One goal in each period as the Prince Albert Raiders beat the Hurricanes 3-0 last night at the Enmax Centre. It's the second time this season that the Canes' have been blanked. Lethbridge has also lost 4 games in a row.
A lack-luster start in last night's game. To be blunt, I thought the first half of the game was kind of a yawner to be honest. Only two shots were registered between the Hurricanes and Raiders in the first 6 minutes. It took a while for things to open up in this one. Prince Albert opened the scoring on a pretty lucky bounce just past the mid-way point in the first. A centering pass by Raiders forward Ryan Harrison from behind the Canes' net went off the skate of Brent Henke and behind goalie Brandon Anderson to give the Raiders a 1-0 lead after one. The Hurricanes started to come on with about 5 minutes to go in the first. The Canes' were out shot 14-6 in the first frame.
In the second, P.A would take a 2-0 lead on a power play goal by Brandon Herrod. That was the first penalty called in the game against either team. The two teams played more than half the game before the two officials, Dan Cowley and Ryan Thompson sent someone off to the penalty box. The Canes' later got a power play of their own, but failed to score.
In the third, the Raiders were able to hold the Hurricanes off the score sheet and managed to score one into an empty net to seal the deal and win the game 3-0. Overall, P.A. outshot the Hurricanes 29-26. Brandon Anderson I thought had another solid game in goal despite the loss. The Raiders were 1 for 1 on the power play. The Hurricanes were 0 for 3. Really, a light night for penalties.
The Hurricanes are just having trouble scoring lately and have been for some time. The team is averaging only about 2 goals or just under that per game. Associate Coach Matt Kabayama said on our post-game show last night that the Hurricanes aren't going to win games if they don't start scoring more. He says they are getting the chances, but right now just can't find the back of the net.
Scratches and Injury Update
Veteran defenceman Eric Mestery was a healthy scratch last night. D-man Derek Ryckman was scratched for the second game in a row. He's missed the passed two starts with a head injury. Cam Braes missed his second game with a sore back. Linden Rowat was also out again as the ankle he hurt in a game against Seattle a few weeks ago is still nagging him. Rich Preston said in the pre-game show last night that Rowat is able to put on his equipment, but is still having trouble in the butterfly position and will need a few more days of rest before he gets back into game action.
With those players not in the line-up, it gave all the younger players a chance to all get game action. Landon Oslanski, Mark Reners, Reid Jackson, Philip Tot, Neil Tarnasky, and Ryon Moser all saw regular shifts last night and I thought all played fairly well. Most of those players saw more ice time last night than in any other game this season.
Upcoming For the Canes'
Well in terms of games, not too much actually. The Hurricanes don't play again until Next Friday and Saturday when they hit the road for a short trip to Saskatoon and Prince Albert. The team will have a few good practice sessions though over the course of the next week. They'll take Friday off and then get back down to work Sunday and Monday in preparation for next weekend. The team will leave Wednesday for Saskatoon. The Hurricanes next 3 games are all away. After playing the Blades and Raiders to close out the November portion of the schedule, the Canes' will take on the Tigers in Medicine Hat December 1st. The Hurricanes have 9 games remaining before the Christmas break.
Thanks,
Pat
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Great job by Cowley and Thompson! (I didn't know that there were refs on the ice until mid-game... PERFECT!!)
ReplyDeleteDespite the slow start for our Canes on the shot-clock, I really enjoyed the first and second periods and I disagree with Pat who wrote that it "was a bit of a yawner." I thought that Prince Albert skated very hard, played really well, yet 5on5 we kept up to them rolling all our dust-covered rookies.
It was the closest we have seen this year to 'rolling 4 lines,' and I wish that the coaching staff would do this for the rest of the year. FINALLY... THANK YOU!! Now in practice time before next game, why not try to pick four lines, and stop changing these pairings every shift during the next game! *$^%#*
Of course its going to take a few games for these guys to develop some confidence... Confidence and experience that they would HAVE already IF they hadn't been riding the pine for 58 minutes every game so far this year!!
I thought that all of Tot, Reners, Moser were really good (considering that they probably saw more ice time in the first two periods of this ONE game than they have each totaled the rest of the games up to this point in the season!!) They were each plenty fast enough, skilled enough, and amoung them, Reners was the only one with a negative (-1) rating in this 3-0 game... and he got this -1 rating ONLY because of Henke's SKIS for feet!
And... other than the face off after the empty netter, smart to
play the three apart.
I left the arena being disappointed only with our coaches; for reverting back to riding Ashton, Bancks, and Maxwell almost the entire third period despite their lack of success the rest of the game! I love watching these guys, but STOP DOING THIS!
Also, shame on our coaches for benching Donaghy in the third! Donaghy played well, he made some nice hits when he was out, and he did nothing bad on the ice to deserve the punishment. He has played really well with Fyten and Braes, and I can't understand why coach would chose to punish HIM?
Bye-bye Mestery. Good luck with your dream, and don't forget to hit the weights once and a while.
Thats my 6 cents. Richie.
Just to clarify, when I said it was a yawner I was refering to the first 10 minutes or so. I felt things looked a bit sloppy for both teams during the first half of the opening period. Things did open up after P.A. scored the first goal.
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