December has certainly been a kind month to the Airdrie Techmation Thunder.
Airdrie’s junior B hockey team is rolling into the holiday break on the back of a four-game unbeaten streak in the Heritage Junior Hockey League (HJHL), after a shootout win over the visiting Coaldale Copperheads on Dec. 17 at the Ron Ebbesen Arena.
“It was good – we battled some adversity, having some of our strongest players out,” said Kory Zinck, a 21-year-old left wing for the Thunder. “But our depth guys all performed and it was good to see that.”
Airdrie’s regulation-time goals came from Kolby James, Brandt Grimeau, Zinck, and Deane Bennett-Nimijean. After going down 3-1 in the second period, Airdrie rallied back, scoring three straight to take a 4-3 lead in the third period.
The Thunder were less than a minute away from a 4-3 victory, when Coaldale’s Brandon Creighton tied things up for the visitors with 55 seconds left on the clock. After a scoreless overtime period, the Thunder came out on top in the shootout, 2-1.
The shootout win over the Copperheads means Airdrie has won their last four games, a win streak dating back to Dec. 5. The Thunder’s last taste of defeat came in a 2-0 shutout against the Mountainview Colts on Dec. 4.
“I think all guys were buying in and doing the little things right,” Zinck said. “It all adds up when guys are working hard.”
Throughout December, the Thunder won five of their six games. Prior to that, Airdrie also won their last three games of November, which included North Division battles against the Mountainview Colts, Red Deer Vipers, and Rocky Rams.
Zinck said the team’s recent form is coming at the right time, as the second half of the HJHL regular season is when things really start to get heated.
“I think it’s the right time to see this performance,” Zinck said. “Peaking into the new year, I think that’s what we all wanted, especially [considering] where we started.
“Guys are all buying in. We’ve got some new faces, a new goalie, and I think it’s helping us move in the right direction.”
Although Airdrie is sporting a respectable 15-8-1 record, the Thunder still find themselves in the bottom three of the seven-team North Division, below the high-flying Cochrane Generals, Vipers, Wranglers, and Colts. However, the Thunder have one, two, or three games-in-hand over those teams, and a trio of wins in those fixtures would put the Thunder as high as third.
Following the holiday break, Airdrie will face a busy January 2022 schedule, with 10 games on the calendar that month. According to Zinck, the recent run of good form bodes well for the Thunder’s post-season aspirations, and the players are already excited to return to the ice in the new year.
“We have a mountain to climb still, but I think we are heading in the right direction,” he said. “I think with everyone buying in, we’ve seen some success. All we can do is keep working hard.”
The Thunder’s first game back will be a home tilt with the last-placed Three Hills Thrashers on Jan. 7. Puck-drop is scheduled for 8 p.m. at the Ron Ebbesen Arena.
