The Lethbridge Hurricanes season came to a close last night with a 6-0 home-ice loss to the high flying Calgary Hitmen.
The Canes' just couldn't get any offence going against this Calgary team. In four games, the Hitmen outscored Lethbridge 19-3. Calgary was relentless in it's attack all series long. The Hitmen will now go on to the Eastern Conference final for the 3rd year in a row, but they'll have something to prove this year I think. The last two years they've lost to Lethbridge and Medicine Hat in the conference final, falling short of reaching the WHL Championship series. You can bet this season, the Hitmen will be hungrier than ever!
For the Canes' though, it was the end to what's been an up and down and inconsistent year. People have asked my why didn't things pan out like many had hoped it would when the season started back in September. Well, really that's not an easy question to answer. There were a number of contributing factors I guess including injuries, suspensions, world juniors, players not returning or coming back late from NHL camps. It was tough for the Hurricanes to get a really chemistry going.
I suppose if you want to look at this season as a Hurricanes fan in a positive light, Lethbridge made the play-offs in back-to-back seasons and both with winning records and this year they knocked off the second place Saskatoon Blades in round one. Not an easy task. So, where do the Canes' go from here and what will next year's team look like?
I would say the building process for next year will start fairly soon if not already. Lethbridge will have a different looking team in 09/10. Likely more inexperienced and maybe a bit younger too. Players eligible, but not likely to return include Zach Boychuk, Colton Sceviour, Luca Sbisa, and Juha Metsola. There's a chance Kyle Beach and Dwight King will come back, depending on what their NHL clubs have in store for them. Carter Ashton and Carter Bancks will likely be the go-to guys in terms of veterans. The Canes' will also be in the market for a new Captain. With overage Ben Wright's junior career now over, someone else will get the "C" next season. I think a guy like Bancks would look good with that letter on his chest! He's a heart and soul kind of player. We'll see what next season brings.
And then there are trades. The Hurricanes could also acquire new players by making a few moves here and there. I would assume the Canes' will now build heading towards 2013, a year this organization hopes it will have a chance to host the Memorial Cup. Building a team doesn't happen overnight. There's a process that takes place. For Lethbridge, that building process for next season will soon get underway.
Thanks to all those folks who listened to Hurricanes Hockey this season on CJOC. Thanks for all your support! Have a great off-season and I know once August hits, people will be chomping at the bit to get back to the rink!
That's it for now.
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.
Thursday, 9 April 2009
Wednesday, 8 April 2009
Canes' Down 3-0 in Series
Well, it's do or time for the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
The Canes' will now have to rattle off 4 wins in a row against the Calgary Hitmen if they want to move on in this year's playoffs. Assistant Coach Matt Kabayama though put it this way on our post game show last night. He said as cliche as it may sound, Lethbridge has to approach things now one shift and one game at a time, not necessarily winning 4 straight games against Calgary.
The Hurricanes will have to play a strong 60 minutes in game 4 this evening. Coming back from three games down to the Calgary Hitmen seems like a very tall task, but if the players believe they can do it, then really, anything is possible.
No team likes to be on the brink of elimination, but sometimes that can also bring out the best in a team. Last night, the Canes' got into some penalty trouble again as the Hitmen went 2 for 8 on the man advantage. We've talked so much about discipline in these playoffs. That one little word might be the biggest key for Lethbridge tonight.
There's also a desperation factor. The Canes' will be pulling out all the stops to make this season continue. I can tell you this much, the Lethbridge Hurricanes will not go without a fight. Tonight they'll have to bring their "A" game. This is a talented group of players. They know they can play well and play with the Calgary Hitmen. Again, one shift and one game at a time!
Game time tonight is 7 o'clock. The pre-game show on CJOC at 6:30.
The Canes' will now have to rattle off 4 wins in a row against the Calgary Hitmen if they want to move on in this year's playoffs. Assistant Coach Matt Kabayama though put it this way on our post game show last night. He said as cliche as it may sound, Lethbridge has to approach things now one shift and one game at a time, not necessarily winning 4 straight games against Calgary.
The Hurricanes will have to play a strong 60 minutes in game 4 this evening. Coming back from three games down to the Calgary Hitmen seems like a very tall task, but if the players believe they can do it, then really, anything is possible.
No team likes to be on the brink of elimination, but sometimes that can also bring out the best in a team. Last night, the Canes' got into some penalty trouble again as the Hitmen went 2 for 8 on the man advantage. We've talked so much about discipline in these playoffs. That one little word might be the biggest key for Lethbridge tonight.
There's also a desperation factor. The Canes' will be pulling out all the stops to make this season continue. I can tell you this much, the Lethbridge Hurricanes will not go without a fight. Tonight they'll have to bring their "A" game. This is a talented group of players. They know they can play well and play with the Calgary Hitmen. Again, one shift and one game at a time!
Game time tonight is 7 o'clock. The pre-game show on CJOC at 6:30.
Tuesday, 7 April 2009
Big Game Three Tonight
The Lethbridge Hurricanes will try and use home-ice to get back into this second round series with the Calgary Hitmen.
The Canes' trail the series 2-0 after back-to-back losses at the Saddledome this past weekend. There's no doubt this is going to be a tall task against an extremely good Hitmen team, but for Lethbridge right now, it has to be one shift and one game at a time as cliche as that sounds!
The Hurricanes played well in game 2 on Sunday. They ran into some penalty trouble and will have to do everything possible to stay out of the penalty box as this series moves on. Right now for the Canes, this is a pivotal game in this series. If they can beat Calgary tonight they're right back in this thing. I would assume the Hurricanes would approach tonight as if it were a do or die.
Head Coach Michael Dyck said on our CJOC pre-game show on Sunday that his Hurricanes must play will a burr in their backside. He even said perhaps Lethbridge has given Calgary too much respect. We'll see if that mentality continues tonight.
Zach Boychuk leads Lethbridge in post-season scoring with 7 goals and 5 assists. He's followed by Dwight King (1G, 6A), Colton Sceviour (3G, 3A) and Ben Wright (4A).
Game 4 in this series goes in Lethbridge tomorrow. Game 5 if necessary is scheduled for the Enmax Centre Friday night.
The Canes' trail the series 2-0 after back-to-back losses at the Saddledome this past weekend. There's no doubt this is going to be a tall task against an extremely good Hitmen team, but for Lethbridge right now, it has to be one shift and one game at a time as cliche as that sounds!
The Hurricanes played well in game 2 on Sunday. They ran into some penalty trouble and will have to do everything possible to stay out of the penalty box as this series moves on. Right now for the Canes, this is a pivotal game in this series. If they can beat Calgary tonight they're right back in this thing. I would assume the Hurricanes would approach tonight as if it were a do or die.
Head Coach Michael Dyck said on our CJOC pre-game show on Sunday that his Hurricanes must play will a burr in their backside. He even said perhaps Lethbridge has given Calgary too much respect. We'll see if that mentality continues tonight.
Zach Boychuk leads Lethbridge in post-season scoring with 7 goals and 5 assists. He's followed by Dwight King (1G, 6A), Colton Sceviour (3G, 3A) and Ben Wright (4A).
Game 4 in this series goes in Lethbridge tomorrow. Game 5 if necessary is scheduled for the Enmax Centre Friday night.
Monday, 6 April 2009
Hitmen Grab 2-0 Series Lead
The Hurricanes find themselves behind the 8 ball, down 2-0 in their second round series with the Hitmen.
The Canes' played a good game yesterday at the Saddledome, but just came up short in a 2-1 loss. Penalties really killed the Canes' in game 2. Lethbridge has to be and must be more disciplined from here on in. Calgary went 2 for 8 on the power play Sunday while the Canes' were 0 for 4. People who listen to our broadcast on a regular basis know I rarely ever complain about officiating, but I did yesterday. I wasn't necessarily upset about the penalties that the Hurricanes were assessed. It was the non-calls against the Hitmen. Especially the high-stick Mitch Versteeg took with less than 5 minutes to go. The Hitmen player tried hitting the puck out of mid-air, missed and hit Versteeg in the face. I know he didn't mean to do that, but players still must have control and be responsible for the sticks. Hurricanes coaches Michael Dyck and Matt Kabayama were both visibilty upset at the officials after the game. I know I sound like I'm whining here, but all I want to see is some consistency. Again though, the Hurricanes must stay out of the box if they want to come back in this series, plain and simple.
That aside, Lethbridge played well Sunday. They were much more determined and maybe deserved a better fate. Juha Metsola was great in goal, making numerous big stops. He gave the Hurricanes a chance.
Game 3 is Tuesday and game 4 Wednesday both in Lethbridge at the Enmax Centre at 7pm.
I'll set up game 3 tomorrow.
Talk to you then,
Pat
The Canes' played a good game yesterday at the Saddledome, but just came up short in a 2-1 loss. Penalties really killed the Canes' in game 2. Lethbridge has to be and must be more disciplined from here on in. Calgary went 2 for 8 on the power play Sunday while the Canes' were 0 for 4. People who listen to our broadcast on a regular basis know I rarely ever complain about officiating, but I did yesterday. I wasn't necessarily upset about the penalties that the Hurricanes were assessed. It was the non-calls against the Hitmen. Especially the high-stick Mitch Versteeg took with less than 5 minutes to go. The Hitmen player tried hitting the puck out of mid-air, missed and hit Versteeg in the face. I know he didn't mean to do that, but players still must have control and be responsible for the sticks. Hurricanes coaches Michael Dyck and Matt Kabayama were both visibilty upset at the officials after the game. I know I sound like I'm whining here, but all I want to see is some consistency. Again though, the Hurricanes must stay out of the box if they want to come back in this series, plain and simple.
That aside, Lethbridge played well Sunday. They were much more determined and maybe deserved a better fate. Juha Metsola was great in goal, making numerous big stops. He gave the Hurricanes a chance.
Game 3 is Tuesday and game 4 Wednesday both in Lethbridge at the Enmax Centre at 7pm.
I'll set up game 3 tomorrow.
Talk to you then,
Pat
Sunday, 5 April 2009
Canes @ Hitmen Game Two
The Lethbridge Hurricanes will try and tie this second round series this afternoon when they meet the Hitmen in Calgary for game two of this second round series.
The Hitmen rolled to a 7-1 victory in game one at the Saddledome Friday night. The Canes will need a much better effort today if they want to tie this series with games 3 and 4, and potentially game 5 all in Lethbridge in the coming week. I don’t think the Hurricanes coaching staff was at all impressed with the outcome and how it got to be 7-1 in the first place. I would expect to see a much more determined Lethbridge team here today.
Both teams had a day off and a practice yesterday. Perhaps the day off will give the Canes some time to go over things heading into game two and to see where they can limit the Calgary attack and how, maybe to take advantage of a few more of their opportunities. Mind you, the Hitmen didn’t give the Hurricanes much to work with either. Lethbridge must try to generate more shots and they need more traffic in front of Hitmen goaltender Martin Jones. Already this is a key game in this series, because the Canes can’t afford to go down 2-0 to the Calgary Hitmen, a team that not many clubs in the WHL had any success against this season.
Some people have asked me why was Juha Metsola was pulled after he allowed that 5th goal on Friday. I certainly don’t think it was his play. I would suggest it was simply to give him a rest and get him ready for today. Juha’s played a lot of hockey the last couple of weeks. We’ll soon see if he’s ready for another big test here this afternoon.
Game time from Calgary is 2 o’clock. The pre-game show on CJOC at 1:30.
The Hitmen rolled to a 7-1 victory in game one at the Saddledome Friday night. The Canes will need a much better effort today if they want to tie this series with games 3 and 4, and potentially game 5 all in Lethbridge in the coming week. I don’t think the Hurricanes coaching staff was at all impressed with the outcome and how it got to be 7-1 in the first place. I would expect to see a much more determined Lethbridge team here today.
Both teams had a day off and a practice yesterday. Perhaps the day off will give the Canes some time to go over things heading into game two and to see where they can limit the Calgary attack and how, maybe to take advantage of a few more of their opportunities. Mind you, the Hitmen didn’t give the Hurricanes much to work with either. Lethbridge must try to generate more shots and they need more traffic in front of Hitmen goaltender Martin Jones. Already this is a key game in this series, because the Canes can’t afford to go down 2-0 to the Calgary Hitmen, a team that not many clubs in the WHL had any success against this season.
Some people have asked me why was Juha Metsola was pulled after he allowed that 5th goal on Friday. I certainly don’t think it was his play. I would suggest it was simply to give him a rest and get him ready for today. Juha’s played a lot of hockey the last couple of weeks. We’ll soon see if he’s ready for another big test here this afternoon.
Game time from Calgary is 2 o’clock. The pre-game show on CJOC at 1:30.
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