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One-goal losses plague Icedogs

November 18, 2004 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Bozeman Icedogs News Release


With a 6-9-2 record that puts them at the bottom of the league standings, the Bozeman ICEDOGS are officially having a slow start to the 2004-2005 season.

Following an impressive showing at the NAHL showcase, the team has gone 1-6 and hasn't scored a single power play goal. To make things worse, their conference rivals, the teams that the ICEDOGS know they should be keeping pace with, have been pulling away.

"Our guys have to get their confidence back," Said ICEDOGS head coach John LaFontaine. "Every game has been close; we just haven't been finding ways to win." While things may be bad for the time being, there is a glimmer of hope on the hockey horizon. The ICEDOGS have a winning record on the road, which is where they'll be for the next five games.

Starting with a pair of games on Thursday and Friday against the Bismarck Bobcats, who also have been struggling as of late, the ICEDOGS will hope to get a couple of wins under their belt. This might start the ball rolling again for when they take on the Minnesota Blizzard before heading back west to Billings for a match up against the rival Bulls.

"The next few games are pivotal from the standpoint that we get to get away," LaFontaine said. "In the next couple of weeks we can filter out all of the distractions and get the winning feeling back."

The reason for optimism is easy – of their nine losses on the season, most of them have come in one-goal games, something the team agrees will come in handy later on in the season. "There's no question that playing the close games can only be a positive for us down the road," said LaFontaine, "It teaches our guys that they cannot take any team lightly."

On Monday, the coaching staff put the players through a rigorous, yet short, series of practice drills - something LaFontaine says will help keep the player's spirits up while maintaining sharpness and readiness. "The idea is to pick the tempo up as high as we can get it without seeming to come down on the guys too hard. The quicker the pace we establish, the better." The ICEDOGS hope their high-tempo play will help them this weekend against Bismarck, who is five points ahead of the ICEDOGS with an 8-7-3 record.



North American Hockey League Stories from November 18, 2004


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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