Sautner having to make adjustments
Feb. 5, 2010 - Regina Leader-Post
By Ian Hamilton
The University of Regina Cougars men's hockey team has been forced to conduct some chemistry experiments over the past few weeks.
Injuries to regular defencemen Matt Rintoul (knee) and Cody Thoring (charleyhorse) caused the Cougars to mix up their defence pairings. Luckily for the Cougars, the tinkering hasn't led to any massive explosions.
"Everybody on the D corps is pretty easy to play with and adaptable," Rintoul said Thursday before practice at the Sherwood Ice Sports Centre. "I haven't seen any issues."
On the other hand, there is something to be said for familiarity.
"Guys like to know or be comfortable with who they're playing with," said Regina head coach Blaine Sautner, whose squad plays host to the Manitoba Bisons tonight and Saturday in a Canada West series at the Sherwood.
"Rintoul and (Russ) Nielsen play together here because they played together in Humboldt (in the SJHL). When we're doing reverses or D-to-D (drills), they're usually pretty good at it because they've done it together hundreds of times. Chemistry is the biggest thing."
"You're used to playing with the same partner, so when you lose that partner, there's a real adjustment period to get focused," added Ryan Bender, who teams regularly with Adam McPherson. "When you lose a guy in a game like that (with Thoring), the adjustment period is that much shorter."
Thoring sustained his injury in the Cougars' 4-3 shootout victory over the Calgary Dinos on Jan. 29. He didn't play in Saturday's 4-2 triumph over Calgary, forcing Sautner to insert Kevin Falloon -- who had played just two games since joining the team at Christmas -- into the lineup.
"When you lose a good, veteran defenceman who has been here for a year or two and insert a guy who hasn't really played this year, that's tough on him," Sautner said. "In the second half (of the regular season), the pace always picks up and things get a little more intense. To throw him into the fire was difficult."
The Cougars did have some defensive lapses in the third period of Saturday's game -- they were outshot 15-2 in the frame -- but Sautner said there weren't any structural problems. It was simply the Dinos turning up the heat on the Cougars, who withstood the onslaught.
"When you have injuries, it takes other veterans and younger guys as well to step up and carry the load," Bender said. "That's why we were successful."
Rintoul is set to return for tonight's game, which will be his first since he suffered a chipped left kneecap when he was checked into the boards in an exhibition game Jan. 2.
"My cardio will be a step away," he admitted. "With a knee injury, you can't really do anything but sit on the couch. You can't ride a bike, you can't walk. The pace of the game is going to be the biggest thing to get back into."
"If we're going to make a run, we've got to get him in," added Sautner. "If we make the playoffs, he's got to be in fine form."
The Cougars are 4-1-1 in their past six games and 8-11-1 overall. They're eight points back of the Dinos (10-9-5), who hold down the fourth and final playoff spot. Regina, which has four games in hand on Calgary, has eight regular-season games remaining.
Tonight, Rintoul and Nielsen will be back together, Bender and McPherson are to stay together, and Dylan Chapman likely will play with Brandon Blair.
"It sure is nice to have three pairs solidified so they know who they're playing with," Sautner said. "But not knowing sometimes is the nature of the beast."