Pandas hockey sweeps the scoring over Huskies

This all feels a little familiar.

Same goal per period pace, three times as many shots on goal, and no goals against for the University of Alberta Pandas hockey team on January 25 against the Saskatchewan Huskies — just like the night before.

“It was a little bit more of the same from yesterday. I don’t know if there was a great deal of change. I felt good about how we carried on into our third period, from the last game. So I felt we started at a slightly higher level, and then did a good job of managing the game,” Pandas hockey head coach Howie Draper said.

The Pandas’ performance was with no doubt assisted by Kallie Clouston‘s second game back, marked by a goal to open the scoring and some physicality to a small team.

“She’s a big player. We don’t have a lot of size on [the] team, so we need her to play the big game. So driving the pucks to the net, protecting it, getting to the front of it, going to the tough areas. And she did a really good job with that this weekend for us.”

“It’s just a testament to what she’s putting into the game right here,” Draper added.

And maybe some assistance from Friday’s scratch, Holly Magnus, completed what could be a playoff line if they keep it up.

“Clouston actually has quite a good snapshot. So if Magnus can keep finding [her] and they can develop a little bit of chemistry, then that could be a good combination for us.”

But it’s a rather surprising combination from a pair that had one sit the night prior so the other could see some ice time.

“Magnus had probably one of her stronger games. She’s been playing great for us, but I really liked her puck management today.”

Special teams, special plays

The said puck management, which was picked up on by the whole team, finally resulted in not only a goal on the rebound but multiple chances taken — the only flaw from an otherwise perfect Friday night.

Well, not quite the only flaw.

The Pandas, falling to the third most penalized team in Canada West, racked up more than their fair share of time in the box this weekend, giving up no goals against short-handed. So was it an effective penalty kill or just a power play the Huskies wished they could say no to? Probably a little bit of both.

Weirdly enough the Pandas managed to utilize a more defensive man-advantage, not much different than their five-on-five play.

“It’s always been our calling card, to work on the defensive side of the game and have some pride in that. If we can shut down their attack [in the neutral zone] and their entries and just have numbers at our blue line, then good things will … happen for us.”

It’s true, a defensive game is a solid game, and one you tend to see in women’s hockey.

The saving grace though, at least for the Pandas, always comes from good goaltending. Between Grace Glover (Friday) and Misty Rey (Saturday), the Pandas head to Trinity Western this weekend with three consecutive shutouts in a nine game win-streak.

Clinched division, out of reach conference

Maintaining the win-streak isn’t the problem though. Neither is securing the division. With a 15-point lead in the East division, the Pandas will skip the first round of play-offs, coast through the second, and travel for the third.

We say “travel” because at a constant one loss behind the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, the Pandas are just out of reach for that ‘best in conference’ title. Each team has four games left to close the regular season — four easy games for two very good teams — forcing a conference leading matchup in the Canada West playoff finals, just not at home.