Canes' Go Winless in Pre-season

The Lethbridge Hurricanes finished the pre-season Sunday with a 6-5 overtime loss to the Tri-City Americans.

The Canes' end up going 0 and 6 in exhibition play. Ville Kolppanen and Michael Tadjdeh split the duties in goal for Lethbridge. The Hurricanes were heavily outshot again, this time 43-23. Penalties though proved to be a big factor for the Canes' in nearly every pre-season game this year and will be something this team I'm sure will key in on during the regular season. Despite the winless record though, when you really look at the way this Hurricanes team played it wasn't all that bad actually.

They've been playing with mostly 15 and 16 year olds and all three goaltenders, Kolppanen, Tadjdeh, and Anderson were and had to be very good. The Hurricanes have had a very young, inexperienced defensive corps in the pre-season and gave up a tonne of shots in those six games. Goaltending was good and the coaches have to be happy with what they say from those three.

It'll be decision time now for Rich Preston, Matt Kabayama, Brad Robson, Chris Chisamore, and Richie Sutter as to which players they keep and which ones go. Those decisions will likely be made in the next day or two as the Canes' get set for the regular season on Friday.

Here's the Sunday game recap:

1st Period
TC - Mason Wilgosh 1 (Spencer Asuchak, Lane Werbowski), 1:32 LET - Brent Henke 1 (Jordan Bailie, Phillip Tot), 16:00 LET - Brent Henke 2 (Mark Reners, Derek Ryckman), PPG, 17:16

2nd Period
TC - Patrick Holland 1 (Max Moline, Lane Werbowski), 1:59 LET - Mark Reners 1 (Brandon Brossoit, Cody Castro), 5:47 TC - Connor Rankin 1 (Brock Sutherland, Johnny Lazo), 13:06 TC - Connor Rankin 2 (Patrick Holland, Tyler Schmidt), PPG, 16:56

3rd Period LET - Mark Reners 2 (Ryan Moser, Cody Castro), PPG, 1:44 LET - Brody Sutter 1 (Jordan Bailie, Brent Henke), 4:14 TC - Riley McIntosh 1 (Johnny Lazo), 6:11

Overtime TC - Lane Werbowski 1 (Riley McIntosh, Justin Feser), 1:13

GoaltendingLET - Michael Tadjdeh, 30.56, 19/21; Ville Kolppanen, 30.17, 18/22TC - Joel Danyluk, 61.13, 18/23

Shots on Goal
LET - 9-5-9-0--23
TC - 12-16-14-1--43

Power Play
LET - 2-for-4
TC - 1-for-5


So pre-season is, well exactly that....pre-season. I wouldn't read too much into it. It was really a chance for Rich Preston to see what he had and chance for him to decide where he wants this team to go. Now he knows.

Thanks,
Pat