Buffs bounce Bisons

Tyler Lowey
Times Reporter

 

After starting the season on a 19-game unbeaten streak, the Foothills CFR Chemicals Bisons might not be the favourites to come out of the Dodge division.
The Calgary Buffaloes shut out the Bisons 3-0 back on Dec. 11 and completed the season sweep with 5-2 win Feb.1 at the Cardel Rec South Arena.
It’s an incredibly small sample size: the two teams only face off against each other twice in a six-month season, but the Buffs have come away with a pair of convincing wins.
“I am still comfortable with where we are,” said Bisons head coach Sandy Henry, whose team sits two points back of the Buffs, each with four games remaining. “I thought we carried the play well early. We didn’t finish on as many pucks as we should have [and] played a good pace, but we have to be better in our dee zone and stay out of the penalty box.”
Peyton Krebs notched his 14th of the season from Landon Melzer and Cayde Augustine at the 7:44 mark of the first. Fellow Okotoks native Jackson Salt tickled the twine for his ninth nearly two minutes later from Cole Clayton and Krebs.
Even with a pair of first period goals, the Buffs led 3-2 into the break.
The Bisons (22-5-3) racked up 16 penalty minutes, but only capitalized on one out of seven opportunities, as Ben Laidlaw blocked 24 shots in the blue ice.
With the loss, the door is open, albeit slightly, for the Red Deer Optimist Chiefs. In all likelihood, the Bisons should finish with a first-round bye, in either the one or two seed in the division.
Snagging a bye is going to come down to the wire. The Buffs (22-3-6) sit three points up on the Bisons with three games remaining and will benefit from the remaining schedule. Their three opponents combine for a .447 winning percentage. The Bisons face a slightly tougher path, as their four opponents winning percentage sits at .496 per cent, while the Chiefs (16-4-10) face teams that combined for a .472 winning percentage in their final three games.
“We just have to get focused and understand that the last four games mean something and we need to take care of business if we want one of the two top spots,” said Henry.
The Bisons resume Alberta Midget Hockey League action, when they host the last place Fort Saskatchewan Boston Pizza Rangers Feb. 11 (5:15 p.m.) at the Strathmore Family Centre.