HUMBOLDT — The Humboldt Broncos are looking to gallop into the playoffs.
The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League team won all three of its games last week. The Broncos beat Notre Dame, 4-2, on the road during the week and swept Weyburn at home on the weekend – 5-4 in a shootout and 6-2.
“It is always good to get three wins,” said Humboldt head coach Scott Barney. “The boys kept the streak going.”
With the SJHL season winding down, the Broncos were on a seven-game winning streak after the weekend. As of Sunday, the team had eight games remaining.
“You have to take every game like a playoff game,” Barney said.
After the weekend, the Broncos were 31-16-2-1 on the season. They sat fourth in the SJHL with 65 points. While the league-leading Nipawin Hawks had created a standings gap, Humboldt was just two points behind second-place Kindersley (31-12-3-2), who had 67. The Broncos were also only two points ahead of seventh place.
“Everyone from second to seventh is pretty well jammed up,” Barney said. “It is good to have that parity.”
Michael Clarke continues to pace the Broncos in points. The 20-year-old standout from Calgary has 63 in 49 games. He also paces the team with 25 goals.
Brayden Camrud, who along with Derek Patter are only players back from last season, put his goal scoring touch on display last week. The 20-year-old from Saskatoon had four goals in three games. On the season, he is second to Clarke on the Broncos with 24 goals in 40 games.
Patrician honoured
Broncos defenceman Josh Patrician was named the SJHL Defenceman of the Month for January. The 20-year-old from Calgary had 10 points, including a goal, in 10 games in the first month of 2019. He helped Humboldt to a 7-3 record and a goals against average under three.
“I’m very grateful for the award and the recognition,” he said. “I try not to think about it too much, because I don’t want it to get in the way of the way the team and myself has been playing lately. It makes it much easier to get an award like that when your teammates are playing just as well.”
On Jan. 25, Patrician recorded three assists in an overtime victory against Notre Dame. On the season, he leads the Broncos blueline and is fourth on the team with 37 points, including seven goals, in 50 games.
“He has created a lot of offence on the backend all season,” said Barney, who noted that Patrician has been strong in the second half of the season.
“He is simplifying his game. He has really bought into our systems.”
The week
The Humboldt Broncos have a trio of games against the Sherwood Division this week. On Tuesday, they hosted the Flin Flon Bombers after the Journal deadline. The team is in La Ronge to face the Ice Wolves on Friday and Saturday. The Kindersley Klippers visit the Elgar Petersen Arena for a Family Day tilt.
