The current line-up of the 100 Mile House Wranglers is on thin ice following another in a series of losses since the start of the season.
The Wranglers hit the road this week and did beat the Kelowna Chiefs 3-2 in overtime before dropping the next game to the Summerland Steam 4-6. Despite getting the win, head coach Dale Hladun said he is beyond frustrated that penalties continue to drag the team down.
“It comes down to these idiotic penalties we take. We’ve been averaging eight penalty kills a game, not including coincidental minors. That’s almost an entire period of hockey a game that we’re in a box,” Hladun said. “I don’t know many teams that can win that way.”
Against the Chiefs on Friday, Oct. 6, Hladun said his team was like Jekyll and Hyde. While they played well, the eight penalties they took forced them into an overtime win. It was a tough one but one he said the team needed after a four-game losing streak.
“It’s been a weak start to the season, in my opinion, for the club. We’re certainly underachieving,” Hladun said in a telephone interview with the Free Press.
When they played the Steam the next day, Hladun said the Wranglers took an early lead and it looked like they were going to win. However, Summerland ended up scoring four power-play goals thanks to the 10 penalties the Wranglers took.
While Hladun said he has done his best to work with the team and player leadership has talked to the team about playing smarter, it hasn’t seemed to have an effect. As a result, he is now considering a more radical approach to getting back on a winning track.
“I guess the next step, if they don’t change, is that faces in the dressing room have to. Right now I’m considering a bit of an overhaul,” Hladun said. “To be 1-5 in our division is going to be so tough to climb out of and get into the playoffs. It’s only October so I think these times call for serious decisions.”
Hladun said that as they head into another weekend on the road, playing back-to-back games in Spokane, Nelson and Grand Forks, his players need to be “serious as a heart attack.” If they can’t control themselves and continue to take dumb penalties, he said they’re welcome to go play for another team.
Despite the challenges of the season, Hladun said there have still been bright spots and players who have impressed him. During the game in Summerland, he said Memfis Burgeson continued to be a “shining star” for the team.
“I always felt he could be one of the most creative and exciting defencemen in our conference and he’s had a few good games in a row. He got a hat trick against Summerland in the first period,” Hladun said.
Likewise, rookie Kelton Shinde has been a solid impactful player who is starting to find his way. Hladun said he’s looking forward to returning to 100 Mile House so the Wrangler Nation can see Shinde in action.
The Wranglers return to home ice on Friday, Oct. 20, to take on the Sicamous Eagles.