Babcock’s Huskies lose heartbreaking playoff game to end season

The University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team came out on the wrong side of a win-or-go-home Canada West playoff matchup Sunday night against the University of Calgary Dinos.

Merlis Belsher Place had the playoff atmosphere on full display all weekend, with three exciting home playoff games near full capacity each night.

After splitting the first two games, the Huskies and Dinos put it all on the line to decide a series winner Sunday night. It was the Dinos earning a 4-3 comeback win to seal the deal.

Huskies head coach Mike Babcock says he thought his team played its worst game of the series in the one that mattered most.

“Our lack of depth really was exposed here this series,” he said. “I thought we played real well in Game 1 and Game 2. I didn’t think we were as good today (in Game 3).”

After the Huskies trounced the Dinos 4-0 on Saturday to force a third game in the series, Calgary responded tremendously well after being pushed around the night before.

The Dinos got on the board first, and it didn’t take long before they added an extra goal, leaving the Huskies with a deep hole to climb out of.

However, with the season on the line, the Huskies responded in the second period.

Vince Loschiavo created a turnover to earn a breakaway before fooling the Dinos’ netminder with a nifty deke to cut the lead in half.

Loschiavo wasn’t done there.

Just a few minutes later, the first-year Huskie sniped a perfectly placed shot into the top corner of the net on the power play to knot the game up 2-2.

Everything seemed to be falling into place for a Huskies comeback when Gunner Kinniburgh squeaked one past the Dinos netminder off what seemed like a harmless wrist shot.

The Huskies still had a 3-2 lead with 13 minutes to play.

But there was still plenty of hockey to play.

Dinos forward Tim Vanstone went end to end while beating both Huskies defencemen and then finally goaltender Roddy Ross to score the crucial tying goal.

Then with just under four minutes to play, Calgary’s Max Patterson threw one on net while Ross had a screen to deal with. The puck trickled in, giving the Dinos the 4-3 lead.

There would be no miracle tying goal, even though the Huskies picked up a late power play in the dying minutes after a Dinos too-many-men penalty.

The horn sounded, marking the end of a season full of adversity.

Babcock reflected on his season coaching U Sports hockey again and said he’s going to need some time to think about a potential return.

“I’ve got to go see my wife,” he said. “She’s the boss and I’ll go talk to her, and then we’ll kind of decide where to go next. At this stage of my life, I’m in no hurry to make any decisions.”

Regina eliminated

The Regina Cougars also were bounced from the Canada West playoffs on the weekend.

Regina lost 4-3 on Friday and 3-2 on Saturday to the Mount Royal Cougars in Calgary.

The Dinos are to face the Alberta Golden Bears in one best-of-three semifinal next weekend, while Mount Royal is to take on the UBC Thunderbirds in the other.