(Submitted photo/Carrot River Outback Thunder)

By Ben Tompkins

Outback Thunder

Carrot River riding nine-game win streak heading into second half of the season

Nov 26, 2021 | 6:55 PM

It’s safe to say the Carrot River Outback Thunder are booming right now as not even lightning could outdo them right now.

The team is currently riding a nine-game win streak, which has placed the hottest team in the PJHL (Prairie Junior Hockey League) at first in their division.

Newly hired head coach Darrell Mann, who began right before the start of the season, told northeastNOW he’s happy about where his team is at, especially considering how the season began.

“I’ve been really impressed,” he said. “Obviously, it was kind of a different circumstance that I come in and miss the whole exhibition season, only there for one practice before we started, was just kind of thrown in. The guys have really bought in, however, and now we’re on a nine-game winning streak. The guys are trusting what we coaches are telling them and we’re going out and doing it and we’ve had really positive results.”

The Thunder started the season with a record of 4-5-1 and haven’t lost since, as Mann said a lot of things have changed for his team during that time.

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“One of the biggest things is our discipline, we’ve learnt to stay out of the penalty box and make sure that we’re giving ourselves a chance to win and not beating ourselves. I also look at our defensive structure, we’ve become a really good defensive hockey team by not allowing a lot of goals or shots against and that’s been huge.”

And Mann said he knows these changes alone won’t make this streak go on, as every day they need to get better if they are going to continue to have success in this difficult league.

“Moving forward it’s going to be tough, it’s a great league. Nineteen games in our guys are playing some great hockey, but our division and every hockey club in this league are tough. Hopefully, we can continue to stay healthy, keep working hard and play the right way, because that will make us successful,” he added.

For the Thunder, they will play two home games, marking the halfway point of the 40 game season. Mann said as great as it is to be where they are now at this point in the season, they’ve always had and will continue to have much bigger goals.

“I told all the players at the first practice that my goal wasn’t to just make playoffs but to win a championship. They’ve had a couple of tough years their past two seasons, so they’re excited about the winning and it becomes contagious. Even if we fall behind, we’re confident that we can come back and I think that shows a lot about our leadership group. We’re a lunch bucket kind of group, we score by committee and I think that’s a great thing for a team when all four lines can contribute.”

For Mann, who’s coached in the area, both in Tisdale and Melfort but never Carrot River, this is a new experience for him.

“It’s been unbelievable. Carrot River is a great sports town and you could just see it once we started the season, there was a lot of interest in our hockey club and naturally when you’re winning, there gets to be more and more. It shows in our crowds and all around town. Us as a team, we want to make sure we’re putting a good product out there and represent them well, both on and off the ice.”

And the team knows this streak isn’t going to last forever, however, even in the losses, they know a lot of positives can come and will need to be ready to learn from those failures.

“It’s been great for our guys, knowing what they need to do to keep winning but in saying that, i’m interested to see how we respond after that first loss and how we come out for our next game. Those are huge team-building things that you like to go through early in the season as it makes you a better team come playoff time.”

For every other team in the PJHL, Mann knows they will be targeting his team and he’s looking forward to it. He said it will only make his team better and more prepared for the postseason.

“There’s nothing better than coaching the top dog when everyone is coming after you. We know we’re going to get the best from every team, every night. To me, that’s the challenge that you love as an athlete. Our guys are buying into that and realizing that everyone is coming in to try and beat us. All these little things that we’re getting to pass on are really going to help us down the stretch,” he said.

Mann also mentioned how his team should be focusing on one day at a time because there is still lots of improvement and season that lies ahead.

“We want to take it game by game and hope to continue to get better. We know there are still lots of things that we can improve on. So far, this has been really enjoyable for me because I hadn’t coached in three years and I wasn’t sure if this was an opportunity I was looking for. I knew day one being here, it’s been a great time. We love going to the rink every day and that’s just something we’re continually building on.”

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter @BenTompkins_8