Tonight (Tuesday, Nov. 27), the Olds Grizzlys have a big challenge ahead of them as they host the Camrose Kodiaks at the Sportsplex. Game time is 7:30 p.m.
Going into the game, the Kodiaks have 12 wins, nine losses and three overtime losses for 27 points in 24 games as of Nov. 21, while the Grizzlys have three wins, 22 losses and one overtime loss for seven points in 26 games.
Given those stats, you'd think it's an uphill battle for the Grizzlys.
But Grizzlys head coach Joe Murphy is not daunted.
Despite the team's record, and the fact they'd lost three straight as of Nov. 21, Murphy believes the Grizzlys are starting to adjust to the Junior A level of hockey and buy into the system.
"Obviously our start in terms of our first 16 games there, we didn't have a win. We had some really honest nights when we probably deserved one, but it didn't happen," he said during an interview with the Albertan.
"We've had a little more success recently. Within the last seven games we've gotten three wins in there, which has been nice for a group to realize that success comes when one (applies) the fundamental stuff. So we are trending the right way, even though we've had some losses as well."
Murphy says there's good reason for that. The Grizzlys are a pretty young team.
"If I'm looking at the roster, (there are) not more than six returning junior guys on our roster. So although we aren't necessarily young, we are new to junior hockey. We have a lot of guys who played midget hockey last year.
"And when you have that many new guys, there's going to be some growing pains and there's going to be some lopsided scores. When habits aren't ingrained deeply you always revert back to the old habits and those are the midget hockey habits that are still creeping back into our game," he said.
"So yeah, we've had some lopsided scores, and that's the result of them not being dialed in enough yet. And it'll come. We have a hard-working group. I'm really proud of the effort our guys give out in practice and in games. We just don't have that habit of junior hockey – checking and transition and all the things that you have to do faster.
"You look at most teams across the league, they have three and four, five 20-year-olds who have been there to kind of be that stabilizing group that have had three or four years under their belt. The most experience we have on our team is a second-year player.
"So for us, it's an experience thing. We're gaining it. Some days it doesn't taste good, it doesn't feel good, but we're getting it."
As the Grizzlys get ready to face off against the Kodiaks tonight, Murphy says they've got to be ready for a fast, fairly young team that plays a tight, defensive game.
Murphy has a game plan for that.
"We have a certain -- I'll call it brand -- that we're trying to imprint on the club. And that is a very, very assertive, aggressive style that puts pressure on teams that come in here," he said.
"When we're having really good sequences in our period or in the game, it's that we're on our toes, we're putting pressure on, we're physically engaged. We're not running around, we're physically engaged with the game and trying to dictate the pace of play.
"So for us, it's getting our boots moving; moving the puck south to north, playing in their end, tilting the ice that way, putting it behind their D, possessing the puck down low in their end and playing that very, very heavy game where we're hard to get the puck from. When you do get it from us, we're coming back at ya hard and it's just the right habit for our group.
"We have players I think who fall into that; we're just learning to do that on the fly," Murphy added.
Murphy conceded it's tough when the losses pile up the way they have during this and previous seasons, but he said the attitude in the dressing room is still good.
"I've got to give cred to the boys there. They show up to the rink every day and they're positive and they're having a good time in the room with each other," he said.
"They come out to the rink and they're enjoying their time. And that just speaks to the quality of the people we have in the locker room."
