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Sarnia, ON – An identity crisis may explain
the Sarnia Legionnaires 1-4-0 start to the season
which includes a current three game losing streak.
But head coach Dan Rose insists it is a process to
bring a team together and finding the ways to
success.
"We're
struggling right now to find our own identity," said
Rose. "We've played well at times and other times we
have been very sloppy."
The
Legionnaires have practiced well says Rose, but so
far the hard practice has not translated into
victories this season. The latest last week being a
7-4 loss to Lambton Shores and a 5-2 loss to St.
Thomas.
But don't
expect any drastic changes on the ice, as line
changes will be kept to a minimum while players
continue to work together and find the chemistry
between themselves. Sarnia's top line of Jason
Teschke, Jesse Drydak and Tyler Cicchini have five
goals between them, while Brent Sauve who had three
the prior week was held scoreless against the
Predators and the Stars.
The
Legionnaires will welcome two new additions to the
line up for this weeks games, as the Sarnia Sting
will send down Justice Dundas and Nathan Mater to
the Legionnaires, who have been playing short on the
bench while waiting for the Sting to make their
final roster cuts.
But
despite the slow start, the Legionnaires continue to
have high expectations for themselves heading into
the season, as Rose knows finding the chemistry for
a team now in September, can translate to better
hockey in January and February.
"The
players. myself included, have high expectations for
this team," said Rose. "This is a really good hockey
team that has a lot of potential. No one is happy
where we are right now, but it is a long process.
January-February is when you want to be playing your
best hockey and we are just in the initial process
of putting our team together."
Rose
believes this is a team that can win this year, and
that the Legionnaires are not in a transition phase.
Rose has said he accepts the responsibility to find
the right line combinations and get things back on
track. Both powerplay units are new and still
working through chemistry, but with Sarnia's top
line as unit one, the ability to put pucks in the
net is only a matter of time.
Sarnia
currently has the fifth worst powerplay with just
three goals on 32 advantages. Their penalty kill is
also fifth worst, but through five games the
Legionnaires have managed to keep the penalties
down, being shorthanded 27 times which is the third
lowest in the league, while also scoring two
shorthanded goals.
Wednesday
night the Legionnaires are in London to face the
Nationals (3-2-0). A return trip Thursday night puts
Sarnia at home to the Chatham Maroons (2-4-1). A
tough road ahead, but both winnable games for
Sarnia,.
Kyle
Washer and Sean Parker have split the ice time over
the first give games, with Washer getting the extra
nod in net and the only victory of the season.
Puck drop
on Thursday night at Sarnia Arena is at 7:10pm.
Follow Sarniasports on twitter
@sarniasports.
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