(Photo courtesy/Broad Leaf Media, Facebook)

By Ben Tompkins

End it with a bang

Mustangs final home game of the season the most important by far

Apr 30, 2024 | 11:42 AM

The Melfort Mustangs have strayed away from their motto these past two games of the SJHL finals, one that made them so successful in the first place.

When grabbing a 3-0 series lead over the Flin Flon Bombers, the Mustangs were playing as the underdog, along with some desperation.

That mentality has since flipped onto the Bombers, who have dug themselves halfway out of a massive hole, and now only trail the series three games to two.

Being that tonight’s Game 6 will be the last home game of the season for Melfort, no matter the result, they are eager to steal that way of thinking right back, as they will try their very best to avoid a do-or-die Game 7.

“I think everyone here is buzzing, we’re ready to go, and now it’s just a matter of getting it done. I think we’re ready, we’re excited, and we’re ready to get this done,” explained Stangs’ captain Leith Olafson.

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“We just got to get back to playing desperate and playing like we’re the underdogs. I think we got away from that in games four and five, we were kind of coasting a little bit, so we just got to get back to working our hardest and causing frustration like we did the first few games.”

The lack of want and effort was also questioned about this club, mostly following their Game 5 performance in Flin Flon.

If they want to avoid one last trip to Northern Manitoba, they will have to punch their ticket to Ontario for the Centennial Cup tonight, in front of their home crowd.

“We got to want this so much more than they do because that’s what it’s gonna come down to in this series and closing it out. We have to be the ones to dictate the pace and dictate the game, and we just gotta want it more,” Olafson added.

“Our fans have been great these playoffs and all year really. Coming out in playoffs, they’ve been packing the barn and we’ve had how many sold-out games in a row now, so I think it’d be awesome to give back to the fans and get it done for them tonight.”

The Blue and Green, in great spirits ahead of their most important match of the year, getting back to who they are and an identity that’s served them well all season.

Game 6 from the Northern Lights Palace tonight, puck-drop is scheduled for 7:35 p.m., with the Suncrest College pregame show beginning at 7:15 p.m. All of the action on CJVR.

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On X @BenTompkins_8