Happy Holidays T-Birds Nation! The Thunderbirs gift to you? A terrific first half and a number one ranking in the CHL Top Ten poll. The best news about the gift? you don't have to wait until Christmas morning to unwrap it. It is yours to enjoy right now.
Seattle just finished a stretch playing six games over nine days. They played the first four of those six games absent five of their best players including their top three defenseman. They played the last two still without four of their best players in the lineup. How'd they do? They went 5-0-0-1 and were one major faux paus away from a clean six game sweep.
In those six games, without their leading goal scorer on hand, they scored 28 goals. That's just under five goals per game (4.7). With their number one goalie away, they allowed just ten goals in those six games, or 1.67 goals per contest. The kids are alright.
The first three of those six games they failed to score a first period goal but came back to take the lead in all three, even the game they lost in the shootout. Challenged by the coaching staff to come out with better starts, they outscored their opponents 9-0 in the first period in the last three games.
One month ago the Thunderbirds executed the trade that brought Nolan Allan to Seattle from Prince Albert. To make the deal the T-Birds gave up some of their depth as forwards Gabe Ludwig and Brayden Dube, along with defenseman Easton Kovacs, headed to the Raiders. They then dealt d-man Niko Tsakumis to Everett because he desired more playing time.
To fill the gap Seattle traded with Swift Current for Ty Hurley, signed Ashton McNelly and recently recalled Simon Lovsin and Spencer Michnik. Those players have done a solid job of filling the back end of the roster, especially with players away. They have combined for three assists in 18 games with a +8 rating. Michnik won his first WHL start. It may not seem like much but they've been valuable in keeping the Thunderbirds train on the track the last couple of weeks.
The Thunderbirds have released the only Import player on the roster, Swiss defenseman Kai Knak. Nice, polite young man. Unfortunately it was the the wrong place, or maybe just the wrong time for Knak to be a Thunderbird. With the acquistion of Luke Prokop and Allan, the quick development of youngsters like Hyde Davidson and Bryce Pickford, the versatility of Ethan Mittelsteadt, there was just no ice time available for him.
I think his adjustment to both the smaller ice surface in North America and the more physical style of play was the biggest culprit. I think with another team, one that could afford to be more patient and give him more ice, he could develop his game here. Seattle just didn't have that for him this season. There were nine defensemen ahead of him on the roster.
Seattle got to the WHL Championship Series last spring with the league's ninth best power play, and that was because of a strong second half. They were lower than that most of the first half of the season in those power play rankings. Will history repeate itself? I still think the one missing ingredient is a strong net front presence. There were a lot of rebounds while they had the power play this weekend. They just didn't get to them. This is where they really miss a player like Matt Rempe.
Seattle's goal differential after 29 games is +60. Only Saskatoon at +63 has a better goal differential at the break. Only 22 of Seattle's 127 goals have been scored on the power play. That's border line insane. By comparison, 36 of Saskatoon's 125 goals are power play goals.
The Thunderbirds don't have even one player in the top ten in league scoring. In fact their top scorer, Jared Davidson is 19th in scoring in the league. Seattle has only two players in the top 30 (Crnkovic is 24th). Yet they are number two in goals scored, behind only Winnipeg (The Ice have played one more game). Winnipeg has three of the top 15 point producers. What Seattle does have is depth, depth, depth.
My T-Birds Three Stars for the past six games:
Third Star: D Jeremy Hanzel. With three of your top six defenseman unavailable for most of those six games, you need a veteran anchor on the back end. Hanzel provided just that. He chipped in with a goal, four assists and was +12, not to mention his solid work on the penalty kill. That's a solid six games.
Second Star: G Scott Ratzlaff. Yeah, he'd like a do over on that play behind the net late in the game down in Portland, but that error aside, he's been terrific taking over the number one job in net in the absence of Thomas Milic. He was 4-0-0-1 with a 1.57 GAA and .947 SVPCT in his five starts. Ratlzlaff is now second among goalies in the WHL with a 2.05 GAA and number one in the league with a .927 SVPCT.
First Star: C/W Gracyn Sawchyn. He's playing his best hockey going into the break and that is saying something because he's been so good since the start of the season. He picked up ten points in the six games (2g, 10a). He was nearly 50% in the faceoff circle (7/17). He finished with a Gordie Howe hat trick in the 5-1 win up in Everett Saturday night. As assistant coach Matt Marquardt said, he has a little Henrik Rybinski in his game. When I think of Rybinski, I think of a relentless effort and that does indeed apply to Sawchyn.
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