And for an encore, new Seattle goalie Taran Kozun will juggle chainsaws while blindfolded and balancing on a beach ball!
Seriously though, you couldn't have asked for a better debut from your new netminder then what the Thunderbirds got from Kozun Tuesday in Spokane; a 28 save shutout in a 1-0 overtime win. Felt a tad sorry for Kozun's counterpart Eric Williams. The Spokane goaltender was having himself a pretty good game too, until that Ryan Gropp shot bounced over his right pad for the game winner with just 44 seconds left in extra time. Again, just a tad sorry. Mostly, pretty happy.
What really struck me about Kozun is how well he handles the puck. Some goalies are better at it then others and he was very good in that department Tuesday. When you don't see a goalie that much over the course of his career in the WHL, you don't get a good opportunity to analyze his strengths and weaknesses. That certainly appears to be a strength for Kozun. A goalie who can handle the puck as he did against the Chiefs makes it so much easier on the defensemen. It's like having a third d-man out on the ice. So many times during the game Kozun disrupted the Chiefs dump ins.
In the last three games, Seattle's two goalies (Kozun and Danny Mumaugh)have compiled a 3-0-0-0 record with a 1.25 GAA and a save percentage of .951.
Want to know why a veteran 20 year old like Seth Swenson is expendable at the trade deadline? Look no further then Ryan Gropp. More and more, Gropp is getting to play in all situations as he gets more comfortable playing a 200 foot game at the WHL level. Every time he touches the puck now, you think there is a scoring chance. He's becoming that dynamic. In his last four games he has earned seven points (4g, 3a) and is +5. For the season the 17 year old Kamloops product has 21 points (11g, 10a) in just 32 games and is +1. Swenson, in 43 games before he was traded to Lethbridge, had 20 points (8g, 12a)and was -5. In a development league like this, the ice time usually goes to the younger, developing player.
There were expectations in Lethbridge, before the season started, that the Hurricanes could make the playoffs out East. Of course things went sour almost from the get go and the 'Canes are sitting dead last in the league with a .245 winning percentage. But seeing the former 'Canes players who are now suiting up for the T-birds, it is easy to see why Lethbridge had playoff aspirations back in September. All four players Seattle has obtained via trade from the Hurricanes are hard working, sixty minute players. The latest acquisition, Russell Maxwell, epitomized that in the third period against Spokane when, without his stick, he blocked or deflected away three Spokane shots while the Chiefs were on the power play. Gutsy, gutsy effort.
Once again the T-birds were determined to shutdown Spokane's big two, Mitch Holmberg and Mike Aviani. Once again they succeeded as those two top scoring players were held off the scoresheet...except they did go a combined -1 and took six minutes in penalties. The Holmberg/Aviani duo is now a combined -9 in five games this season against Seattle. They are a dangerous combo out on the ice so it takes a concerted effort to shut them down. The T-birds have consistently worked hard to keep them from stealing games and that's a big reason why the T-birds are 5-0 against the Chiefs so far this season.
Matt Barzal took warm ups before the game in Spokane. Hopefully that means he's close to returning to the lineup. The hope too is that Branden Troock is not that far out from returning from injury as well. Then there is Conner Honey, who has not played since October 6th.
So, Seattle has compiled their 26-14-2-3 record and have only had a complete, healthy roster for two out of 45 games (when he was still a part of the T-birds at the start of the season, Jesse Forsberg missed a number of games due to injury, only suiting up twice prior to being traded to Moose Jaw). Over the last month alone the T-birds have lost players to injury for a combined 55 games yet have still managed to go 11-5-1-0 in that span. That doesn't even take into account three players who missed a combined 15 games while away at international tournaments during that same time frame. So, 70 man games lost and they're still six games above .500. On the season T-birds players have missed over 100 games due to injury, suspension or tournaments yet are still 12 games over .500. It's nice to have depth, but wouldn't you like to see what this team could do with a completely healthy roster?
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Let's Play the Match Game
Let's play a multiple choice game regarding last night's 4-3 overtime win versus Spokane, shall we?
A. Seattle was very fortunate to earn even a point, let alone two. They were their own worst enemy last night with multiple defensive zone gaffes and ill-timed penalties.
B. Seattle actually deserved a better fate. They were dominate with their forecheck for good stretches of the game and a couple bounces of the puck here or there and they should have won in regulation.
C. A win is a win is a win. It may have not been their best sixty minutes of hockey, but when all is said and done they don't ask you how, just how many.
While A and B are good choices, I'm going with "C". This is a results based business. The bottom line is they won the game. It took a strong effort to come from behind three times, mainly because they had to overcome their own miscues, but over the course of nearly 64 minutes of hockey, the Thunderbirds were the better team. You hate to give up a point to a team you're battling in the standings for playoff position, but after their recent struggles to start the month the T-birds have now won three in a row and they are slowly getting players back from the list of walking wounded.
In 38 games against the rest of the league, the Spokane combination of Mitch Holmberg and Mike Aviani have combined for 137 points (70 g, 69a.)and are +49. In four games against Seattle they have combined for five points (3g, 2a)and are also a combined -8. Based on those numbers, is it any surprise that the T-birds are 4-0 against the Chiefs this season?
Everyone wants that blockbuster deal to bring in a superstar player at the trade deadline as their team sets up for the second half of the season and the playoff push. But, sometimes it is the under-the-radar move that makes the difference. I doubt most Seattle fans had heard about Russell Maxwell before Seattle GM Russ Farwell picked him up from Lethbridge on Thursday. While Maxwell didn't register a point in his Thunderbirds debut Saturday night, you couldn't help but be impressed with his effort. He was solid on face-offs, made crisp passes, was a pest on the forecheck and is a top line skater and puck handler.
The only question now is what line will he end up playing on? He's a plug and play type player, meaning he could skate with anybody. Last night he was out there mostly with Justin Hickman and Ryan Gropp but as the team slowly gets back to full health it will be interesting to see what line combinations head coach Steve Konowalchuk goes with. In the end, don't be surprised if Maxwell ends up on a line with his former Lethbridge teammates, Sam McKechnie and Jaimen Yakubowski. Yakubowski returned to the ice last night for the first time since early December. Having not practiced much, his ice time was limited but once he's back to full strength, that line combination's familiarity with each other makes sense.
Funny what a little rest and time off between games can do. Out of necessity (injuries to the back up) goalie Danny Mumaugh was overused on the T-birds recent 5-games-in-6-nights road trip and his GAA took a big hit as a result. But given time off and a chance to rest between his last two starts, he's played nearly 130 minute of hockey and allowed just four goals, compiling a 2-0-0-0 record with a 1.88 GAA and a save percentage of .926. Those are numbers pretty much in line with what he did most of December when the 'Birds were going 7-2-1-0.
In the absence of Branden Troock and Mathew Barzal, the Seattle combination of Roberts Lipsbergs and Alexander Delnov have picked up the offensive mantle during this current three game winning streak. Dating back to Tuesday's 9-7 win in Prince George the two players have combined for 16 points (7g, 9a) and are +3.
Who's next out of the hospital ward? With the return of Yakubowski to the lineup Saturday, Seattle still awaits the return of a healthy Troock, Barzal and Connor Honey. Not sure we'll see any of those three players Tuesday when the T-birds travel to Spokane for the rematch with the Chiefs, but I do expect to see the debut of new goaltender Taran Kozun.
A. Seattle was very fortunate to earn even a point, let alone two. They were their own worst enemy last night with multiple defensive zone gaffes and ill-timed penalties.
B. Seattle actually deserved a better fate. They were dominate with their forecheck for good stretches of the game and a couple bounces of the puck here or there and they should have won in regulation.
C. A win is a win is a win. It may have not been their best sixty minutes of hockey, but when all is said and done they don't ask you how, just how many.
While A and B are good choices, I'm going with "C". This is a results based business. The bottom line is they won the game. It took a strong effort to come from behind three times, mainly because they had to overcome their own miscues, but over the course of nearly 64 minutes of hockey, the Thunderbirds were the better team. You hate to give up a point to a team you're battling in the standings for playoff position, but after their recent struggles to start the month the T-birds have now won three in a row and they are slowly getting players back from the list of walking wounded.
In 38 games against the rest of the league, the Spokane combination of Mitch Holmberg and Mike Aviani have combined for 137 points (70 g, 69a.)and are +49. In four games against Seattle they have combined for five points (3g, 2a)and are also a combined -8. Based on those numbers, is it any surprise that the T-birds are 4-0 against the Chiefs this season?
Everyone wants that blockbuster deal to bring in a superstar player at the trade deadline as their team sets up for the second half of the season and the playoff push. But, sometimes it is the under-the-radar move that makes the difference. I doubt most Seattle fans had heard about Russell Maxwell before Seattle GM Russ Farwell picked him up from Lethbridge on Thursday. While Maxwell didn't register a point in his Thunderbirds debut Saturday night, you couldn't help but be impressed with his effort. He was solid on face-offs, made crisp passes, was a pest on the forecheck and is a top line skater and puck handler.
The only question now is what line will he end up playing on? He's a plug and play type player, meaning he could skate with anybody. Last night he was out there mostly with Justin Hickman and Ryan Gropp but as the team slowly gets back to full health it will be interesting to see what line combinations head coach Steve Konowalchuk goes with. In the end, don't be surprised if Maxwell ends up on a line with his former Lethbridge teammates, Sam McKechnie and Jaimen Yakubowski. Yakubowski returned to the ice last night for the first time since early December. Having not practiced much, his ice time was limited but once he's back to full strength, that line combination's familiarity with each other makes sense.
Funny what a little rest and time off between games can do. Out of necessity (injuries to the back up) goalie Danny Mumaugh was overused on the T-birds recent 5-games-in-6-nights road trip and his GAA took a big hit as a result. But given time off and a chance to rest between his last two starts, he's played nearly 130 minute of hockey and allowed just four goals, compiling a 2-0-0-0 record with a 1.88 GAA and a save percentage of .926. Those are numbers pretty much in line with what he did most of December when the 'Birds were going 7-2-1-0.
In the absence of Branden Troock and Mathew Barzal, the Seattle combination of Roberts Lipsbergs and Alexander Delnov have picked up the offensive mantle during this current three game winning streak. Dating back to Tuesday's 9-7 win in Prince George the two players have combined for 16 points (7g, 9a) and are +3.
Who's next out of the hospital ward? With the return of Yakubowski to the lineup Saturday, Seattle still awaits the return of a healthy Troock, Barzal and Connor Honey. Not sure we'll see any of those three players Tuesday when the T-birds travel to Spokane for the rematch with the Chiefs, but I do expect to see the debut of new goaltender Taran Kozun.
Friday, January 10, 2014
Age is Just a Number
There was lots of speculation after the Thunderbirds traded away 20 year old Seth Swenson to Lethbridge on Thursday, that the team would use Friday's trade deadline to fill the overage void. Afterall, the departure of Swenson left the T-birds with just one overage player, left winger Mitch Elliot. But when the trade deadline arrived, Seattle did not add any 20s, instead picking up a 19 year old goalie instead.
The T-birds now have 11 1994 born players (19 yr. olds)on the roster. With the exception of newly arrived goalie Taran Kozun who will share goaltending duties with 17 year old Danny Mumaugh, all will play every night when healthy. So the reality is, there was no room on the roster for anymore 1993 born players. The team didn't feel like adding a 20 year old just for the sake of filling two open overage spots. I'm sure Seattle GM Russ Farwell inquired but my guess is he found the price a bit too steep. I would imagine teams looking to trade off a high end 20 year old were asking for one of Seattle's core of young players and Farwell wasn't willing to sacrifice the future.
You might recall earlier this season in an interview Farwell said other teams had inquired about 16 year old prospect Lane Pederson. At that time Farwell said Pederson was not available. Well, if he wasn't willing to deal a player not yet on the roster, then it is an easy leap to conclude he wasn't going to trade away any of the young talent currently playing with the team or other young prospects in the pipeline.
For now, you might as well look at these 11 '94 born players as "overagers" because only three will be with the team next season. Swenson, while a tremendous teammate was being used in a dimished role. After accumulating 63 points in his first 106 games as a T-birds (.60 pts. per game), he had only picked up 20 pts. in 43 games this season(.47 pts. per game), playing primarily on the 4th line. It isn't that Swenson is less capable of scoring points then he was a year ago. The fact is he lost time on the scoring lines because younger players (Barzal, Gropp) were filling that role. When you have a younger player capable of giving you the same or more production then an older player, in a development league such as the WHL, the younger player usually gets the ice time. In Lethbridge Swenson will probably be asked to take on more of an offensive role.
Swenson came to Seattle from Portland in the Marcel Noebels deal two years ago. He helped turn around the culture in the T-birds locker room after three non playoff seasons. I'll remember him for the diving pass from behind the net that set up Luke Lockhart's tying goal, in the waning seconds of Game Seven, of last springs playoff series with Kelowna. If he had one flaw, it was that he is a Denver Broncos fan.
Some would have argued that Seattle needed to obtain a 20 year old goaltender. To that I would answer, what 20 year old goalie was available that was an upgrade over what Seattle currently has? Corbin Boes? He went to Portland but even his numbers don't jump out at you; not at the cost of a 2nd round draft pick. Instead Seattle traded for Kozun, surrendering seldom used defenseman Austin Douglas and 18 year old goaltender Justin Myles.
The emergence of the 17 year old Mumaugh made Myles expendable. With 16 year old prospect Logan Flodell waiting in the wings, one of Mumaugh or Myles was not going to be here next season. Mumaugh just outplayed Myles the first half of the season. His effort Wednesday in Prince George, making 28 saves on 29 shots in a 2-1 shootout win cemented his spot with the team.
As for the acquisition of Russell Maxwell from Lethbridge. I call it the further Konowalchuk-ization of the roster. Maxwell sounds like the prototypical player head coadh Steve Konowalchuk likes on his bench. A hard nosed, gritty, two way player in the same mold of Sam McKechnie and Soctt Eansor; hard to play against and able to play in all situations.
Finally, Michal Holub gets his wish. Farwell granted his request for a trade by sending him to Lethbridge in the Maxwell deal. The 17 year old Holub had left the team in early December over a lack of playing time. I like Holub, I think he has the chance to be a solid power forward in the WHL. I think Seattle would have preferred to keep him. Certainly Holub has to think about his future, afterall, this is his draft year. But personally, I was disappointed he didn't stick around and fight for, and earn, his ice time. He would have gotten plenty of it over the past month. He could have been part of a dynamic group of young forwards here next season along with the likes of Barzal, Gropp, Eansor, Calvin Spencer, Pederson, Kaden Elder and Nolan Volcan. Still, I wish him the best with the Hurricanes.
So, the T-birds roster is now set. They still need to get a few players back from injury, but I like the looks of this club going forward.
The T-birds now have 11 1994 born players (19 yr. olds)on the roster. With the exception of newly arrived goalie Taran Kozun who will share goaltending duties with 17 year old Danny Mumaugh, all will play every night when healthy. So the reality is, there was no room on the roster for anymore 1993 born players. The team didn't feel like adding a 20 year old just for the sake of filling two open overage spots. I'm sure Seattle GM Russ Farwell inquired but my guess is he found the price a bit too steep. I would imagine teams looking to trade off a high end 20 year old were asking for one of Seattle's core of young players and Farwell wasn't willing to sacrifice the future.
You might recall earlier this season in an interview Farwell said other teams had inquired about 16 year old prospect Lane Pederson. At that time Farwell said Pederson was not available. Well, if he wasn't willing to deal a player not yet on the roster, then it is an easy leap to conclude he wasn't going to trade away any of the young talent currently playing with the team or other young prospects in the pipeline.
For now, you might as well look at these 11 '94 born players as "overagers" because only three will be with the team next season. Swenson, while a tremendous teammate was being used in a dimished role. After accumulating 63 points in his first 106 games as a T-birds (.60 pts. per game), he had only picked up 20 pts. in 43 games this season(.47 pts. per game), playing primarily on the 4th line. It isn't that Swenson is less capable of scoring points then he was a year ago. The fact is he lost time on the scoring lines because younger players (Barzal, Gropp) were filling that role. When you have a younger player capable of giving you the same or more production then an older player, in a development league such as the WHL, the younger player usually gets the ice time. In Lethbridge Swenson will probably be asked to take on more of an offensive role.
Swenson came to Seattle from Portland in the Marcel Noebels deal two years ago. He helped turn around the culture in the T-birds locker room after three non playoff seasons. I'll remember him for the diving pass from behind the net that set up Luke Lockhart's tying goal, in the waning seconds of Game Seven, of last springs playoff series with Kelowna. If he had one flaw, it was that he is a Denver Broncos fan.
Some would have argued that Seattle needed to obtain a 20 year old goaltender. To that I would answer, what 20 year old goalie was available that was an upgrade over what Seattle currently has? Corbin Boes? He went to Portland but even his numbers don't jump out at you; not at the cost of a 2nd round draft pick. Instead Seattle traded for Kozun, surrendering seldom used defenseman Austin Douglas and 18 year old goaltender Justin Myles.
The emergence of the 17 year old Mumaugh made Myles expendable. With 16 year old prospect Logan Flodell waiting in the wings, one of Mumaugh or Myles was not going to be here next season. Mumaugh just outplayed Myles the first half of the season. His effort Wednesday in Prince George, making 28 saves on 29 shots in a 2-1 shootout win cemented his spot with the team.
As for the acquisition of Russell Maxwell from Lethbridge. I call it the further Konowalchuk-ization of the roster. Maxwell sounds like the prototypical player head coadh Steve Konowalchuk likes on his bench. A hard nosed, gritty, two way player in the same mold of Sam McKechnie and Soctt Eansor; hard to play against and able to play in all situations.
Finally, Michal Holub gets his wish. Farwell granted his request for a trade by sending him to Lethbridge in the Maxwell deal. The 17 year old Holub had left the team in early December over a lack of playing time. I like Holub, I think he has the chance to be a solid power forward in the WHL. I think Seattle would have preferred to keep him. Certainly Holub has to think about his future, afterall, this is his draft year. But personally, I was disappointed he didn't stick around and fight for, and earn, his ice time. He would have gotten plenty of it over the past month. He could have been part of a dynamic group of young forwards here next season along with the likes of Barzal, Gropp, Eansor, Calvin Spencer, Pederson, Kaden Elder and Nolan Volcan. Still, I wish him the best with the Hurricanes.
So, the T-birds roster is now set. They still need to get a few players back from injury, but I like the looks of this club going forward.
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Did You Think We Were Going Away for Good?
Doom and gloom, right? Woe is us, correct? The beginning of the end, yes? No, no, no! The T-bird's left on their five-games-in six-nights road trip in 5th place in the Western Conference standings, then three losses and they slipped to 6th! But guess what? by the time their sojourn out into the bitter cold and snow north of the border was over, Seattle was in 4th place!
Seattle has had two hiccups this season. One was the 0-5-1-0 skid at the start of November. They just didn't play well during that stretch. No excuses for that. It wasn't their best hockey. Now, during this second skid in which they went 0-4-1-0, yes, they didn't play well, but playing 11 straight games (seven on the road)without a full roster, sometimes dressing two skaters under the limit, didn't help. After treading through the first six games of the injury plagued stretch, and going 3-1-1-0, it caught up with them and they stubbed their toe, badly.
The T-birds aren't looking for any sympathy. They realize injuries are part of the game. Isn't it funny though, that as the T-birds started to get a few players back in the line up, they won back-to-back games up in Prince George? At this level, you might be able to survive one or two injuries but 5 or 6 and most long term? That's a tall order.
In their four losses the T-birds actually played well early on. They were down just 2-1 after the first period New Year's Eve at home to Kamloops. In Red Deer they held a 1-0 lead after one. In Edmonton the T-birds were only down, 2-0, midway through the game and in Calgary Seattle was outshooting and possibly outplaying the Hitmen until a couple of crucial mistakes in the final few minutes of the first period doomed them. As each of those games wore on, Seattle's thin bench couldn't keep up.
Seattle is not out of the woods yet. They still have four key players listed as out with injury on the WHL Weekly Report. But as the saying goes, what doesn't kill us make us stronger and the T-birds didn't die on the vine out east. They should come out of this stronger because young players like Kevin Wolf and first year players such as Calvin Spencer, and Austin Douglas got more ice time. Rookie Ryan Gropp took on a more increased role in the team's offense while a veteran such as Sam McKechnie asserted himself even more on the ice.
The T-birds have made one trade so far ahead of Friday's WHL trade deadline. Seattle acquired center Russell Maxwell from Lethbridge in exchange for Seth Swenson, Michal Holub and a 4th round draft pick. Always tough to see a guy like Swenson get traded away. It is the tough part of this business because you're not dealing with commodities here, you're dealing with human beings.
You learn to appreciate these young men, not just for their skills on the ice, but their qualities off it. Swenson was always upbeat and always seemed to carry a friendly smile and positive attitude, no matter the situation. I wish him the best.
I'll have more thoughts on the trade deadline after it passes tomorrow and we learn whether or not the T-birds have made any further moves.
Seattle has had two hiccups this season. One was the 0-5-1-0 skid at the start of November. They just didn't play well during that stretch. No excuses for that. It wasn't their best hockey. Now, during this second skid in which they went 0-4-1-0, yes, they didn't play well, but playing 11 straight games (seven on the road)without a full roster, sometimes dressing two skaters under the limit, didn't help. After treading through the first six games of the injury plagued stretch, and going 3-1-1-0, it caught up with them and they stubbed their toe, badly.
The T-birds aren't looking for any sympathy. They realize injuries are part of the game. Isn't it funny though, that as the T-birds started to get a few players back in the line up, they won back-to-back games up in Prince George? At this level, you might be able to survive one or two injuries but 5 or 6 and most long term? That's a tall order.
In their four losses the T-birds actually played well early on. They were down just 2-1 after the first period New Year's Eve at home to Kamloops. In Red Deer they held a 1-0 lead after one. In Edmonton the T-birds were only down, 2-0, midway through the game and in Calgary Seattle was outshooting and possibly outplaying the Hitmen until a couple of crucial mistakes in the final few minutes of the first period doomed them. As each of those games wore on, Seattle's thin bench couldn't keep up.
Seattle is not out of the woods yet. They still have four key players listed as out with injury on the WHL Weekly Report. But as the saying goes, what doesn't kill us make us stronger and the T-birds didn't die on the vine out east. They should come out of this stronger because young players like Kevin Wolf and first year players such as Calvin Spencer, and Austin Douglas got more ice time. Rookie Ryan Gropp took on a more increased role in the team's offense while a veteran such as Sam McKechnie asserted himself even more on the ice.
The T-birds have made one trade so far ahead of Friday's WHL trade deadline. Seattle acquired center Russell Maxwell from Lethbridge in exchange for Seth Swenson, Michal Holub and a 4th round draft pick. Always tough to see a guy like Swenson get traded away. It is the tough part of this business because you're not dealing with commodities here, you're dealing with human beings.
You learn to appreciate these young men, not just for their skills on the ice, but their qualities off it. Swenson was always upbeat and always seemed to carry a friendly smile and positive attitude, no matter the situation. I wish him the best.
I'll have more thoughts on the trade deadline after it passes tomorrow and we learn whether or not the T-birds have made any further moves.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
No Seventh Heaven
2014 went out with a bang for the T-birds. Unfortunately it was them getting banged up over the last few weeks of December, then getting banged around New Year's Eve by the Kamloops Blazers by the tune of a 7-1 drubbing.
At first blush one might be tempted to blame this loss on all the injuries and absences that have affected the roster the past six games. Afterall, the list of walking wounded got even longer before the clash with the Blazers when Scott Eansor was added to the injury list and was a no go Tuesday night as the 'Birds played their 6th straight game with a short bench as a result, dressing under the limit again. No Eansor, no Barzal, still no Honey or Yakubowski and Bear and Kolesar still away at the U-17 Hockey Challenge. Then early in the second no more Wardley after he was assessed a five minute major. The Thunderbirds were so short of bodies, they employed two seldom used defensemen, Kevin Wolf and Austin Douglas, as forwards on their 4th line.
But, this game was lost in the first period when Seattle didn't take advantage of their own aggressive start. A couple of good early shifts led to penalty trouble for Kamloops. Seattle was outshooting Kamloops to the tune of 10-2 and short bench or not looked like they were ready to skate the Blazers off the ice. The Blazers were back on their heels and an early T-birds goal would have put doubt in their minds.
Unfortunately, Seattle passed up too many shots when on those early man advantages. Then, when Shea Theodore's stick self-destructed like the Jim Phelps tapes in Mission Impossible, leading to a turnover right in front of the Seattle net and a short-handed goal for Kamloops, you started to get the sense this was not going to be the T-birds night. It snowballed all the way down hill from there, culminating with another turnover while on the power play in the third period that led to the Blazers second shorthanded goal of the night.
There really was no phase of the T-birds game that was good New Year's Eve, well except for the penalty kill which did a commendable job killing off about 10 minutes of Blazer power play the first half of the second period. The problem was it was after that when the affects of the short bench became evident. All that time on the PK and Seattle didn't have enough bodies left on the bench to recover from it. Shortly after, the Blazers scored the third goal and that was all she wrote.
Look, I watched my beloved Chicago Blackhawks, the defending Stanley Cup champions, and once again one of the favorites to win the Cup this season, fall just a few nights back, give up a seven spot to the Toronto Maple Leafs. It happens to even the best. The Blackhawks have since bounced back and just recently blanked the L.A. Kings, 1-0.
So, while the loss stings, it will be the T-birds response in their next game Friday in Red Deer that will be important.
At first blush one might be tempted to blame this loss on all the injuries and absences that have affected the roster the past six games. Afterall, the list of walking wounded got even longer before the clash with the Blazers when Scott Eansor was added to the injury list and was a no go Tuesday night as the 'Birds played their 6th straight game with a short bench as a result, dressing under the limit again. No Eansor, no Barzal, still no Honey or Yakubowski and Bear and Kolesar still away at the U-17 Hockey Challenge. Then early in the second no more Wardley after he was assessed a five minute major. The Thunderbirds were so short of bodies, they employed two seldom used defensemen, Kevin Wolf and Austin Douglas, as forwards on their 4th line.
But, this game was lost in the first period when Seattle didn't take advantage of their own aggressive start. A couple of good early shifts led to penalty trouble for Kamloops. Seattle was outshooting Kamloops to the tune of 10-2 and short bench or not looked like they were ready to skate the Blazers off the ice. The Blazers were back on their heels and an early T-birds goal would have put doubt in their minds.
Unfortunately, Seattle passed up too many shots when on those early man advantages. Then, when Shea Theodore's stick self-destructed like the Jim Phelps tapes in Mission Impossible, leading to a turnover right in front of the Seattle net and a short-handed goal for Kamloops, you started to get the sense this was not going to be the T-birds night. It snowballed all the way down hill from there, culminating with another turnover while on the power play in the third period that led to the Blazers second shorthanded goal of the night.
There really was no phase of the T-birds game that was good New Year's Eve, well except for the penalty kill which did a commendable job killing off about 10 minutes of Blazer power play the first half of the second period. The problem was it was after that when the affects of the short bench became evident. All that time on the PK and Seattle didn't have enough bodies left on the bench to recover from it. Shortly after, the Blazers scored the third goal and that was all she wrote.
Look, I watched my beloved Chicago Blackhawks, the defending Stanley Cup champions, and once again one of the favorites to win the Cup this season, fall just a few nights back, give up a seven spot to the Toronto Maple Leafs. It happens to even the best. The Blackhawks have since bounced back and just recently blanked the L.A. Kings, 1-0.
So, while the loss stings, it will be the T-birds response in their next game Friday in Red Deer that will be important.
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
New? Or Just Improved?
What a difference a year can make. A season ago Roberts Lipsbergs led the Thunderbirds in scoring with 58 pts. (30g, 28a) in 64 games. Lipsbergs is on pace for a similar finish this season. Currently he has 30 points (22g, 8a) at the midway point. A season ago Connor Honey finished second on the team in scoring with 54 points(16g, 38a)in 57 games. Honey has missed the last 30 games due to an upper body injury. As a result he's only been able to contribute six points (2g, 4a) in seven games.
Luke Lockhart was Seattle's 4th best scorer last season with 49 points in 72 games. He was second on the team to Lipsbergs with 25 goals. Lockhart, of course, is no longer on the team. Oh, did I mention they traded away their 7th leading scorer from a year ago?
So, with their leading scorer from a season ago only on pace to register the same number of points as last year when the team averaged less then three goals a game, their second leading scorer from last year out with injury most of the first half of the season, their 4th leading scoring from the 2012-13 season graduated out of the organization and their 7th leading scorer sent off to another team, the offense has suffered considerably, right? Wrong! Both the offense and the defense are on the upswing. Just a couple of indicators as to why this team is playing so much better.
Through the first 37 games of the season the T-birds are giving up 3.4 goals against per game, which doesn't sound that impressive. But over the past 12 games, as the team has shown a more concerted commitment to team defense, the goals against average is just 2.6. Remember, a season ago the T-birds allowed four goals a game to the opposition. With the better defense has come better results as Seattle is 10-1-1-0 over that span. Meanwhile the commitment to playing better defense has not come at the expense of the offense. In fact, the scoring has improved. For most of the first half of the season the T-birds were averaging about 3.4 goals a game. That is now up to 3.7 thanks to a 4.4 goals per game clip over the last dozen games.
So I guess to make such a dramatic improvement Seattle GM Russ Farwell traded away the future for a bona fide superstar goal scorer, yes? Wrong again. the improvement has come from within. Defenseman Shea Theodore is just seven point away from equaling his entire point total from last season. A healthy Branden Troock is on pace for 36 goals and 81 points. Alexander Delnov is just three tallies away from equaling the 20 goals he potted in 69 games last year. Then there is rookie Mathew Barzal who has lived up to the billing with 30 points through the first half of his rookie campaign. So, despite being on pace to equal his last season's team leading point total, Lipbergs right now would finish 5th on the team in scoring this season.
Meanwhile team captain Justin Hickman has already equaled his goal total from last season with 12. While Seth Swenson's scoring is down he's still contributed eight goals (19 pts.) from the team's checking line. Another rookie, Ryan Gropp is starting to get his offensive game going and now has 13 points (6g, 7a) in 24 games. While Theodore is getting the headlines as the top scoring defenseman in the WHL, the other five primary d-men for Seattle are chipping in with a combined 57 points (12g, 45a).
One of the significant trades the T-birds did make earlier this season was to acquire Sam McKechnie and Jaimen Yakubowksi from Lethbridge. A season ago the two combined for 50-plus goals with the Hurricanes. So far with Seattle their biggest contributions for the T-birds have been on the defensive side, teaming up with Scott Eansor to form a shutdown line. Still the trio has combined for 19 points (9g, 10a). Yakubowksi's recent injury has broken up that trio but once he's back I'd look for the offensive production to increase in the second half of the season.
The WHL trade deadline is looming. This season it is January 10th, just as the T-birds come off of a five game road trip. Hopefully by then, some of the walking wounded are back. Seattle does have an opening on the roster for a third 20 year old. They could try to fill that spot with a trade or they can stand pat with what they have. The price tag on an acquisition, plus team chemistry, will figure prominently in that decision. Seattle has a lot of young, quality talent on the current roster and in the pipeline and I'm not sure they want to deal any of it for a short term rent-a-player.
Whether or not Farwell makes a trade deadline deal, the best acquisition the team could make would be getting Connor Honey his health. Honey makes this team better in every facet of the game, especially the power play.
It would give Seattle even better depth and put less pressure on young players like Keegan Kolesar and Calvin Spencer. It would give them another leader on the ice and on the bench. It would make them that much harder to play against.
The second half is underway and the T-birds fate is in their own hands.
Luke Lockhart was Seattle's 4th best scorer last season with 49 points in 72 games. He was second on the team to Lipsbergs with 25 goals. Lockhart, of course, is no longer on the team. Oh, did I mention they traded away their 7th leading scorer from a year ago?
So, with their leading scorer from a season ago only on pace to register the same number of points as last year when the team averaged less then three goals a game, their second leading scorer from last year out with injury most of the first half of the season, their 4th leading scoring from the 2012-13 season graduated out of the organization and their 7th leading scorer sent off to another team, the offense has suffered considerably, right? Wrong! Both the offense and the defense are on the upswing. Just a couple of indicators as to why this team is playing so much better.
Through the first 37 games of the season the T-birds are giving up 3.4 goals against per game, which doesn't sound that impressive. But over the past 12 games, as the team has shown a more concerted commitment to team defense, the goals against average is just 2.6. Remember, a season ago the T-birds allowed four goals a game to the opposition. With the better defense has come better results as Seattle is 10-1-1-0 over that span. Meanwhile the commitment to playing better defense has not come at the expense of the offense. In fact, the scoring has improved. For most of the first half of the season the T-birds were averaging about 3.4 goals a game. That is now up to 3.7 thanks to a 4.4 goals per game clip over the last dozen games.
So I guess to make such a dramatic improvement Seattle GM Russ Farwell traded away the future for a bona fide superstar goal scorer, yes? Wrong again. the improvement has come from within. Defenseman Shea Theodore is just seven point away from equaling his entire point total from last season. A healthy Branden Troock is on pace for 36 goals and 81 points. Alexander Delnov is just three tallies away from equaling the 20 goals he potted in 69 games last year. Then there is rookie Mathew Barzal who has lived up to the billing with 30 points through the first half of his rookie campaign. So, despite being on pace to equal his last season's team leading point total, Lipbergs right now would finish 5th on the team in scoring this season.
Meanwhile team captain Justin Hickman has already equaled his goal total from last season with 12. While Seth Swenson's scoring is down he's still contributed eight goals (19 pts.) from the team's checking line. Another rookie, Ryan Gropp is starting to get his offensive game going and now has 13 points (6g, 7a) in 24 games. While Theodore is getting the headlines as the top scoring defenseman in the WHL, the other five primary d-men for Seattle are chipping in with a combined 57 points (12g, 45a).
One of the significant trades the T-birds did make earlier this season was to acquire Sam McKechnie and Jaimen Yakubowksi from Lethbridge. A season ago the two combined for 50-plus goals with the Hurricanes. So far with Seattle their biggest contributions for the T-birds have been on the defensive side, teaming up with Scott Eansor to form a shutdown line. Still the trio has combined for 19 points (9g, 10a). Yakubowksi's recent injury has broken up that trio but once he's back I'd look for the offensive production to increase in the second half of the season.
The WHL trade deadline is looming. This season it is January 10th, just as the T-birds come off of a five game road trip. Hopefully by then, some of the walking wounded are back. Seattle does have an opening on the roster for a third 20 year old. They could try to fill that spot with a trade or they can stand pat with what they have. The price tag on an acquisition, plus team chemistry, will figure prominently in that decision. Seattle has a lot of young, quality talent on the current roster and in the pipeline and I'm not sure they want to deal any of it for a short term rent-a-player.
Whether or not Farwell makes a trade deadline deal, the best acquisition the team could make would be getting Connor Honey his health. Honey makes this team better in every facet of the game, especially the power play.
The second half is underway and the T-birds fate is in their own hands.
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Still "Pointing" in the Right Direction
Most weekends, getting three out of four points will be an occasion for celebration, but I get the feeling the Thunderbirds aren't happy letting the game slip away from them Saturday night and getting just a single point.
The T-birds were fairly in control of the game against Everett, leading 2-0, and hadn't taken a penalty all night, when all of a sudden they were whistled for three infractions in the final six minutes of the second period. No penalties before, and none after. The Silvertips cashed in by scoring twice on the man advantage to get back in the game. The two teams traded goals in the third period. Seattle could have had more as they dominated most of the action in the final period but could only capitalize the one time despite 21 shots on goal.
The T-birds were equally as strong in the overtime period but unfortunately a pretty pedestrian shot beat Seattle goalie Danny Mumaugh and Everett left with the win. I'm sure Mumaugh we'll be the first guy to admit he should have had that one. Just an unfortunate bounce. Mumaugh's been very good the last month. I'll take him winning five of every six starts any time and twice on Sunday. This just happened to be that one game. Instead of taking four points on the weekend Seattle settled for three. But I think it is the two they gave up in the loss that smarts the most.
As we've mentioned many times before, the WHL is a developmental league for these players. The task is to prepare the players for the next level. Part of that preparation is developing good habits. Hockey is a team sport, it's 25 players sticking to the game plan and working as a unit. You can't stray from that concept if you want to advance to the next level. You can't worry about your ice time or individual stats, only team goals. I applaud Thunderbirds head coach Steve Konowalchuk for instilling that idea in his players, even if it means sitting one of your better players in the third period of a tight game, against a division rival. It's not to prove a point, it's a teaching moment.
Despite the overtime setback, it's an incredible month and a half of hockey the T-birds have gone through. After that 0-5-1-0 stretch at the beginning of November, the T-birds have put the engine back on the rails. They've earned points in 14 of their last 16 games. That's 26 points going back to their overtime loss November 15th in Victoria. With the exception of the 5-2 loss November 22nd in Vancouver, they've been in position to win 15 of those 16 games. Even more impressive is everyone of those games, save one, was against a team with a winning record and all but one have been against a Western Conference opponent.
Ten of those 16 games have been versus their U.S. Division rivals, arguably the best division right now in the WHL. It is currently the only division in the league where every team is .500 or better. In those ten games, Seattle is 8-1-1-0 and half of those eight wins have been earned on the road. In their last five games the T-birds, because of injury and players away at international tournaments, haven't been able to field a complete team yet they've still managed to go 3-1-1-0.
Congrats to Calvin Spencer on earning his first WHL point with an assist on Branden Troock's third period goal. And while we're at it, kudos to GM Russ Farwell for jumping on this prospect, getting him in and getting him signed in a matter of a week's time. I like Spencer's game more every time I see him. His skillset fits this roster. A very good pickup.
So, as frustrating as the loss Saturday night was, let's keep our eyes on the big picture. You're not gonna win them all but over the long haul this team is proving it not only can win more then it loses, it also can beat the best the WHL has to offer, and that's because they are one of the best. Despite the overtime loss, Seattle still owns the 5th best winning percentage in the WHL. They tasted adversity with that six game winless streak, fought through it, learned some hard lessons and ended up a better team as a result. Outside of that early November skid, the T-birds are 22-5-1-3. That's not a fluke. that's almost half a season, enough of a sample size to say this team is a contender.
Most importantly, no one can say this team is not getting better as the season moves along. They need to get through this stretch of injuries and absences but once they are whole again, I like the makeup of this roster. Roles have been defined and players are buying into those roles. We're half way through the season and I believe the best is yet to come.
First things first, the Thunderbirds need to finish off a very solid month of December. So far it has been one of the best months of hockey this team has had in a number of years. With one game to go before the calendar turns to January and 2014, Seattle is 7-1-1-0. Up next is Kamloops on New Year's Eve. No one knows more then Seattle you can't take any opponent in this league lightly; the T-birds fell to the Blazers back in mid-October, 3-1 up in Kamloops. Seattle is a different team now then they were back then but you can't overlook the Blazers, especially with a five game road trip coming up to start the New Year.
The T-birds were fairly in control of the game against Everett, leading 2-0, and hadn't taken a penalty all night, when all of a sudden they were whistled for three infractions in the final six minutes of the second period. No penalties before, and none after. The Silvertips cashed in by scoring twice on the man advantage to get back in the game. The two teams traded goals in the third period. Seattle could have had more as they dominated most of the action in the final period but could only capitalize the one time despite 21 shots on goal.
The T-birds were equally as strong in the overtime period but unfortunately a pretty pedestrian shot beat Seattle goalie Danny Mumaugh and Everett left with the win. I'm sure Mumaugh we'll be the first guy to admit he should have had that one. Just an unfortunate bounce. Mumaugh's been very good the last month. I'll take him winning five of every six starts any time and twice on Sunday. This just happened to be that one game. Instead of taking four points on the weekend Seattle settled for three. But I think it is the two they gave up in the loss that smarts the most.
As we've mentioned many times before, the WHL is a developmental league for these players. The task is to prepare the players for the next level. Part of that preparation is developing good habits. Hockey is a team sport, it's 25 players sticking to the game plan and working as a unit. You can't stray from that concept if you want to advance to the next level. You can't worry about your ice time or individual stats, only team goals. I applaud Thunderbirds head coach Steve Konowalchuk for instilling that idea in his players, even if it means sitting one of your better players in the third period of a tight game, against a division rival. It's not to prove a point, it's a teaching moment.
Despite the overtime setback, it's an incredible month and a half of hockey the T-birds have gone through. After that 0-5-1-0 stretch at the beginning of November, the T-birds have put the engine back on the rails. They've earned points in 14 of their last 16 games. That's 26 points going back to their overtime loss November 15th in Victoria. With the exception of the 5-2 loss November 22nd in Vancouver, they've been in position to win 15 of those 16 games. Even more impressive is everyone of those games, save one, was against a team with a winning record and all but one have been against a Western Conference opponent.
Ten of those 16 games have been versus their U.S. Division rivals, arguably the best division right now in the WHL. It is currently the only division in the league where every team is .500 or better. In those ten games, Seattle is 8-1-1-0 and half of those eight wins have been earned on the road. In their last five games the T-birds, because of injury and players away at international tournaments, haven't been able to field a complete team yet they've still managed to go 3-1-1-0.
Congrats to Calvin Spencer on earning his first WHL point with an assist on Branden Troock's third period goal. And while we're at it, kudos to GM Russ Farwell for jumping on this prospect, getting him in and getting him signed in a matter of a week's time. I like Spencer's game more every time I see him. His skillset fits this roster. A very good pickup.
So, as frustrating as the loss Saturday night was, let's keep our eyes on the big picture. You're not gonna win them all but over the long haul this team is proving it not only can win more then it loses, it also can beat the best the WHL has to offer, and that's because they are one of the best. Despite the overtime loss, Seattle still owns the 5th best winning percentage in the WHL. They tasted adversity with that six game winless streak, fought through it, learned some hard lessons and ended up a better team as a result. Outside of that early November skid, the T-birds are 22-5-1-3. That's not a fluke. that's almost half a season, enough of a sample size to say this team is a contender.
Most importantly, no one can say this team is not getting better as the season moves along. They need to get through this stretch of injuries and absences but once they are whole again, I like the makeup of this roster. Roles have been defined and players are buying into those roles. We're half way through the season and I believe the best is yet to come.
First things first, the Thunderbirds need to finish off a very solid month of December. So far it has been one of the best months of hockey this team has had in a number of years. With one game to go before the calendar turns to January and 2014, Seattle is 7-1-1-0. Up next is Kamloops on New Year's Eve. No one knows more then Seattle you can't take any opponent in this league lightly; the T-birds fell to the Blazers back in mid-October, 3-1 up in Kamloops. Seattle is a different team now then they were back then but you can't overlook the Blazers, especially with a five game road trip coming up to start the New Year.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)