There was a feeling of déjà vu for Brian Sutter and his Innisfail Eagles on Dec. 18.
The road game against the fast becoming archrival Bentley Generals was close and tight, just as it was when the two teams last met in Innisfail on Nov. 8. But while the Eagles bested the reigning Allan Cup champs 3 – 2 a month ago they were topped last week by the Generals 3 – 1.
Even though the Generals were never behind in the game, the shots on goal speak to the closeness of play. Both teams had 31 shots on goal, and while the Eagles didn't score until it was 3 – 0, they were never in danger of being blown out of the building.
Generals' netminder James Reid was the ultimate difference. He stoned the Eagles on some good scoring chances until Peter Vandermeer was able to get one past him late in the third period.
It also didn't help the Eagles that some key players were missing in the lineup but that is reality in senior men's hockey, a fact coach Brian Sutter is painfully aware of. Even still, he was happy with the effort.
“We played really well. It was no different a hockey game than the one we played and won 3 – 2 a few weeks ago. It was the same type of game and neither team had a great number of scoring chances,” said Sutter. “We were behind but we stayed with it. Their goalie had to play well at the end to save it.”
The loss put the Generals back in first place in the senior men's Chinook Hockey League. The Eagles had the chance on Dec. 21 to reclaim first with a game against cellar dwellers Okotoks Drillers. But the Generals have three games in hand on the Eagles, and play twice before the Christmas break – on Dec. 21 against Stony Plain and the following afternoon against Fort Saskatchewan.
Sutter will still be content – sort of -- finishing the first half of the regular season in second and within striking distance of Bentley, a team he once coached to an Allan Cup championship.
“In sports if you want to be successful you can never be totally satisfied. We want to be better and we are going to keep getting better. We know we have to upgrade ourselves in a few areas,” said Sutter. “We have to add some more offence and you are always looking for character. We are going to keep looking for those things.”
Adding more offence is essential for the Eagles if they want to get past Bentley for their goal to win the Allan Cup. The Generals defensive play leads the league – giving up only 20 goals in 11 games. The Eagles are the next best with 41 goals against in 14 games.
“We know we have to upgrade ourselves in a few areas and we are going to do that,” said Sutter. “There are other pieces we want to add yet and we are working on those. It is like baking a cake. You've got to add a few things to make it taste really good.”
After the Dec. 21 game against Okotoks, the Eagles first regular season game of 2014 will be at home on Jan. 3 against the Stony Plain Eagles.
