Jackalopes start crucial homestand

The Odessa Jackalopes have been presented a golden opportunity.

Coach Paul Gillis knows that.

Assistant coach Matt Cressman knows it, too, and so do the players in the locker room.

With their next seven games at Ector County Coliseum, the Jackalopes have a chance to distance themselves from the rest of their Southwest Division rivals and solidify their position as a playoff contender before they prepare for the Rodeo road trip.

The best road team in the Central Hockey League (10-1), the Jackalopes have struggled in the Permian Basin to date and won for the first time at home last Friday against New Mexico.

Odessa, though, brings a four-game winning streak into tonight's contest against division-rival Arizona at 7:05 p.m. at Ector County Coliseum, and Gillis is looking forward to the next two weeks at home.

"This is the start of a big homestand for us," he said. "It's also going to give us a couple of weeks of good practice time and we've got lots of work to do to continue to get better.

"We knew that the first victory at home was coming and it was nice to get it and in most of the other games at home I would say that we beat ourselves more than we got beat. Now it's about keeping the focus and energy level were it needs to be."

The Jackalopes are coming off of a 6-4 victory Saturday evening in Tulsa that saw Brian Swiniarski record his first career hat trick, including two goals in less than five minutes in the third period to tie the game, 4-4.

Swiniarski's outburst gave Odessa the secondary scoring that Gillis feels has been one of the keys to the team's early-season success. They lead the division by seven points (24-17) over the Sundogs, who they'll face for the fifth time this season.

Both teams have won twice in the other's home building.
"When you look at the stats all the way through, the secondary scoring hasn't been an issue this year like it was last year," Gillis said. "We have three lines that can score and play against any line and you can do a lot of things."

Goaltender Juha Toivonen also is playing well. He won all three of his starts last week with a 2.00 goals-against average and a save percentage of .940 in victories over Corpus Christi, New Mexico and Tulsa. The rookie netminder recorded his first professional shutout against Corpus Christi and earned his second CHL Goaltender of the Week honor for his efforts.