Cougars know their number
Jan. 29, 2010 - Regina Leader-Post
By Ian Hamilton
Blaine Sautner believes the University of Regina Cougars need to be 70-per-cent students over the next few weeks.
Sautner, the head coach of the U of R men's hockey team, believes his squad has to win seven of its remaining 10 games in the Canada West regular season to qualify for the post-season.
The Cougars currently are 6-11-1 and sit last in the seven-team conference, two points back of the UBC Thunderbirds (7-14-1) and eight back of the fifth-place Lethbridge Pronghorns (9-10-3).
Regina begins in its 10-game run tonight, 7 o'clock, when it plays host to the third-place Calgary Dinos (10-8-4) at the Sherwood Ice Sports Centre. The teams play again Saturday at 7 p.m.
"Right now, we're playing our best hockey," Sautner said Thursday.
"Our last four games against UBC and Saskatchewan were the best four games we've played all year (going 2-1-1 in those games).
"I'd probably be a little bit worried if we had injuries or the guys feel suspect that we could do it. But the dressing room is solid right now and confident that we can get this done."
"We're going to have to win games we should win and pull out games against some pretty tough opponents," added Cougars centre Tanner Shultz. "We're just going to work hard and see what happens. There's no point in giving up."
After the series with the Dinos, Regina plays host to the second-place Manitoba Bisons (12-6-2 entering this weekend) on Feb. 5-6 before visiting Lethbridge on Feb. 12-13.
The Cougars follow that by entertaining the first-place Alberta Golden Bears (18-1-1) on Feb. 19-20 and then finish up at Manitoba on Feb. 26-27.
Regina has improved thanks to the return from injury of some players and the addition at Christmas of others. A clearer definition of the roles of some players also has helped.
"We're a different team now than we were in September and October," Sautner said. "We had ups and downs, we had players out of their usual roles, we had players not happy about their roles and not accepting them. Well, we've dealt with those ups and downs.
"Right now, we feel we've got everything worked out, and we're happy with where we're at."
The Cougars' power play at the break was operating at a mere 5.3 per cent (4-for-76). Over their past four games, the Cougars converted 27.8 per cent (5-for-18) of their man advantages.
Regina scored 26 goals over its first 14 games, including 16 in its first nine contests. In the four games since the break, the Cougars have scored 16 goals.
"We've battled here with not having enough offensive depth," said Sautner, whose squad added Jared Jagow (three goals in four games) and Devon LeBlanc (two goals in four starts) at Christmas.
"We've got good players, we like our guys and they give us everything they've got. The reality is, if you don't score goals, you're not going to win ... But success breeds confidence. The guys feel pretty good about themselves."
Shultz said that sentiment is rampant in the Cougars' dressing room.
"This team's full of winners," he said. "Everybody wants to win, so no one's going to quit working hard.
"We've got guys who aren't going to be in the lineup this weekend and they're working just as hard as the guys who are going to be in the lineup. That helps, because if someone stops working, they're going to be out of the lineup and one of those other guys is going to be in."
If the Cougars are to make their run at the playoffs, Sautner expects them to put the old cliche to work -- and take it one game at a time.
"Every game is a must-win," Sautner said. "When you're in a situation like we are, you have to step back, see the big picture and see what you need to do.
"We have to play desperate and when desperation sets in, a lot of times, that's when you get stronger. (Seven out of 10) is a huge challenge, there's no doubt about it. But it'll make for a good story if we do it."