MUSKEGON – The five-game challenge is finally over for the Muskegon Lumberjacks, and the verdict is in:
The Jacks very much missed their four standouts who were out of the lineup for several weeks while competing in the World Junior A Challenge international tournament in Canada.
While Jake Richard, Ethan Whitcomb, Gavin McCarthy and Nathan McBrayer were competing against some of the best young players in the world, the Jacks struggled, posting a 1-3-1 record and wrapping up their pre-Christmas schedule with a season-high four-game winless streak.
The good news is that three of those four stars will be back this weekend when the Jacks resume play. They will visit the Team USA 17-Under squad on Friday night in Plymouth, Michigan, then host the 17-Unders in a New Year’s Eve rematch on Saturday at 6 p.m.
[1]Coach Parker Burgess admits that the team suffered a bit with the incomplete lineup, but he’s confident that the Jacks will bounce back and play the way they did prior to the departure of the four standouts.
The team regrouped for practice on Tuesday with the winless streak and the recent coaching change behind them, and everyone seems ready to roll again, according to Burgess.
“I haven’t really given it two seconds of thought,” Burgess said about the winless streak. “I’m just really proud of how the guys managed the external stuff. The hockey stuff will take care of itself. I think the vibe right now is nothing but excitement and positive energy.
“This weekend will be a good test for us. If we can get hot here and get some momentum going, it will be a great way to start the second half of the season.”
Burgess noted that the Jacks performed well in several games while they were shorthanded, and easily could have gotten another win or two.
The team’s first game without the four stars – and with Burgess behind the bench as the new head coach – was on Dec. 9 against the 17-Unders, and it was a great night. The Jacks led 2-0 after one period, trailed 3-2 after two, then kept battling and emerged with a 4-3 overtime win.
[2]They played first-place Chicago the next night and almost won again. The Jacks trailed 4-2 late in the third period, pulled their goalie with four minutes left and made the finish exciting and close, but ended up falling 5-4.
On Dec. 14 the Jacks played tough on the road for two periods against the elite Team USA 18-Under squad, only trailing 2-1 heading into the third. Then the roof caved in, with the 18-Unders scoring five goals down the stretch and winning 7-2.
The final games before the Christmas break came on Dec. 16-17 when the Jacks played two in Youngstown. They lost 2-1 in overtime in a tight Friday night matchup, then fell 5-1 on Saturday.
“We played 40 minutes of high-level hockey against a great team on the road, then we kind of ran out of gas in the third period,” Burgess said about the loss to the 18-Unders. “We played really good hockey on Friday in Youngstown and lost in overtime, then ran out of gas on Saturday. None of it was for lack of effort.”
McCarthy won’t be back for a while
McCarthy never got much of a chance to play in the World Junior A Challenge because he suffered an injury in the first game.
That injury continues to linger, and the Jacks expect McCarthy to be out of lineup “optimistically three to four weeks,” according to Burgess, who did not disclose the exact nature of the injury.
That’s a pretty big blow for the team, because McCarthy, a very talented second-year defenseman who excels on both ends of the ice, was becoming a real force. He has four goals and a whopping 14 assists in 20 games, and his production was trending in a positive direction before he left for the international tournament.
“He’s getting some rehab to do, and we will get him back healthy and even better for the second half,” Burgess said.
[3]Goalie questionable for this weekend
The Jacks had another injury in the Dec. 14 game against the USA 18-Under squad, but it doesn’t seem quite as serious as McCarthy’s.
Goalie Raythan Robbins played one period before leaving with an unspecified injury. He was scratched from the lineup for both games in Youngstown, but could be back for the games this weekend, according to Burgess.
“That was more precautionary,” the coach said about the decision to sideline Robbins in Youngstown. “We knew the holiday break was coming up, we have a ton of faith in Conor (Callaghan, the team’s other goalie), and we had to decide whether to play Raythan at 70 percent or give him a break and get him back at 100 percent.
“We’re still going to be a little cautious with him. It will probably be a decision we make on Thursday or Friday morning, but we’re hoping he will be back this weekend.”
Burgess said the team will continue to find playing time for both Robbins and Callaghan throughout the season.
[4]Callaghan has been with the Lumberjacks all season, posting a 9-6-2 record and a 3.34 goals against average in 18 games.
Robbins was supposed to be the Jacks’ top goalie this year but spent most of the fall working out with his future college team at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He is 1-1 with a 4.38 goals against average in three games so far this season.
Robbins collected his first USHL victory in the Dec. 9 home win over the Team USA 17-Unders. He was particularly strong in overtime, stopping two Team USA players on breakaways that could have ended the game.
“Both are very capable and they are going to push each other,” Burgess said. “When you look at other successful hockey teams at every level, you see more and more where they have two goalies who push each other and can play on any given night. We want to give both of these guys opportunities because they are both great goalies.” 
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