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Currently sitting outside the playoffs, Thunderwolves know they need wins now

THUNDER BAY -- It’s do-or-die time for the Lakehead Thunderwolves.
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From left: Thunderwolves players Trevor Hynnes, David Quesnele and Luke Maw listen to instructions during a practice on Monday. The team, which is currently sitting out of the final playoff spot in the OUA West, hosts Guelph in a do-or-die series this weekend. (Leith Dunick, tbnewswatch.com)

THUNDER BAY -- It’s do-or-die time for the Lakehead Thunderwolves.

Immersed in a four-game losing streak that dropped them to ninth place in the 10-team OUA West, coach Bill McDonald’s squad is rapidly running out of time to right the hockey ship and climb back into a playoff position.

At 8-13-2, the team is guaranteed the first losing season in its 14-year history, and the players are certainly starting to feel the urgency, captain Luke Maw said Monday after a well-attended optional practice at Fort William Gardens.

“There’s definitely an added pressure now,” said Maw, after a weekend that saw the Wolves fight back twice to tie games late against Toronto and Ryerson, only to give the lead back in a matter of moments and skate away with no points.

“We would have liked to have picked up a couple of wins on the weekend or at least a split on the road would have been nice. We know what we need to do now, I guess, but we’re just making it a lot tougher on ourselves, leaving it to the last minute.”

It doesn’t help that fourth-year goaltender Jeff Bosch’s status is once again up in the air.

Bosch hurt his knee in Friday night’s loss to Toronto, and while he finished the game, was unable to go on Saturday and McDonald didn’t sound confident he’d be ready to go this weekend.

That would place the puck squarely at the feet of second-year goaltender Justin McDonald, who has struggled this year, surrendering five or more goals on eight separate occasions.

“I’ll put it this way, he’s being diagnosed right now,” Bill McDonald said.

The second-year coach said regardless of who’s in nets, the teams woes and the fact they might miss the playoffs for the first time in team history cannot be blamed on poor goaltending.

That’s just not fair, Bill McDonald said.

“As a group we’ve got to be better. The game on Saturday (Justin) played pretty well. He gave us a chance to win and we didn’t win. It is what it is,” he said.

Bill McDonald said playing the blame game is never a good idea down the stretch.

“If you’re pointing fingers at this time of the year you’re really in trouble,” said McDonald, whose team nonetheless has given up 4.12 goals a game, the fifth worst average in all of Canada.

Just what has gone wrong this season?

Injuries haven’t helped. The Wolves lost Bosch for most of the first half, and were without the likes of defencemen Mitch Fillman and Andrew Tessier and forward Cody Alcock for extended periods of time.

Lakehead has played well against some top opponents, taking Minnesota-Duluth to overtime and losing a 4-3 squeaker to UQTR after the Christmas break.

But it’s that one mistake a night they just can’t seem to avoid. More often than not it’s cost them points.

It’s something they have to get past and in a hurry, said forward Keith Grondin.

“Time and place is key,” said Grondin, “whether it’s coughing it up at either blue-line or getting an icing call. It’s tough to control. The game’s so fast nowadays too. What you have to do is work hard and battle through it with a defence-first mentality, because at the end of the day, that’s what’s going to win us the games.”

The Wolves play host to Guelph on Friday and Saturday night. The Gryphons are one point up in a tightly packed OUA West, where four points separates fifth place from 10th. Only the top eight teams make the playoffs.

Puck drop is 7:30 p.m. both nights.



Leith Dunick

About the Author: Leith Dunick

A proud Nova Scotian who has called Thunder Bay home since 2002, Leith is Dougall Media's director of news, but still likes to tell your stories too. Wants his Expos back and to see Neil Young at least one more time. Twitter: @LeithDunick
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