If there's anything Quin Foreman and his teammates learned last season, it was not to put too much stock into slumps or losing streaks.
The West Kelowna Warriors hit their share of rough spots early in the 2015-16 campaign, only to go on and win both the B.C. Hockey League title and the national junior A championship.
Now on a five-game winless streak early in the 2016-17 season, the Warriors' assistant captain said his team would naturally like to have had better results, but there's no legitimate cause for concern or panic.
"Everyone knows how tight our division is, and what really matters is where we are at the end of the season and how we're playing heading into the playoffs," said Foreman, who leads the Warriors with eight goals and 19 points.
"As tough as it is right now, we know we have the experience on this team to get out of this. It could be a good thing that it's happening now, so we can get it out of the way early in the season."
The Warriors' winless streak reached five (0-4-1) on Wednesday night in Coquitlam in frustrating fashion. The Express scored the game winner with just 16 seconds remaining in the third for a 3-2 victory.
On the upside, the Warriors have been close in every game during the slide, losing by more than a goal just once.
Foreman said the Warriors are riding a fine line where momentum can change on a dime.
"We've been in every game and they've been that close that we could actually be on a winning streak," he said. "The guys are showing up to play and playing hard. We just need to stick with it and not fall too far behind. I expect us to get better as the year goes on."
The Warriors will look to regain some momentum their season Saturday night when they host the Interior Division leading Penticton Vees (11-2-0). Face off at Royal LePage Place is 7 p.m.
The following weekend, West Kelowna hits the road for a three-game tour of the island, paying visits to Nanaimo, Cowichan Valley and Alberni Valley.