The pace is about to pick up. After playing just eight times over the first month (30 days) of the new season, the Thunderbirds open a stretch where they will play eight games in 16 days, starting when they travel north to Prince George this coming weekend.
The Thunderbirds should be chomping at the bit. I think you could see they are frustrated with the slow start to the season in regards to number of games played. Four times this past month they played just once on a weekend. It's hard to get any rythm, any chemistry or consistency. when you play just one game over the course of twelve days. Yet here they are at 8-0-0-0.
As a result you get a sluggish first half of the game as we saw Saturday night in their 8-3 win over Spokane. They did get out to a two goal lead but weren't playing with any sense of urgency. They weren't crisp with their passing game. They weren't hard on pucks in the D-zone. It wasn't until they surrendered that lead early in the second period that they picked up the pace.
The Thunderbirds have had lots and lots of practice time, but what looks good on the practice ice, doesn't always translate to the game. But you don't know that until you play the games. Game speed, game scenarios, are much different than a practice session. Seattle just hasn't had the opportunity to play many games yet. As a result, they're still working on their team chemistry. They're still trying to find out the best line combinations.
Seattle's five NHL drafted players are all off and running. Through the first eight games of the season that group has accumulated 58 points (23g, 35a) and are a combined +48. The teams's best players are leading the way most every game night.
But as I have written about in the past, despite all the experience on the roster, thanks in large part to long playoff run last spring, the T-Birds are still one of the youngest teams in the WHL. The average hockey age on the team is 17 years old. That means Seattle's young players have to contribute now. Some nights they may be the differnce between getting a win and taking a loss. We forget some of these players are just entering their second year in the WHL, others are true, first year rookies.
Against the Chiefs Seattle had six rookies and four second year players in the lineup. By comparison, Spokane had four rookies and three second year players on the ice. Yet it was those young Seattle players who helped spark the team to the win. Together they contributed nine points (2g, 7a) and were +13 on the night. Seattle's youth wasn't a hinderance to getting the win, they were an eqaul part of earning it.
Lots has been said about the elite players from the 2020 WHL Prospects draft with Regina's Connor Bedard at the head of that class. But the 2021 draft ain't too shabby either. We saw the first overall pick from that draft, Berkly Catton, in the lineup for Spokane and he had two assists and was dangerous all night. Second overall pick, Jordan Gavin, has 12 points in ten games with Tri-City. But Seattle's top three picks from that 2021 draft are holding their own.
Tij Iginla went ninth overall and he's just now hitting his stride and has four points in just seven games. Meanwhile two second round picks, defensemen Hyde Davidson and Bryce Pickford, are logging regular minutes and look like they will anchor the Seattle blue line for the next four seasons.
We forget defenseman Sawyer Mynio is just starting up his second season. He was a regular in the lineup last year as a 16 year old, both in the regular season and the playoffs. With two goals and six assists, he is averaging a point a game through the first month of this season. He's not flashy, but he's steady. he knows when to jump up and join the rush but he takes care of the defensive zone first. He's a good skater. He has a heavy, lethal shot. He's currently listed at 6'1", 173 lbs. He's not done growing.
If he continues on his current trajectory, I'm confident he'll hear his name called next summer at the NHL Draft. On a team with a Kevin Korchinski, it could be easy to forget there is a Sawyer Mynio. I don't think NHL scouts will.
What is it you hear often in hockey circles? Our goalie is so good, we feel comfortable playing in front of him. Translation? We're willing to take chances and gamble because our goalie will bail us out. Against Spokane the T-Birds felt too comfortable playing in front of Thomas Milic. They were sloppy with the puck in the D-zone, but time and time again Milic bailed them out.
My T-birds Three Stars for the Weekend:
Third Star: G Thomas Milic. See above. That could easily have been an 8-6 or 8-7 game if he wasn't at the top of his game. Two really solid efforts in his last two starts. In just over a month he should be heading to camp with Team Canada looking to earn a spot on their National team for the World Junior Championship tournament.
Second Star: C Tij Iginla. The confidence level in his game has shot up ten fold the last few outings. Scoring that first WHL goal a week ago seems to have done the trick. Strong on the puck all night against the Chiefs. His assist on Seattle's last goal is top ten Plays of the Week material. He won a faceoff, got knocked to the ice but never quite battling for the puck. he made a perfect pass from the seat of pants to set up the goal.
First Star: C Jordan Gustafson. Since returning to the T-Birds from training camp with the NHL's Vegas Golden Knights, I think he has been Seattle's most consistent player. You get that same 100 percent effort at both ends of the ice every game. He earned his three assists against Spokane. He was 12/20 in the faceoff circle and two of Seattle's goals were a direct result of a Gustafson faceoff win.
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