After a pair of road losses to start the season last weekend and another road game against Airdrie tonight (September 29) the Cochrane Generals are anxious to get things started at home tomorrow night.

The Generals play host to the Ponoka Stampeders at 7:30 pm at the Spray Lakes Sawmill Family Sports Centre.

Generals GM and Head Coach Derek Donald says before Saturday night's game the team will be raising some banners recognizing the success of the 2016 - 2017 season before they drop the puck against Ponoka.

The Stampeders have also started the season 0 and 2 and Donald thinks both clubs are trying to figure things out in he early going.  He says even though his club lost to Okotoks and Strathmore to start the season, he was pleased with their play.

"I think overall from a team standpoint we played very well over the weekend.  We definitely had some goaltending issues so we've got Eric Arbor starting tonight (against Airdrie).   We're hoping that will give us a different dimension.  Basically both games I thought that we controlled play and outshot Okotoks and Strathmore but obviously we had some troubles in our own end defensively and neither of our goaltenders played the way the wanted to or to their capability."

Donald was impressed by the play of newcomer Jared Domingo.  "In the first two games he's performed well.  He's new to us and has stepped in and is playing a pivotal role and scored some goals for us.  It looks like we'll expect some more of that from him." 

This edition of the Generals is about a 50-50 mix of returning veterans and newcomers.  Donald says after last weekend's start, the talk among the returning players was that they could play a lot better.

 "In talking with our top returning guys after last weekend they felt that they have a lot more that they can bring to the table as far as their level of play.  My challenge to our top guys, Ransom, Hume, Bain, is we want to see more offense out of them as we move forward.  We need that scoring punch from our top six forwards and I don't think we really got that in our first two games."

Once the team gets a few of the kinks worked out in practice, Donald says he expects them to be a top two contender in the HJHL Southern Division and in the top three or four in the entire league.  

Tonight the Generals play the Thunder in Airdrie, a team that's started the season 2 and 0.  Donald is expecting a very competitive game.

"We played them in exhibition so we've got a pretty good idea of what their team looks like.  They are going to be a good team and I expect the team that's going to work the hardest and play smart and take care of their own end defensively is going to come out in the win column on Friday night.  We're working in practice to address some of the things we've noticed in the first two games and I think we'll be very well prepared. "

Even with 22 years of hockey experience at the amateur and professional level in capacities ranging from scouting to coaching to administration, the role with the Generals has been a learning experience for Donald.  .

"With me coming in and getting started as late as I did in the summer I think there's some learning curve things for me as a coach.  There's always little nuances like finding out what your player personnel is.  The first couple of games that's what we talked about, 'what's our team identity, what's our strong skill sets' and we need to try to be that team and not be something that we're not.   I think we've got some very skilled players and we've got some areas that we're very strong and that's the identity that we need to stick to.   I tell my guys, 'we can have all the skill in the world but we've also got to be the hardest working team in the league and that's something we'll continue to enforce all year, every game, every practice.