The first game of Sunday's double header saw the Bonnyville Pontiacs not only pull off a win but in fact shutting out the Chicago Blackhawks who seemed to have their number this season winning all two previous encounters this season.
However, the win came at a great price. Both Jonas Johansson and Ryan O'Marra received unfortunate injuries, taking them out for a month and a week respectively. This basically means that Johansson is out for the rest of the season, along with Danny Fritsche, but that O'Marra may be lucky enough to find himself in the last game of the season along with Teemu Laakso who is also on the injury list.
Both perpetrators of these injuries, Blackhawk players Hugh Jessiman and Matthew Corrente were only slapped on the wrist with a game misconduct. However, when Brad Stuart stepped up to defend his teammates and injuring Dmitri Kalinin in the process, he was not only ejected from the game but also received a four game suspension. Kalinin will also be out for the rest of the season.
That win along with a couple of losses by the Marauders has secured a playoff spot for the Bonnyville Pontiacs for the first time in franchise history. One fan was quoted as saying, "I am already on the waiting list for the first round! It is going to be AWESOME!!!" At the moment, the Pontiacs are sitting in first place in the Hitman division, but with the Owls and Spirit only five points behind anything can happen. Especially with so many key players out of the lineup.
When asked about the teams bad luck with injuries coach Craig MacTavish was quoted as saying, "Every team has to go through this sometimes, and it is never fun, but fortunately for us, we have some solid prospects coming up the ranks in the person's of Alzner and Petrecki and this gives us a chance to see how they perform in the pros. Alzner showed great promise earlier in the season when we struggled with a number of injuries on defense. We definitely miss Danny, Jonas, Ryan, Teemu and Brad, boy I almost ran out of breath with that list, but seriously, it will be difficult but I am sure that we will continue to push on.
The team's next game is against division rival, the Miami Misconduct, a team that they have had limited success against during the season winning only two of the past five games. The challenge will be even greater with such a wounded roster, and with the Misconduct under the pressure of getting into the playoffs, this game should be exciting.
The Pontiacs find themselves in a position where they still have a slim chance of catching the Saskatoon Saints for top spot in the Eastern Conference, but also with the real possibility of losing home ice advantage in the playoffs if the Owls, Spirit and Mustangs continue to put on the pressure.
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