Kingston Frontenacs GameDay January 22, 2016

www.reidsdairy.com • Belleville / Kingston
Coming off another two wins in three games
weekend the Kingston Frontenacs once
again kick off a three game weekend with
a home game at Rogers K-Rock Centre tonight
vs. Saginaw. We caught up with Head Coach Paul
McFarland after practice on Thursday.
GameDay: Another three game weekend last
week and another 4 of 6 points for the Frontenacs.
The team is continuing to show consistency
on the ice. Let’s start with Friday’s big 7-1 win
over the Flint Firebirds. They were a team in the
midst of a tumultuous season, which easily makes
its way into the locker room and can spill onto the
ice. How do you feel about the Frontenacs performance
on Friday?
paul mcfarland: It was a good effort by
our team. We got off to a good start with a 4-1
lead after the first period. We’ve talked about it
as a group, when teams play in Peterborough the
night before we want to jump on them early and
establish our game right from the start. Our game
is about pace, physicality, and getting on the forecheck.
We did a good job of that last Friday and
thought we continued to get better and better as
the game went on. We had great contributions
from Jared Steege, he had 2 goals, and it can’t
always be one or two guys scoring the goals, we
need scoring from other guys and we got that Friday
night.
GameDay: Saturday was a tighter game, with
a more on the line with Niagara, tied for second
at the time in the Eastern Conference team. There
was lots on the line for both teams, and the game
needed a shootout to determine with win. How
were you feeling about the intensity in the game
and the 2-1 win in the end?
paul mcfarland: I’m sure for both teams
it felt like a playoff game, tight checking and not a
lot of chances given up by either team. Both goalies
played great and you have to give Jeremy Helvig
a lot of credit, he was great in net for us, making
big saves when he needed to, and obviously
in the shootout, making four saves against an elite
offensive team like Niagara. Hopefully it’s a great
confidence booster for him moving forward.
We have to get comfortable as a team playing
in those tight games against good teams because
that’s what the playoffs are going to be all about.
You’re not going to score 7 goals in a game. It’s
going to come down to whichever team played
better away from the puck. For us, the better we
play without the puck, the more we’re going to
have it.
GameDay: Heading into tonight’s matchup
against a team we only host once, the Saginaw
Spirit. They sit in 8th place in the Western Conference
now, trying to climb in the standings. How
do you plan to stifle the Spirit tonight?
paul mcfarland: Saginaw is a great team.
Mitchell Stephens leads their team and was a
member of Team Canada at the World Juniors,
so you have to be aware of him every time he’s on
the ice. For us, we want to forecheck, we want to
play with pace, we want to be physical, and play
on that edge. When we do that, we usually give
ourselves a chance to have success. Playing any
team from the Western Conference you know is
going to be a big challenge. We don’t see them
often, but I’m sure it will get heated quickly. KF
16 KINGSTON FRONTENACS GAMEDAY MAGAZINE