A rough start to this second round series for the Hurricanes as they drop a 7-1 decision at the Saddledome in Calgary.
The Canes' were outplayed plain and simple by an extremely good team from Calgary that looked well rested after taking out Edmonton last week in the first round. Lethbridge was out shot 36-16. The only Lethbridge goal came in the 3rd period on a power play by Mitch Versteeg. The Hurricanes are going to need to come with a much better effort if they want to even this series Sunday afternoon.
Both teams get a day off Saturday. The Canes' will practice in Calgary and get ready for game two Sunday at 2 o'clock.
Let's be honest. The Hitmen are a good team, very good. They don't give their opponents much to work with and when they find an inch, they'll take a mile. There's a reason they are the number one ranked team in the CHL. Lethbridge though is a better team than the one that lost 7-1 in game one. They will have to play better and can play better. Lethbridge will have to come out with more drive and try and get a few more scoring chances on Martin Jones.
The Hurricanes have responded well so far in the post-season after losses. In fact, they've followed up every playoff loss with a win. Hopefully that trend continues Sunday afternoon. The Canes' will have to come out and play that desperate style of hockey that we saw a few times in the Saskatoon series.
Can the Hurricanes beat the Hitmen? Sure why not. It will take a full team effort though. With games 3, 4, and 5 in this series scheduled for the Enmax Centre this coming week, Sunday's game will be a big one for Lethbridge. A chance for the team to rebound and a chance to even things up.
Talk to you Sunday
Pat
The views expressed on this blog are those of the moderator and contributors and are not endorsed by 94.1 CJOC or the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
Saturday, 4 April 2009
Friday, 3 April 2009
Michael Dyck to Coach at Under 17's
I just received this info so I thought I'd pass this along.
Pat
RED DEER - Hockey Alberta is proud to announce Michael Dyck as the Head Coach of Team Pacific for the 2010 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
Dyck is a Lethbridge, Alberta native and comes to Team Pacific as Head Coach of the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League where he has been since 2005. Before taking over behind the bench in Lethbridge, Dyck spent over a decade as an assistant coach with the Medicine Hat Tigers, Lethbridge Hurricanes and Vancouver Giants. Dyck has been involved with Hockey Alberta as a Coach and Instructor for the Team Alberta U17 Provincial Camp from 1998-2000 as well as an evaluator for the Alberta Cup from 1993-1996. "I am looking forward to helping Team Pacific go for Gold at the World Under-17 tournament in Timmons this winter. It will be a great opportunity to work with the best 16 year olds in Alberta and BC," said Dyck.
Kevin Hasselberg, who is currently the Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations for the Olds Grizzlys of the Alberta Junior Hockey League, has been named an assistant coach for Team Pacific. "The coaches that applied for these positions were impressive making the hiring decision very difficult. We feel however Michael's credentials make him the right person to lead Team Pacific at the 2010 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge." said Tim Leer, Senior Manager of Development for Hockey Alberta. Darrell Dingwall from the Midget AAA KC Pat's out of Edmonton has been named the Trainer for Team Pacific.
The 2010 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge will take place in Timmons, Ontario from December 28, 2009 to January 4, 2010.
Pat
RED DEER - Hockey Alberta is proud to announce Michael Dyck as the Head Coach of Team Pacific for the 2010 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
Dyck is a Lethbridge, Alberta native and comes to Team Pacific as Head Coach of the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League where he has been since 2005. Before taking over behind the bench in Lethbridge, Dyck spent over a decade as an assistant coach with the Medicine Hat Tigers, Lethbridge Hurricanes and Vancouver Giants. Dyck has been involved with Hockey Alberta as a Coach and Instructor for the Team Alberta U17 Provincial Camp from 1998-2000 as well as an evaluator for the Alberta Cup from 1993-1996. "I am looking forward to helping Team Pacific go for Gold at the World Under-17 tournament in Timmons this winter. It will be a great opportunity to work with the best 16 year olds in Alberta and BC," said Dyck.
Kevin Hasselberg, who is currently the Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations for the Olds Grizzlys of the Alberta Junior Hockey League, has been named an assistant coach for Team Pacific. "The coaches that applied for these positions were impressive making the hiring decision very difficult. We feel however Michael's credentials make him the right person to lead Team Pacific at the 2010 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge." said Tim Leer, Senior Manager of Development for Hockey Alberta. Darrell Dingwall from the Midget AAA KC Pat's out of Edmonton has been named the Trainer for Team Pacific.
The 2010 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge will take place in Timmons, Ontario from December 28, 2009 to January 4, 2010.
Game One...Round Two Tonight in Calgary
It was a happy and relaxing bus ride to Calgary yesterday.
The Hurricanes stayed overnight in Saskatoon after the game 7 win on Wednesday. Lethbridge just finished a gruelling, exciting series with the Saskatoon Blades, that saw the Canes take game the final game 4-3 on a game winning goal by Luca Sbisa on the power play.
The Hurricanes have earned their way to the second round and a date with the number one ranked Calgary Hitmen. This will also be the 3rd time in 4 years these two teams will meet in the post-season. Lethbridge swept the Hitmen in the Eastern Conference final last year, and let me tell you those players and coaches with this year’s Hitmen haven’t forgotten about that. Most people I would suggest would think the Hitmen are going to take this series, but I know for a fact Lethbridge will give Calgary all they can handle. This is the playoffs and anything can happen!
Calgary won the season series, winning all 6 games against the Hurricanes, but as good as the Hitmen are, they can expect a pretty confident Lethbridge team heading into round two.
There’s no doubt the Canes are going to be the underdogs in this series, but I think that’s just fine with them. This will be the ultimate test playing the number team in the WHL, but in order to be the best, you have to beat the best. Simple as that.
The Hurricanes beat Saskatoon by playing a team game and were led by their leaders. Zach Boychuk had 7 goals and 3 assists, Colton Sceviour 3 goals and one assist and then there’s the supporting cast of Dwight King, Ben Wright, Luca Sbisa, Juha Metsola, and the list goes on and on. These players will continue their strong play if the Hurricanes want to upset the Hitmen.
As for Calgary, well the Hitmen have a bit of everything and are coming off their best regulars season in franchise history. They have towers on defence, great goaltending, and dynamic forwards that have done some serious damage throughout this season. They have a fantastic team that pretty much rolled through the regular season with ease. The number one key I think in this series will be special teams by far. The Hurricanes must stay out of the penalty box at all costs. Calgary’s power play clicked at nearly 30 percent during the regular season. Discipline, discipline, and more discipline. If the Canes can managed that, they have a legitimate shot in this series. I won’t bet against the Hurricanes I can tell you that. If the top players continue to be the top players for Lethbridge, they will give the Hitmen all they can handle.
The Hurricanes have also played a lot of hockey the past week. By Saturday’s game two, Lethbridge will have played 5 games in 7 nights. The Hitmen have been off for over a week. Will any of that be a factor? I guess only time will tell!
Game one goes tonight 7pm at the Saddledome. The pre-game show with myself and Fred Jack at 6:30. Game two in Calgary Sunday afternoon at 2.
Good Ticket Deal for the Calgary Games:
Here's a pretty good ticket deal for Lethbridge fans coming up to Calgary for the first two games of this series. I received an email from the Hitmen earlier today so I thought I'd pass this along for anyone interested in coming to the Saddledome tonight and Sunday.
Friends of the Hitmen Special $10/ticket (Door Price is $20, that's up to a 50% savings). To order tickets you will need a password HIT96
Click Here to order tickets
Start the game right with dinner or brunch at the specially created Hitmen Playoff Buffet in the Avison Young Club featuring Slow Roasted Alberta Beef Carving station.
Adults - $17.50 plus GST Kids (12 and under) - $10.00 plus GST
Call 403-571-9733 for Reservation.
Talk to you tonight!
Pat
The Hurricanes stayed overnight in Saskatoon after the game 7 win on Wednesday. Lethbridge just finished a gruelling, exciting series with the Saskatoon Blades, that saw the Canes take game the final game 4-3 on a game winning goal by Luca Sbisa on the power play.
The Hurricanes have earned their way to the second round and a date with the number one ranked Calgary Hitmen. This will also be the 3rd time in 4 years these two teams will meet in the post-season. Lethbridge swept the Hitmen in the Eastern Conference final last year, and let me tell you those players and coaches with this year’s Hitmen haven’t forgotten about that. Most people I would suggest would think the Hitmen are going to take this series, but I know for a fact Lethbridge will give Calgary all they can handle. This is the playoffs and anything can happen!
Calgary won the season series, winning all 6 games against the Hurricanes, but as good as the Hitmen are, they can expect a pretty confident Lethbridge team heading into round two.
There’s no doubt the Canes are going to be the underdogs in this series, but I think that’s just fine with them. This will be the ultimate test playing the number team in the WHL, but in order to be the best, you have to beat the best. Simple as that.
The Hurricanes beat Saskatoon by playing a team game and were led by their leaders. Zach Boychuk had 7 goals and 3 assists, Colton Sceviour 3 goals and one assist and then there’s the supporting cast of Dwight King, Ben Wright, Luca Sbisa, Juha Metsola, and the list goes on and on. These players will continue their strong play if the Hurricanes want to upset the Hitmen.
As for Calgary, well the Hitmen have a bit of everything and are coming off their best regulars season in franchise history. They have towers on defence, great goaltending, and dynamic forwards that have done some serious damage throughout this season. They have a fantastic team that pretty much rolled through the regular season with ease. The number one key I think in this series will be special teams by far. The Hurricanes must stay out of the penalty box at all costs. Calgary’s power play clicked at nearly 30 percent during the regular season. Discipline, discipline, and more discipline. If the Canes can managed that, they have a legitimate shot in this series. I won’t bet against the Hurricanes I can tell you that. If the top players continue to be the top players for Lethbridge, they will give the Hitmen all they can handle.
The Hurricanes have also played a lot of hockey the past week. By Saturday’s game two, Lethbridge will have played 5 games in 7 nights. The Hitmen have been off for over a week. Will any of that be a factor? I guess only time will tell!
Game one goes tonight 7pm at the Saddledome. The pre-game show with myself and Fred Jack at 6:30. Game two in Calgary Sunday afternoon at 2.
Good Ticket Deal for the Calgary Games:
Here's a pretty good ticket deal for Lethbridge fans coming up to Calgary for the first two games of this series. I received an email from the Hitmen earlier today so I thought I'd pass this along for anyone interested in coming to the Saddledome tonight and Sunday.
Friends of the Hitmen Special $10/ticket (Door Price is $20, that's up to a 50% savings). To order tickets you will need a password HIT96
Click Here to order tickets
Start the game right with dinner or brunch at the specially created Hitmen Playoff Buffet in the Avison Young Club featuring Slow Roasted Alberta Beef Carving station.
Adults - $17.50 plus GST Kids (12 and under) - $10.00 plus GST
Call 403-571-9733 for Reservation.
Talk to you tonight!
Pat
Thursday, 2 April 2009
Canes' Win in Game 7!!
What a finish to a great first round series!
The Lethbridge Hurricanes last night pulled off a 4-3 win in Saskatoon, their 3rd victory at the Credit Union Centre in the post-season, ending a great run by the Eastern Conference's second place Saskatoon Blades. The Canes' managed to get it done in what was the biggest game of the year. The Blades never quit though. Every time Lethbridge would go up by a pair, Saskatoon would claw it's way back. They had a fight that wouldn't end. A tip of the hat to the Blades and huge thumbs up the the Hurricanes! Lethbridge has earned it's way to the second round. It was a hard fought battle between two very good teams. The Hurricanes attention now switches to Calgary and the first place Hitmen who've been waiting well over a week to see which team they would face in the second round. This will be a re-match of last year's Eastern Conference final and it should be a doozy!
The Hurricanes stayed the night in Saskatoon after the big win and will make their way to Calgary today to get ready for tomorrow's game one. This series will be a 2-3-2 format because of ice availability at the Saddledome. Here's how this series will shake down:
Game 1 – Friday, April 3rd Lethbridge @ Calgary 7:00 PM
Game 2 – Sunday, April 5th Lethbridge @ Calgary 2:00 PM
Game 3 – Tuesday, April 7th Calgary @ Lethbridge 7:00 PM
Game 4 – Wednesday, April 8th Calgary @ Lethbridge 7:00 PM
*Game 5 – Friday, April 10th Calgary @ Lethbridge 7:00 PM
*Game 6 – Sunday, April 12th Lethbridge @ Calgary 5:00 PM
*Game 7 – Tuesday, April 14th Lethbridge @ Calgary 7:00 PM
*If Necessary
Tickets for round two games go on sale Thursday at the Enmax Centre Box Office, Yates Centre, 329-SEAT or at www.lethbridgehurricanes.com
Fan Bus to Calgary:
There's also a couple of fan buses being organized to head to Calgary tomorrow and Sunday. The cost is $50.00. That gets you your game ticket and transportation to and from the Enmax Centre to Calgary. For more information call Matt Cormack at 403-393-4849.
Talk to you tomorrow from Calgary!
Bye for now.
Pat
The Lethbridge Hurricanes last night pulled off a 4-3 win in Saskatoon, their 3rd victory at the Credit Union Centre in the post-season, ending a great run by the Eastern Conference's second place Saskatoon Blades. The Canes' managed to get it done in what was the biggest game of the year. The Blades never quit though. Every time Lethbridge would go up by a pair, Saskatoon would claw it's way back. They had a fight that wouldn't end. A tip of the hat to the Blades and huge thumbs up the the Hurricanes! Lethbridge has earned it's way to the second round. It was a hard fought battle between two very good teams. The Hurricanes attention now switches to Calgary and the first place Hitmen who've been waiting well over a week to see which team they would face in the second round. This will be a re-match of last year's Eastern Conference final and it should be a doozy!
The Hurricanes stayed the night in Saskatoon after the big win and will make their way to Calgary today to get ready for tomorrow's game one. This series will be a 2-3-2 format because of ice availability at the Saddledome. Here's how this series will shake down:
Game 1 – Friday, April 3rd Lethbridge @ Calgary 7:00 PM
Game 2 – Sunday, April 5th Lethbridge @ Calgary 2:00 PM
Game 3 – Tuesday, April 7th Calgary @ Lethbridge 7:00 PM
Game 4 – Wednesday, April 8th Calgary @ Lethbridge 7:00 PM
*Game 5 – Friday, April 10th Calgary @ Lethbridge 7:00 PM
*Game 6 – Sunday, April 12th Lethbridge @ Calgary 5:00 PM
*Game 7 – Tuesday, April 14th Lethbridge @ Calgary 7:00 PM
*If Necessary
Tickets for round two games go on sale Thursday at the Enmax Centre Box Office, Yates Centre, 329-SEAT or at www.lethbridgehurricanes.com
Fan Bus to Calgary:
There's also a couple of fan buses being organized to head to Calgary tomorrow and Sunday. The cost is $50.00. That gets you your game ticket and transportation to and from the Enmax Centre to Calgary. For more information call Matt Cormack at 403-393-4849.
Talk to you tomorrow from Calgary!
Bye for now.
Pat
Wednesday, 1 April 2009
Do or Die Game 7 Tonight!
Well, this first round playoff series between the Hurricanes and Blades has come down to a one game, winner takes all 7th game tonight in Saskatoon.
The Saskatoon Blades, facing elimination clawed their way back into this series with a 5-1 victory over the Canes Monday night in game 6 back in Lethbridge. Give the Blades credit, they managed to find a way to win to keep their season alive. Both teams now are in the same boat and the motivation for both the Hurricanes and the Blades is pretty simple. Win and move on to round two....lose and your season is over.
The Hurricanes have responded well in this series after losses. If that trend continues, Lethbridge has a great chance at winning this evening. In fact, this has been an entertaining series, that for the most part has favoured the visiting team for whatever reason. The Blades have won twice in Lethbridge, while the Canes have won two times in Saskatoon. I guess home-ice advantage has been more like home-ice disadvantage. Maybe these teams play a more relaxed style of hockey on the road. Of course, as everyone knows, anything can happen in a deciding game in a series.
Both teams will give it their best tonight, because for the team that comes out on the losing end of things, tomorrow will mean getting ready for next season.
The Hurricanes are going to need a strong start in this game 7. That’s helped Lethbridge to it’s 3 wins in this series. The Canes will also need to be very disciplined. That overall may be the number one key for tonight. Staying out of the penalty box will be crucial.
In game six the other night, The Blades jumped out to a 2-0 first period lead. That helped pace Saskatoon to a 5-1 win. Lethbridge fought back, but was unable to solve Braden Holtby, who maybe played his best game of this series in goal for Saskatoon. The Hurricanes will also have to generate as many chances as possible, get a lot of traffic in front of the Blades goal, and capitalize on as many chances as they get.
This will mark the Canes first game seven since the 1990-91 team won an East division championship over the Medicine Hat Tigers in seven games before losing in the WHL Finals. That team was led by Canes All Time leading point scorer Jason Ruff (382), goaltender Jamie McLennan and sixty goal scorer Brad Rubachuk.
This game tonight will also be the ultimate test of character and team leadership for both Saskatoon and Lethbridge. Which team wants this more? Who will step up to lead the way and be the hero tonight? I suppose the way this series has gone, it’s a fitting end to what’s been a back-and-forth battle between two talented hockey teams.
Which team has the pressure going into game 7? We’ll I would have to say given the high stakes, both teams are likely feeling pressure. Once the puck drops, it’ll be business as usual!
Tonight’s game is a 7o’clock start. The pre-game show on CJOC at 6:30.
The Saskatoon Blades, facing elimination clawed their way back into this series with a 5-1 victory over the Canes Monday night in game 6 back in Lethbridge. Give the Blades credit, they managed to find a way to win to keep their season alive. Both teams now are in the same boat and the motivation for both the Hurricanes and the Blades is pretty simple. Win and move on to round two....lose and your season is over.
The Hurricanes have responded well in this series after losses. If that trend continues, Lethbridge has a great chance at winning this evening. In fact, this has been an entertaining series, that for the most part has favoured the visiting team for whatever reason. The Blades have won twice in Lethbridge, while the Canes have won two times in Saskatoon. I guess home-ice advantage has been more like home-ice disadvantage. Maybe these teams play a more relaxed style of hockey on the road. Of course, as everyone knows, anything can happen in a deciding game in a series.
Both teams will give it their best tonight, because for the team that comes out on the losing end of things, tomorrow will mean getting ready for next season.
The Hurricanes are going to need a strong start in this game 7. That’s helped Lethbridge to it’s 3 wins in this series. The Canes will also need to be very disciplined. That overall may be the number one key for tonight. Staying out of the penalty box will be crucial.
In game six the other night, The Blades jumped out to a 2-0 first period lead. That helped pace Saskatoon to a 5-1 win. Lethbridge fought back, but was unable to solve Braden Holtby, who maybe played his best game of this series in goal for Saskatoon. The Hurricanes will also have to generate as many chances as possible, get a lot of traffic in front of the Blades goal, and capitalize on as many chances as they get.
This will mark the Canes first game seven since the 1990-91 team won an East division championship over the Medicine Hat Tigers in seven games before losing in the WHL Finals. That team was led by Canes All Time leading point scorer Jason Ruff (382), goaltender Jamie McLennan and sixty goal scorer Brad Rubachuk.
This game tonight will also be the ultimate test of character and team leadership for both Saskatoon and Lethbridge. Which team wants this more? Who will step up to lead the way and be the hero tonight? I suppose the way this series has gone, it’s a fitting end to what’s been a back-and-forth battle between two talented hockey teams.
Which team has the pressure going into game 7? We’ll I would have to say given the high stakes, both teams are likely feeling pressure. Once the puck drops, it’ll be business as usual!
Tonight’s game is a 7o’clock start. The pre-game show on CJOC at 6:30.
Monday, 30 March 2009
Big Game Six Tonight!
Well, the Hurricanes have a chance tonight to knock off the number two seed in the Eastern Conference if they can can pull off a big win on home-ice in game six, but trust me..it won't be easy!
The Hurricanes beat the Blades 3-1 in Saskatoon in Game five on Saturday. Zach Boychuk again was fantastic and so was goaltender Juha Metsola. Boychuk scored what maybe was the nicest individual effort of the series so far with 4.5 seconds to go in the second period when he stole the puck short-handed at centre, moved into the Blades zone and with a great second effort poked the puck passed Blades goaltender Braden Holtby. That was the goal that clearly turned that game around. Boychuk now has 6 goals and 2 assists in 5 games in this series. He also added an assist on the opening goal by Colton Sceviour. Kyle Beach added the insurance marker in the 3rd. Juha Metsola stood on his head in the 2nd period and really gave Lethbridge a chance to win it.
As I've said many times before, a lot of people expected this was going to be a long series that could go either way. The Hurricanes have the upper hand right now. The team is a confident bunch I would expect coming home for game six here tonight.
The Canes' may have the lead in the series and the Blades on the brink of elimination, but I know for a fact Saskatoon will come out gunning in this one, they have to. They have to win this evening to force a final game 7 on Wednesday back in Saskatoon. This Blades team is good....very good in fact. They are the league's best team this season on the road and that bodes well for them. They didn't finish the regular season with 103 points just by chance. I expect Saskatoon to fight tooth and nail and play a desperate style of game. In every series, the potential knock out game is the toughest for teams to win. Perhaps, the Hurricanes playoff experience of last season will come back to pay dividends tonight.
The Hurricanes though just need to keep playing the way they have the past two games. They've taken advantage of their chances. The penalty kill for both teams has been solid and so has the goaltending. Lethbridge is hoping for a good crowd tonight as well. The Blades fans responded in game five the other night with close 75-hundred people at Credit Union Centre. Hopefully tonight, the great Hurricanes fans will pack the Enmax Centre for what should be a very entertaining contest!
Game time tonight is 7 o'clock. The pre-game show on CJOC at 6:30.
Talk to you then!
Pat
The Hurricanes beat the Blades 3-1 in Saskatoon in Game five on Saturday. Zach Boychuk again was fantastic and so was goaltender Juha Metsola. Boychuk scored what maybe was the nicest individual effort of the series so far with 4.5 seconds to go in the second period when he stole the puck short-handed at centre, moved into the Blades zone and with a great second effort poked the puck passed Blades goaltender Braden Holtby. That was the goal that clearly turned that game around. Boychuk now has 6 goals and 2 assists in 5 games in this series. He also added an assist on the opening goal by Colton Sceviour. Kyle Beach added the insurance marker in the 3rd. Juha Metsola stood on his head in the 2nd period and really gave Lethbridge a chance to win it.
As I've said many times before, a lot of people expected this was going to be a long series that could go either way. The Hurricanes have the upper hand right now. The team is a confident bunch I would expect coming home for game six here tonight.
The Canes' may have the lead in the series and the Blades on the brink of elimination, but I know for a fact Saskatoon will come out gunning in this one, they have to. They have to win this evening to force a final game 7 on Wednesday back in Saskatoon. This Blades team is good....very good in fact. They are the league's best team this season on the road and that bodes well for them. They didn't finish the regular season with 103 points just by chance. I expect Saskatoon to fight tooth and nail and play a desperate style of game. In every series, the potential knock out game is the toughest for teams to win. Perhaps, the Hurricanes playoff experience of last season will come back to pay dividends tonight.
The Hurricanes though just need to keep playing the way they have the past two games. They've taken advantage of their chances. The penalty kill for both teams has been solid and so has the goaltending. Lethbridge is hoping for a good crowd tonight as well. The Blades fans responded in game five the other night with close 75-hundred people at Credit Union Centre. Hopefully tonight, the great Hurricanes fans will pack the Enmax Centre for what should be a very entertaining contest!
Game time tonight is 7 o'clock. The pre-game show on CJOC at 6:30.
Talk to you then!
Pat
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