Coming off of a loss last night in Whitecourt, the Lloydminster Bobcats (15-24-2) will look to get themselves back in the win column tonight when they visit the Drayton Valley Thunder (9-30-1). Puck drop is at 7:30 p.m. at the Drayton Valley Omniplex. Tonight will mark the first time this season that the Bobcats will be heading to Drayton. So far this season, the two teams have met three times, all taking place at the Civic Centre with Lloydminster winning two in regulation and once in overtime. Tonight’s contest can be heard starting at 7:15 with Lloydminster Bobcats Hockey on Real Country 95.9.
Heading In: Lloydminster Trying to Snap Two-Game Slide After Battling Two Tough Opponents After having their four-game win streak come to an end Saturday night against the Fort McMurray Oil Barons, the Bobcats now find themselves on a two-game slide after last night's 3-0 defeat in Whitecourt. However, for the Bobcats the mini losing streak does not appear to be much to fret cosidering the two teams they lost to have a combined record of 54-16-8. The Cats will not have that same reasoning tonight though when they battle the Thunder. Drayton Valley, although currently trying to find their way following a tough start to the season, sit in the basement of the AJHL standings.
Head to Head
So far this season, the Bobcats and Thunder have played three times with all of those meetings taking place in Lloydminster. The Bobcats won all three games (one in OT), but have also trailed by two goals in two of them. In their first meetings, the Cats rolled to a 5-0 shutout vicotry. Since then though, it has been Drayton putting the pressure on Lloydminster. In their second match-up, the Thunder took a 2-0 first period lead only for the Bobcats to battle back to a 4-2 victory. And in their most recent meeting, the Thunder again led 2-0, early in the second period this time, only for the Cats to claw back for a 3-2 OT win.
Road Woes
Now into January, the road portion of the schedule has not been very kind to Lloydminster. The Cats have had their struggles playing away from the Civic Centre, going just 2-17-1 in those twenty games. In true road games this season (subtract the two games at Showcase), Lloydminster is just 1-16-1, with their lone road victory coming back in Calgary in an 8-1 domination of the Canucks. Since that Calgary victory, the Bobcats have lost eight straight games away from home. With 11 of their final 19 regular season games to be played on the road, the Bobcats are going to have to find a way, and quickly, to get comfortable away from the Civic
Upcoming Schedule
Calgary Mustangs @ Bobcats – Saturday January 13, 7:30 p.m. – Centennial Civic Centre
Bobcats @ Whitecourt – Friday January 19, 7:30 p.m. – Scott Safety Centre
Bobcats @ Storm – Saturday January 20, 7:30 p.m. – Revolution Arena