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They’re phrases a coach loves to listen to coming from his lips.
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“They’re buyin’,” Calgary Hitmen head coach Steve Hamilton mentioned throughout a 2-for-2, no-doubter weekend by his Western Hockey League fees.
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“I believe it’s fairly evident there’s been an actual togetherness about what we’ve been doing round right here.”
It positive appears to be, Steve.
After an unpleasant opening to the 2023-24 WHL marketing campaign — attempt a 2-7-2 begin — Hamilton and the Hitmen have achieved a whole 180 to run off seven wins previously eight video games and climb above 500.
“We received ourselves again to .500,” Hamilton informed reporters after Friday’s 6-1 residence win over the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings on the Saddledome. “That to me is essential for a gaggle that eight video games in the past or no matter, it was a troublesome begin.
“For the blokes to consider in themselves, that’s on them,” Hamilton continued. “They play that approach. They dig in to those conditions. They block the pictures and rating the large objectives … after which they discover success collectively.”
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Instantly that’s the case, starting with a 4-3 fringe of the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes on Oct. 22 and working via three weeks of profitable outdoors of a 6-4 residence loss to the Everett Silvertips — one of many league’s early season success tales — on Nov. 3.
The most recent victories came visiting the weekend — each in opposition to the Oil Kings and punctuated by Saturday’s 10-1 dismantling in Edmonton.
Ten objectives!
It wasn’t way back the Hitmen started the schedule with simply 4 objectives in three video games.
Saturday’s half-dozen got here courtesy of Oliver Tulk with two, rookie Ben Kindel, Carson Wetsch, Carter Yakemchuk and Dax Williams.
After which Saturday, they lit up the lamp at a speedy clip. Sean Tschigerl, Wetsch and Maxim Muranov every with two tallies and singles apiece from Tulk, Kindel, Yakemchuk and David Adaszynski. Tschigerl and Tulk — who has now reached 100 factors in his WHL profession — each counted a game-high 4 factors, whereas Williams, Carter MacAdams and captain Tyson Galloway all notched two assists on an evening throughout which 13 completely different Hitmen recorded not less than a degree.
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Saturday’s sport additionally noticed them rating 4 instances on the ability play, one evening after they staked themselves to a 3-0 lead on a trio of man-advantage markers.
So the PP — solely eight of twenty-two WHL golf equipment have the next share than Calgary’s 23% — has helped with the turnaround.
“Actually good,” Hamilton informed reporters. “Don has spent loads of time with these guys. They’ve gotten higher. We’ve had a constant quantity of apply time right here over the previous couple of weeks. And you’ll see they’re definitely gelling collectively, which is superior.”
That constant quantity of apply has coincided with extra time spent at residence.
Seven of their previous 9 video games have been performed on the Dome, serving to them to search out extra rhythm on and off the ice. The end result has been a strong run of 5 residence wins previously six assessments — an space of concern within the 2022-23 WHL season.
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“One factor coming into this yr was our residence ice — we wanted to be somewhat bit higher,” Hitmen goalie Ethan Buenaventura informed reporters Friday evening. “And we have now been, clearly, so it’s been good. We preserve telling the blokes home-ice benefit is what you want.”
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How a few 6-2-1 mark on the Dome to this point in 2023-24, which included a lacklustre loss of their season-opener that regarded prefer it would possibly predict catastrophe once more at 555 Saddledome Rise S.E.?
As a substitute, they’re 9-8-2-0 and again right into a playoff spot within the Japanese Convention with a powerful likelihood so as to add to their run due to a home-and-home set with the Pink Deer Rebels (6-9-0-3) on Friday on the Dome (7 p.m.) and Saturday on the Peavey Mart Centrium (7 p.m.).
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“It was clearly a troublesome begin — all of us knew that,” continued the 19-year-old Buenaventura, who has gained 5 of his previous six begins to raise his season report to 6-5-2 with a 3.21 goals-against common and .909 save share. “However we’ve all come collectively. The younger guys have actually been serving to out. And us older guys have been gelling collectively.”
A lot in order that the HItmen are feeling the great vibes and shopping for into what they are often.
“Expectations are at all times excessive, and I might need that as a participant,” Hamilton added. “And I believe they’re thriving on the truth that we’re having success. It feels good that we’re within the combine.”
tsaelhof@postmedia.com
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