JORDAN HARTSHORN
Sports Writer

Rutherford Rink has nothing going for itself, especially following the men’s Huskies weekend semi-final trouncing.

The much-maligned rink on campus, with its fossil-like construct and generally seedy appearance, boasts more critics than it can seat spectators. Yet, for all the rust that randomly falls from the ceiling, or cries to have the 81-year-old facility replaced, it has always been a playoff dynamo: the Saskatchewan men’s hockey team had never lost in their previous 17 post-season series.

But this past weekend the Manitoba Bisons brought shame to the resident Huskies in the form of yet another premature playoffs departure.

Even though the Green and White opened the series with a 5-2 victory March 7, the Huskies dropped the next two games by scores of 4-2 and 5-1 at home to unexpectedly exit the playoffs before the Canada West final for the first time since 2001. Then, the Huskies lost on the road to the Bisons.

And despite the pesky and effective hockey played by the Bisons, there was a sense that the Huskies would revert to the typical, successful script.

In the opening five minutes of the second period of game three, with the score tied 1-1, Saskatchewan found themselves on a two-man advantage. The crowd was a buzzin’. Hell, I even took the time to scribble “momentum has shifted in favour of the home side” in my notebook.

A goal and the Bisons would have been buried.

But then the wheels fell off.

They failed to score on the power-play, only to see Manitoba’s Mike Hellyer and Blair MacAulay score goals roughly 40 seconds apart to make it 3-1 just moments after the penalties expired. MacAulay and Hellyer would add power play tallies before the period was out to effectively end discussion of a comeback.

The Bisons’ roster would strike fear in few. Goaltender Steve Christie, who stopped 69 shots in the Bisons’ two wins, never played major junior hockey, while the Huskies’ two main foils Hellyer and MacAulay had nondescript careers in the Western Hockey League.

By reputation alone the Huskies would topple the Bisons. But not only did the Bisons beat the Huskies in their own building, however, they beat them at their own game.

The grit and grind typically associated with “Huskies hockey” belonged to Manitoba. As they did all season long against the Huskies, the Bisons stifled the Saskatchewan’s offence, playing scrappier and with more intent on the defensive end. Saskatchewan had 11 opportunities on the power play, but had trouble generating many quality chances.

Even though the Huskies scored a whopping 29 more goals than Manitoba during the regular season, in the six games between the two teams, which they split three wins apiece, Saskatchewan only managed to score more than two goals in regulation on two occasions — both 4-1 wins. And with their offence stymied the Huskies were essentially listless.

There were bad breaks, sure. As reported by the StarPhoenix, Huskies forward Steven DaSilva had appeared to score late in the first period, but the referee waved it off. Later, an unofficial video replay revealed Christie reaching back to pull the puck out of the net.

In the end, however, the Bisons were the better team when it mattered. Sure, it wasn’t expected. This time of year is about tradition in the Canada West. Saskatchewan should be playing Alberta for the regional crown.

But come playoff time nothing is sacred, apparently not even the hollowed, but derelict home turf of Rutherford Rink.

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photo: Robby Davis