If the Humboldt Broncos were to ask Santa for anything, it would probably be to keep playing exactly as they have been lately.
After a home-and-home series with the Notre Dame Hounds and a game in Humboldt against the struggling Weyburn Red Wings, the Broncos are lording over the Kramer Division and have taken top spot in the SJHL from the Yorkton Terriers.
It's been a sharp turnaround for a team that won only four of its first 10 games with a roster full of young players and unproven goalies. For the most part, those questions have been answered; rookies like Jarrett Fontaine and Gray Marr have picked up the scoring load while the combination in net of Cade Spencer and Ryland Pashovitz is perhaps the best in the SJHL. Still, it's hard not to be a little surprised at how well things are going.
"Obviously it's a bit of a surprise," said head coach Dean Brockman. "At the start of the year you're never quite sure where you're going to be."
Pashovitz was at it again in the first game of the week, recording his fourth shutout of the season in the 3-0 win over Notre Dame on Dec. 11. Pashovitz sports a sparkling record of 9-0-2 and leads the SJHL in goals against average (1.22), save percentage (.958) and is tied for the lead in shutouts with four despite playing only half as many games as Kale Thomson of Yorkton.
After a scoreless first period, the Broncos opened things up with a goal from recently acquired Kyle Oleniuk, who has been playing on an explosive line with Fontaine and Marr, both of whom assisted on his goal. Rhett Blackmur pushed the lead to two early in the third period and David Stumborg finished things off with an empty-net goal with just over a minute left.
Two days later the Broncos traveled to Wilcox to play the Hounds and came away with a 3-1 win after falling behind 1-0 early on. Pashovitz was once again spectacular in net, stopping 34 of 35 shots and giving his team stability on the back end.
David Miazga tied up the game on a second period goal and then it was time for Logan Sproule to take over. The veteran defenceman scored twice to put the game out of reach and keep the Broncos rolling.
Dec. 15 saw Humboldt defeat the Weyburn Red Wings for the third time in the last three weeks and, for the second time, it was a 4-3 win in overtime for the Broncos. After jumping out to an early 1-0 lead on a Dylan Fluter goal, the Broncos were outscored in the second and found themselves down 2-1 heading into the final frame. After Weyburn scored three minutes in, it was a 3-1 deficit for the home side. Consecutive goals by Miazga and Fluter erased Weyburn's lead and sent the game into overtime, where Marr scored the game winner.
Since Nov. 1 the Broncos have only one regulation loss and are currently riding a five-game winning streak. They lead the SJHL with a +23 scoring margin and are heading into their Christmas break (no games between Dec. 20 and Jan. 2) playing by far their best hockey of the season. Some might see that as an inopportune time for a break, but not Brockman.
"The guys need a break from the constant competitiveness," he said. "It's coming at a good time."
Perhaps the biggest benefit of the time off will be a chance for several hurting Broncos to recover from injuries. Justin Lund (lower body) and Ryan Aubertin (upper body) are both expected to return following the Christmas break, but the team has carried on well without them.
"That's why you play all your guys and why you have depth," Brockman said. "[David] Miazga has been red-hot and we've had lots of other guys stepping up."
The Broncos' strong play hasn't gone unnoticed around the SJHL. Weyburn coach Bryce Thowa, who's coached against Humboldt four times this season, sees a team with no obvious holes.
"They've got a lot of good, skilled forwards that can skate. Their defence with Stumborg and Sproule is solid through and through and both of their 18-year-old goalies are playing really well."
In Thowa's view, the Broncos are one of three top contenders (along with Yorkton and Kindersley) to win the SJHL and move on to the RBC Cup, to be held May 10-18 in Vernon, B.C.
"They're the three frontrunners to win the league at this point," he said. "It's close, it's tough to pick among them."
At this point any talk of the playoffs is just that - talk - but the Broncos are heading into the holidays riding as high as they ever have this season.
