Three lines putting pucks in the back of the net can get the job done.

Consistency on the power play doesn't hurt either.

This year's Midget Mustangs have one of these two hockey truths going for it early in the Whitehorse Recreational Hockey League (WRHL) season.

Consistency with the man advantage isn't one of them.

But that hasn't hampered the Mustangs start to the season – its best in three years.

With last night's 4-2 win over Air North, the Mustangs improved their record to 5-1 and a three-way tie for first place in the WRHL A division with the Roadhouse and Yukon Brewing, all with 10 points each.

The Mustangs have topped the league twice in the past five years.

"This is the best start we've had in three years,” Mustangs head coach Jim Stephens said.

"This year's team, we're a little bit younger but we're probably faster and we have scoring on all three lines, pretty solid goaltending and three returning defensemen.

I'm pretty pleased with what the team has done so far.”

Mustang Adrian Hawkings proved to be a thorn in Air North's side, picking up a goal and three assists, while teammate Trevor Hanna sniped two goals of his own and one helper.

Devon Kinney notched two goals for Air North, helped out twice by Burt Stephens and once by Ryan Kinney.

Due to injuries the Mustangs were playing with a short bench, Stephens noted.

"The kids worked hard and competed well. I think we need to work on our power play; it wasn't very good, although we were missing a couple of key players on the power play,” he said.

Key for the Mustangs' power play is third-year defenseman Travis Rivest, out with an injury.

"So that's something we got to work on, and we haven't really had a chance to work on it with all three lines,” Stephens said.

The Mustangs converted on the power play once in last night's win but failed to capitalize on a two-man advantage.

Stephens said his club failed to manage a shot on goal during the two-man power play.

But you can't argue with results.

Stephens attributed part of the Mustangs' success to the six first-year players who are also training for the Canada Winter Games.

That youth provides the club with speed and energy.

"I think we have a little more skill in the lineup,” Stephens said, adding that carrying the team's success in the league into provincials in March will depend on how the first-year players develop through the season.

"I found that in past years, the first-year guys, it takes them a little bit at the start of the year; they may not be your top players, but some of the kids actually, by the end of the first year, will become our top players once they settle down in the league and get used to playing midget.”

The Mustangs' first test against midget teams will come in November, when the club heads down to Abbotsford, B.C., for the Memorial tournament.

The team practices twice and plays two league games each week. Additionally, the first year players have extra ice with the Canada Games squad and dry-land training.

"That makes a big difference,” Stephens said.

Along with improving the team's power play, Stephens is working on defense in training, especially in their own zone.

"We're getting a little bit better every game,” he said. "Our main focus has been on our own end, and our back-check. At this point in the season, we haven't done everything that we'd like to do, but by Christmas, we'll have covered off most of the systems we'll want to use in the different zones.”

Maintaining a strong start to the season can be difficult, he added.

"But what it does, a good start really builds the confidence with the kids. If you have a slow start, and you're not scoring, then it gets harder every game as the pressure builds to try to get the puck in the net; and last year we had a really hard time putting the puck in the net.”

With such a start to the WRHL season, the Mustangs already have their sights set on March, Stephens said.

"We're a work-in-progress, and as long as we're getting a little bit better every game, by the end of the year we should be ready to go for provincials and see if we can get into the top four, and from there, who knows what can happen?”