Mustangs v Brave Preview

The All Star break is over and it is back to business for the MOAT: Melbourne Mustangs as they prepare for the second half of the AIHL season. The Mustangs have put themselves back into finals contention via a three game winning streak, but they will need to continue playing consistently well in order to secure a place in the top four.

This week the Mustangs travel to Canberra for back-to-back games against the CBR Brave and these two games will be critical to determining the finishing positions of the sides. Currently the Mustangs sit 5th and the Brave are 4th, separated by four points, so if the Mustangs can win both games in regulation they will overtake the Brave on the ladder. Alternatively, if they fail in these games, the gap between the Mustangs and the teams ahead could become too large to chase down.

In their most recent game against the Newcastle North Stars, the Mustangs showed they can rise to a challenge and win a tough road game. They will gain a lot of confidence out of the come from behind win that will help if they find themselves in a similar situation this weekend. Down by a goal with less than five minutes to play, Vadim Virjassov converted on the power play to tie the game, and then Sean Jones scored a clutch goal with 43 seconds left for the Mustangs to take all three points.

Before the All Star break, the Brave were on the road in Melbourne and went down to the Melbourne Ice in two high scoring encounters. As with the Mustangs, the Brave too have been plagued by inconsistency. They have three of the top seven scorers in the AIHL and have recently added Stephen Blunden and Jan Safar to their squad. However, while stacked with offensive talent, the Brave are prone to defensive lapses and have conceded the most goals out of all teams in the AIHL, at an average of 4.6 per game.

The issues on defence were witnessed in the earlier game against the Mustangs this year when they gave up seven unanswered goals, including six in the final period. After a good win in the first game and matching the Mustangs for the first two periods of the second, the Brave became undisciplined and gave away two power play goals. From there the flood gates opened and the Mustangs first win of the season came in convincing fashion.

It is expected that the Brave will not fold as easily on home ice and the Mustangs will have to compete until the final siren to get the points. It is important that they maintain pressure in defence and limit the chances the Brave have with the puck. Given the scoring potential across the Brave line up, any time the Mustangs allow their opponents space it could result in a goal against them. On the other hand, if they control the puck and create traffic around the net, the Mustangs should be able to break down the defence and put goals on the board.

It is great to hear that a large contingent of Mustangs supporters are making the trip to the nation’s capital to cheer on the team this weekend. The home crowd in Canberra is known to be very vocal and it can be an intimidating rink to play in, but hopefully with some extra support the Mustangs can return home with maximum points.