THE YELLOWSTONE QUAKE HIT OPENED REGULAR SEASON PLAY THIS WEEKEND WHEN THEY HOSTED THE HELENA BIGHORNS. THE QUAKE WOULD SPLIT THE WEEKEND SERIES GARNERING A WIN SATURDAY NIGHT. LAST YEAR THE QUAKE FINISHED THE SEASON WITH JUST 5 WINS AND HEAD COACH PHIL OBERLIN TALKS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF PICKING UP A WIN RIGHT AWAY.
“I THINK GETTING A WIN WAS HUGE FOR US. JUST BECAUSE IT TOOK US ALMOST 6 WEEKS TO GET A WIN LAST YEAR. LEARNING HOW TO WIN IS PART OF THAT PROCESS. SO IT WAS NICE TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF THAT KILLER INSTINCT. YOU KNOW SCORING 3 GOALS LATE IN THE FIRST PERIOD, JUMPING ON THEM ONE AFTER THE OTHER, POWER PLAY LOOKED A LOT MORE COMFORTABLE ON SATURDAY. AND SO I THINK THE CONFIDENCE IS JUST STARTING TO BUILD WITHIN THE TEAM.”
OFFENSIVELY IT WAS A GREAT SHOWING BY THE QUAKE WHO HAVE SCORED 8 GOALS IN TWO GAMES. COACH OBERLIN TALKS ABOUT WHAT THE OFFENSE IS TRYING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF EARLY ON.
“IF WE CAN GET THE PUCK TO THE MIDDLE OF THE ICE WITH SPEED, WE THINK WE’RE GOING TO BE OK. AND THEN AGAIN JUST FORCING THEIR DEFENSE MEN TO TRANSITION, PUTTING PUCKS IN BEHIND THEIR DEFENSE WAS SOMETHING WE DID A LOT BETTER SATURDAY THAN WE DID FRIDAY. IF THERE’S OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE PLAYS WE WANT OUR PLAYERS TO MAKE PLAYS CAUSE THAT’S HOW THEY GET BETTER. JUST RECOGNIZING SITUATIONS THAT IF THERE’S A SIMPLE PLAY TO BE MADE AND WE CAN MAINTAIN POSSESSION OF THE PUCK. THAT’S WHAT WE EXPECT OUR PLAYERS TO DO.”
NEXT UP ON THE SCHEDULE IS ANOTHER FACE-OFF WITH HELENA AND THIS TIME AROUND COACH OBERLIN HIGHLIGHTS WHAT COULD BE A DIFFERENCE MAKER.
“I THINK IT’S GOING TO BE OUR POWER PLAY. OUR PENALTY KILL STEPPED UP HUGE ON SATURDAY. I THINK OUR EXECUTION ON THE POWER PLAY IS GOING TO BE BIG SO I THINK IF WE CAN END UP TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE POWER PLAY OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE GET THAT’S GOING TO BE HUGE TO GO ON THE OFFENSIVE SIDE OF THINGS. AND THEN AGAIN OBVIOUSLY WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE’RE TAKING OF OUR DEFENSIVE END FIRST. YOU KNOW IF WE’RE PATIENT THERE AND WE JUST MAKE SURE WE ELIMINATE THEIR OPPORTUNITIES THEN ON THE OFFENSE SIDE WE’LL END UP COMING.”
FRESH OFF THEIR SPLIT AGAINST HELENA THE YELLOWSTONE QUAKE HIT THE ROAD FOR ANOTHER MATCH-UP WITH THE BIGHORNS, THIS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. PUCK DROPS AT 7PM BOTH NIGHTS.
