be a matter of time whether the team can find that piece of the puzzle for the stretch drive.
"As much as I admire the way that Morgan Warren and Terry Ryan play they're not finishers," he said. "They are hard-working role players who like to set up plays more so than finish off plays."
While he admits the Royals did have a couple of bad losses against the Cataracts, the former Newfoundland senior hockey star feels his team could have a winning record with a bounce here or there. He insists the team is playing well enough to win a lot of hockey games, but the breaks just haven't gone their way yet.
"If we keep putting in the same effort the breaks are going to come. They've got to come," he said.
Special teams is another concern, and he feels a sniper on the power play would help turn things around. He is also hoping the big guns on offence can be brought in early some weeks to work on the special teams, instead of just trying to make it happen in pressure-packed game situations without any preparation work.
"Our power play has good puck possession, but we're just not finishing," he said.
Of course, Strickland is quick to point out nothing happens without hard work and this means the Royals must be willing to engage in battle in the danger areas of the ice.
"To score goals you have to get your nose dirty. You can't score goals on the perimeter," he said. "Goalscorers have the knack and ability to take the puck to the net, and a lot of times when you do that you're going to get a glove in the face or a little cross check. But, that's the price you pay to score goals and that's something we're going to have to do."
As for player movement, don't expect anything significant other than Bobby Clarke finally making an appearance and former Royals defenceman Rob French joining the team in the new year. That doesn't take into account Royals' management looking for somebody with a knack around the net to bolster the offence.
If defence wins championships, than Strickland is in a festive mood because he loves the way his blue-line is shaping up. With Clarke and French beside Rob Bennett, Dan Rogers, Nick Policelli and Ashley Coles, Strickland said his defence is the best.
"The way they can handle the puck, control the play in the neutral ice and give forwards a chance to regroup, I'd put that defence up against any defence in the league," he said.
Over the past couple of weeks, there has been lots of rumours of players on the move to other teams. Strickland accepts that as part of life in the West Coast Senior Hockey League. He said there are no players leaving the team, including the trio of imports signed to cards since the season began.
He defended the play of Roger Maxwell again, because he doesn't think the big enforcer deserves the hard time he's getting from some fans.
"When it comes to the enforcers in the league, we feel we got the best one," he said. "We got the player that game in, game out, will keep other team's enforcers at bay.
"This is the first year that the Steve Norths and Scott Doodys are injury free, and a lot of that is due to the presence of Roger Maxwell. Nobody is taking any liberties at these guys because they know if they take liberties at our good players then somebody is going to answer to Roger Maxwell."
