Steve Konowalchuk: T-Birds need to be more predictable against Windsor
May 21, 2017, 9:07 AM
(Aaron Bell/CHL Images)
Prior to Sunday’s second game in the round-robin Memorial Cup against the Windsor Spitfires, T-Birds head coach Steve Konowalchuk emphasized the team’s need to be more predictable than they were in their opener against the Erie Otters on Saturday.
“It starts in the neutral zone. If we weren’t turning the puck over, we were going offsides because we weren’t predictable,” Konowalchuk told the media gathered at the WFCU Centre in Windsor. “When we’re playing well we’re a pretty predictable team. We’re putting pucks into spaces and we’re chasing them down and supporting each other.”
Thunderbirds tentative in 4-2 Memorial Cup opening loss to Erie
Unsatisfied with his team’s overall performance in their 4-2 loss, Konowalchuk seemed to have hope that the Thunderbirds would play a simpler game and avoid trying to do too much against a Windsor team that won their opener against the QMJHL-champion Saint John Sea Dogs.
“We’re better than that. We’re usually a pretty predictable team and what you see is what you get. It didn’t feel like it was that way at times,” said Konowalchuk following the team’s morning video review session. “We need to engage in some more battles. The other teams obviously have some say in what you do and how you play but during the game and even re-watching the game it was uncontested mistakes we were making. We’ll just move on and I expect our guys to be better today.”
The T-Birds and Spitfires face off on Sunday at 4:00 p.m. PT.