Calgary Hitmen hope Christmas brings them deserved surge above .500

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The Calgary Hitmen are asking for a few things from Santa this Christmas.

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It’s a wish list that begins with something every junior club wants heading into the second half of the 2021-22 Western Hockey League season.

There’s avoiding that whole COVID thing and continuing the campaign amid concern for the future.

Plus there’s making a push up the standings and into playoff contention.

“If Santa can bring us a good stretch of wins for us after Christmas,” said 20-year-old Hitmen forward Blake Allan, “I think that would be pretty good for the boys.”

Trent Cassan then chimed in with one idea for Father Christmas from the coaching staff.

“Something for the specialty teams,” said the assistant coach. “Both the power play and penalty kill could be tightened up to probably impact the game.”

The hope is such a haul would bring good cheer for the new year in the form of an effective advance above .500 for the Hitmen, who’ve popped their heads up there a few times but can’t seem to make it stick.

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After three losses in five days — beginning on the road to the Edmonton Oil Kings and the Red Deer Rebels and culminating with a 3-2 overtime loss in a Sunday rematch with the rival Rebels at Scotiabank Saddledome — the Calgary crew fell back to .500 to sit on an 11-11-3-2 mark heading into the holiday break.

Despite just one point from the last three games, it’s not a bad place to be.

“I would say as a coaching staff, we brought a lot of new faces in this year, so realistically, I think .500 for us is a good starting point,” Cassan said. “But this group isn’t satisfied with just being .500, and I think that’s a good thing. That comes from your older guys.”

Allan, one of those older guys, agrees.

“I think just playing the same way we have (Sunday) and Friday night (is a way to get back to playing above .500),” said the native of Davidson, Sask. “I think our details are pretty good, and guys take a lot of pride in trying to play the right way for each other. We’re going to out-work teams every night, and that’s how we’re going to win games. That’s what we’ve got to keep doing.

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“Just staying on that path is going to benefit us.”

Really, they were full marks for staying on that path Sunday but just didn’t get the result.

Ben King’s OT goal, sneaking in off the left wing and beating Hitmen goaltender Ethan Buenaventura low on a move to the net, kept the home guys from two points they deserved. They outshot their Central Division rivals 49-16, but Rebels backstop Connor Ungar proved tough to beat and improving his team to a healthy 20-9-1-1 record.

Only Brandon Whynott — with a first-period power-play goal — and Allan — with a rebound cash-in on a second-frame man-advantage — were able to score on first-star Ungar. 

Ultimately, it was not converting on a glorious five-minute power play midway through the third period that did in the Hitmen.

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“That was a key moment in the game, for sure,” said Cassan, whose troops went on the extended man-advantage opportunity when the Rebels’ Kalan Lind was tagged with a charging major and a game-misconduct penalty with eight minutes left in regulation. “And the guys recognize that. But it’s not for a lack of effort. They want to have success.”

At this point, the PP is a sticking point, with just 18 goals in 27 games for a 15.2% clip, which is third worst in the 22-team league.

But again, it’s not for lack of effort.

“Disappointed we couldn’t come out on top, but I actually thought we played pretty well,” Allan said. “And even on Friday night, I thought we were pretty good — we were right there. Just couldn’t get the bounces.

“It’s tough when you get 50 shots and don’t win the game, but that’s just the way it goes sometimes.”

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The way it’s been going for the Hitmen can’t really be criticized.

“I think there’s only been two or three games from our group where you could say that it wasn’t our best effort as far as work ethic and details,” Cassan said. “You have to remember, too, we have a number of fresh faces in the lineup and our older guys have done a really good job of setting the culture and setting the way and setting expectations. So the new guys have become a lot more comfortable in the league.

“And you’re starting to see the younger guys turn that corner.”

Santa just needs to bring them a few more wins.

“And I think the other thing we want (from Santa) would be just for players and the families and the staff and everyone involved in the game just to be safe and enjoy the time,” Cassan added. “It’s certainly a different time right now. I know it’s a lot to ask from Santa, but everybody’s going through a lot of different things right now, and if we can back to maybe where things were — like back to normal — (that would be great).”

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LOOSE PUCKS

The Hitmen have a week off before returning to the schedule — COVID permitting — on Tuesday, Dec. 28, against the Medicine Hat Tigers (5-18-3-1) at the Saddledome (7 p.m.) … Hitmen D Keagan Slaney played in his 100th WHL career game Sunday … The Hitmen were busy inking a few of their draft picks to WHL standard player agreements in the last week. They signed forward Carson Wetsch, the team’s first-round pick — 12th overall — in the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft held a week ago for 2006-born players. They also signed fellow B.C. product Chase Valliant, also a forward to the same deal. Valliant was the Hitmen’s second selection in the draft, choosing him in the third round — 58th overall.

tsaelhof@postmedia.com

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