Wednesday night’s 4-3 shootout victory over the French River Rapids has pushed the Powassan Voodoos win streak to 20.
Traditionally a weaker team in the NOJHL, the Rapids have started to come together under the direction of head coach Corey Bricknell. The team has earned victories over some tough opponents like a 4-1 decision over the Hearst Lumberjacks on Saturday, as well as a 2-1 win over the Timmins Rock in October.
“Last year they were coming on pretty hot before their goalie got pulled up to the OHL,” Voodoos head coach Max Gavin said shortly after the shootout winner. “They’re well-coached and they have been getting better but as I have said before in a couple of our interviews, it is our job to get better.”
“I don’t think it was our best effort tonight, but at the end points are points and it is nice to be on the right side of it.”
Another big reason for French River’s recent success is its acquisition of goaltender Chase Johnson. In eight games with the Rapids, Johnson has two wins to go with three losses and an overtime loss. He also holds a stellar .942 save percentage keeping French River in most of their games.
The Voodoos also picked up a 4-3 shootout win over Hearst this week and a thrilling overtime 3-2 victory over the Cochrane Crunch. Cochrane made the game interesting as late in the third they came from a 2-0 deficit to tie the game and force overtime. But as Gavin mentioned, it is nice to be on the right side of it and as such, the streak lives on.
“It’s always nice to win right?” Gavin said. “I don’t think anyone ever sets out to accomplish something like this, and I am proud of the guys and how hard they are working. We all know we can be better than our last four or five games. It does put a little extra on the line no matter how much you try to ignore it, it is there. The boys have been dealing with the adversity and it is nice to have a bit of a break this weekend to reset next week.”
“The guys earned it but at the same time you want to win the last one and not the first 20.”
No one ever wants to lose a game, especially in a league as competitive as the NOJHL. For a reference point, Powassan has 44 points through 23 games which pace the league. The next closest team is Timmins who hold 36 points through 21 games played. The Rock also holds two games in hand, and an eight-point lead in any league can disappear fast.
Timmins is also the closest team in terms of rankings nationally. Powassan has held steady at the number three slot on the CJHL’s top 20, but the Rock has moved from 12 up to eight. Blind River also earned an honourable mention this week as well.
With that said, would a loss offer any relief to the pressure the players feel to continue the streak?
“We just try to stay focused on our business,” Gavin stated. “No one ever wants to lose. In the end, we are trying to prepare the same way every day and continue to do better because that’s our job. Whether that translates to more or less in terms of results, then that’s the way it is.”
“Our group knows that we can be better than we have shown, and we will be. I trust the guys and I think we are going to come back next week and continue to get better.”
One of the players targeted by the Voodoos during the offseason, Greg Trudeau-Paquet, continues to impress his new squad after picking up his second weekly star honours this season.
“Greg is the most dynamic player in the league by far,” Gavin explained. “I don’t think anyone in the league could argue. He’s a game-breaker, he changes the tone of the game every time he is on the ice. The great thing about Greg is he is a competitor. He wants to win and you can see it when he is out there.”
“That goes for a lot of guys we have in our lineup. There are a lot of guys that might not get the accolades, but they push the pace in practice and maybe not on the scoresheet but in other areas that are as important. For Greg, it is a huge accomplishment for him, he has earned it and I am sure he is just scratching the surface.”
Interesting to note for Trudeau-Paquet is that opposing teams have only been able to keep him off the scoresheet three times in 23 games played this season. In those games played, he has 14 goals and 23 assists for 37 points. In his NOJHL career, Trudeau-Paquet has 176 points in 143 games played.
It will be an interesting week for Powassan coming up. The team will enjoy some off time before heading to Sault Ste Marie to take on the Thunderbirds, and crossing the border to take on the Soo Eagles in Michigan before taking on the Blind River Beavers on the way back home.
“It will be fun to get on the road again,” Gavin said. “We have played a lot at home so I think getting on the road, getting on the bus for the boys to get some more bonding, and reset that way as well. We haven’t played many away games yet.”
“It will be a good challenge, they’re three really good teams and teams we don’t see often. It’s going to be good to see where we stack up against the rest of the league because after that road trip, the only team we haven’t played is Elliot Lake, so it will be good to see where we stack up.”
