Hurricanes Beat Wheaties 2-1....@ Regina Tonight

As Carter Bancks told me on the way to our post-game meal last night, "that was greasy road win!"

The Hurricanes pulled off a big victory in the Wheat City, downing Brandon 2-1 in front of just over 4300 people at the Keystone Centre. The Canes' played a pretty good road game I thought, beating a talented Wheat Kings team. It wasn't the prettiest of wins, but it's a victory for a team that was hoping to rebound from a home-ice loss in Lethbridge a few nights earlier.

Linden Rowat was the first star of the game last night and rightly so. He was put to the test over and over and managed to keep the puck out, at times making outstanding saves. The only shot to beat him was in the second period. Rowat stopped 34 of 35 shots. He was very good between the pipes and that's the kind of goaltending this team is going to need in order to be successful.

Offence was hard to come by Friday night. Carter Ashton was in on both Hurricanes goals, setting up the first one by Max Ross and then scoring the game winner less 2 minutes into the 3rd. It was a great goal set up by Landon Oslanski and a heads up pass from Brody Sutter from deep in his own zone to Ashton waiting at the Wheaties blueline. Ashton continues to score big league goals. The one last night was right up there.

One thing I thought the Hurricanes improved on last night over the Wednesday game was bearing down on their chances in close. The goal by Ross was a perfect example of what can happen when you simly put the puck on the net. Unlike the Chilliwack game, the Canes' didn't miss the net on many occasions in Brandon.

With the win, the Canes' move to within 2 points of Brandon in the standings, although we're only a dozen games into the season. The Hurricanes power play went 0 for 5 Friday and really didn't look too dangerous. The penalty killers managed to hold off the Brandon man advantage twice and in the process Lethbridge stayed out of the box in what was probably the team's most disciplined game thus far.

I must admit I'm quite surprised to read some of the comments on this blog after the Hurricanes 1-0 loss the other night to Chilliwack. Some people seem to think after 12 games, it's time for Rich Preston to bring out the TNT and blow things up. Why? I would suggest it's way too early to start thinking about that. Sure, the Hurricanes didn't play well against the Bruins and if you heard Associate Coach Matt Kabayama in the post-game show after he pretty much rubber stamped those sentiments, but to suggest it's time to trade this guy and that guy and build for next season is premature in my opinion. The Hurricanes aren't the only team that has struggled in the early part of the season here in the Eastern Conference and not one team in WHL has yet to light the dynamite so to speak. Most teams are going to wait till the Christmas break rolls around before determining if they should be making moves for this season or next. Sure, the Hurricanes have a few players that would likely fetch a nice return, but I think to consider doing anything drastic right now in that regard would be putting the cart before the horse. Give it some time. Rich Preston has already done a lot in the past few weeks and I certainly don't think he's finished yet. The biggest concern at the start was keeping the puck out the net. In the first 6 games, the Hurricanes gave up a total of 36 goals against. In the last 6 games, the Canes' have given up just 11. That's a huge contrast and no doubt the changes made in goal and on defence have had an impact. I'm not saying this team has turned the corner completely, but they've made big strides to improve and it has shown on he ice. Granted, the team still has to try and find a few more goals. If Linden Rowat and Ville Kolppanen play decent in goal each game and give this team a chance to win, the onus will be on the players in front to score a few and help this team to victory.

Tonight, the Hurricanes are in Regina to take on the Pats for the first time this season. After a slow start, Regina has started to score goals and with Jordan Eberle back in the fold, the Pats have the potential to score a lot. Linden Rowat is back in the Queen City for the first time since being traded to Lethbridge a couple of weeks back. He had a very good career here, posting 85 wins. I'm sure he'd like nothing more than to get a victory against his old team at the Brandt Centre. Rich Preston is also back in his old stomping grounds this evening. He coached the Pats back in the 90's.

Game time tonight from Regina is 7pm. The pre-game show on CJOC at 6:30.

Thanks,
Pat

Fines...No Suspensions

The WHL brass has ruled on the multiple fights that took place at the end of the Hurricanes/Bruins game Wednesday night at the Enmax Centre in Lethbridge.

Both the Hurricanes and Chilliwack have been tagged with $250.00 fines. No suspensions were handed to down to either team. There were three fights that broke out at the 20 minute mark of the 3rd period.

Chilliwack won the game 1-0.

The Hurricanes are in Brandon tonight 6:30 pm (MT). The pre-game show on CJOC at 6.

Thanks,
Pat

On the Road Again....Canes @ Wheat Kings

Hi from Regina.

The Hurricanes rolled into the Queen City around 5 o’clock yesterday afternoon, settled in to the hotel, and went for a team supper. This is a very busy stretch for Lethbridge with three games in three nights starting tonight in the Wheat City.

The Canes’ will play three teams this weekend that they haven’t played yet this year as they try and rebound from two losses on home-ice, the most recent being a 1-0 shutout loss to Chilliwack two nights ago. The Hurricanes didn’t seem ready for that game and tonight I would expect to see a much more determined Lethbridge team. The Hurricanes need to get off to a better start too. It was slow going for the Canes’ on Wednesday and I know for certain the coaching staff would like to see more jump to start this road trip off against the Wheaties.

As people are well aware, Brandon will be hosting the Memorial Cup this coming spring and on paper, have one of better teams in the WHL. Kelly McCrimmon has consistently put together a competitive team year in and year out, but with the big tournament being held in the Manitoba city this season, you can bet he’ll want the strongest team possible to take a shot at winning it all. The Wheat Kings have a veteran team for the most part and deep with talent. They are lead by Schenn, Glennie, and Calvert and have a pretty darn good supporting cast to go along with that trio. The Wheaties though have been kind of up and down so far this season, but I truly believe they will be near the top of the standings in the East once the regular season is over in March.

This will be maybe the first big test of the year for Lethbridge. They were tested by a very good Saskatoon team last weekend in a game the Canes’ let slip away and they played well despite the loss. Head Coach/G.M. Rich Preston told me after that game that the effort he saw from his team on Saturday showed that this group of Hurricanes can play with the best teams in the league. This will be another good gauge for this team as it tries to stay with the pack here in the bottom half of the Eastern Conference.

The Canes’ need everyone to be singing from the same songbook this weekend. According to Associate Coach Matt Kabayama after the Wednesday loss to the Bruins, some players seemed to have taken that game off and he was adamant they have to play better if they want to get some wins.

Hurricanes fans have to like the way this team plays on special teams. I kind of touched on that in my blog post yesterday. That has been a huge positive for the Canes’. It’s just a matter of trying to eliminate the small mistakes, paying attention to detail, and taking advantage of opportunities when they arise.

Game time from Brandon is 6:30 (MT). The pre-game show on CJOC at 6. Feel free to send an email or comment to hurricanes@pttwireless.ca.

Thanks,
Pat

Canes' Blanked By Bruins 1-0

The Lethbridge Hurricanes simply weren't ready for the Chilliwack Bruins last night.

The Bruins came into the Enmax Centre and skated out with a 1-0 victory. This was a game I thought the Hurricanes could've won, but maybe they took a struggling Chilliwack team too lightly. The only goal of the game was scored mid-way through the second. The Hurricanes tried in the 3rd to tie things up, but just couldn't get the puck passed Bruins goaltender Lucas Gore. Chilliwack played a pretty road game actually and got the result they were hoping for.

The Hurricanes had too many missed chances I thought. A number of good opportunities close in that saw players shoot wide or high, missing the net. The Hurricanes need to bare down on their chances close in. Associate Coach Matt Kabayama said on our CJOC post-game show that this team was simply not ready to play Chilliwack Wednesday and he made it clear they will need everyone on board this weekend when they play 3 games in 3 nights on the road.

Ville Kolppanen played very well in goal for Lethbridge I thought, despite giving up the goal. Perhaps he deserved a better fate. He had a good outing in his first ever home start and in front of some family members who came from Finland this week to watch him play.

Another positive I think was the Hurricanes special teams. The power play obviously was unable to click Wednesday, but the penalty killing again was good, keeping the Bruins off the score sheet. This has been a real plus for Lethbidge this season. PP and PK were two areas that the Canes' kind of struggled last season, but it sure has been a bright spot this year so far. The Canes' have one the best penalty kills in the WHL right now and a very consistent power play as of late too. They will need both those areas to be equally as good heading this weekend.

I would expect the Canes' to be ready for Brandon tomorrow. Games like last night can leave a bad taste for a team and give them that jump they need the next night. A little motivation you might say. The Hurricanes will need a much better start in each game this weekend if they want to make it tough on their opponents and give them a chance to win.

Carter Bancks said on our post-game show last night that the younger players played well Wednesday, but the team didn't get much production from it's veterans. I would have to agree. They need to get a stronger effort from everyone this coming weekend.

Tomorrow the Canes' are in Brandon (6:30pm MT), Saturday in Regina (7pm) and Sunday in Moose Jaw (7pm). This will be a very good test for this Lethbridge team against 3 teams they have to play this season. I will be a good test to see how this group will rebound after last night's 1-0 loss on home-ice.

Thanks,
Pat

Hurricanes vs. Chilliwack Tonight

The Lethbridge Hurricanes get back at it tonight when they play host to Chilliwack at the Enmax Centre.

The Hurricanes are coming off pretty good stretch of hockey in the past couple of weekends, winning 3 of 4 and taking 7 of 8 points. The team will be looking to get back into the win column after dropping a 3-2 overtime decision to Saskatoon this past Saturday, a game the Canes’ let slip away in the final minute.

This will also mark the return of former Hurricanes defenceman Jesse Craige to the Enmax Centre. He was dealt away before last season started in exchange for Cody Smuk who was later traded to Moose Jaw. Some Hurricanes fans I know are still upset that Craige was traded to the Bruins as he was well liked. In the two games Chilliwack and Lethbridge played last year, Craige was not a part of either. He was sidelined for both because of a broken jaw. I’m sure he’ll be pretty excited to play against his former team for the first time in two seasons.

The Canes’ better make sure they eat their Wheaties this week because it’s a busy one for the hockey team. After today’s game they’re off tomorrow morning for a trip to Brandon to take on the Wheat Kings Friday night. Then Saturday the Canes’ have a date with the Pats in Regina and Sunday it’s off to Moose Jaw to play the high flying Warriors. Not one of these games can be said to be an easy one for this Lethbridge team.

Yesterday, Canes’ GM/Head Coach Rich Preston announced that the team has traded goalie Michael Tadjdeh to Spokane for an 8th round bantam pick in 2011. Tadjdeh was sent home to Calgary a couple of weeks back to wait for a trade after the Hurricanes picked up overage netminder Linden Rowat from Regina.

This week will be a good measuring stick for the Canes' I think for two reasons. Number one, we’ll see how this team can handle a busy schedule with 4 games in 5 days and then 3 games in 3 days this weekend against some pretty good teams and number two, we’ll get our first good chance to see how the Canes’ measure up against some of the tougher teams in the East this weekend. It’ll certainly be a good test.

As far as I can tell, the Hurricanes are a healthy group going into these games this week. That’s something the hockey team had trouble with last year. So far this season, the team hasn't really had to deal with much of the injury bug and hopefully it'll stay that way.

Tonight's game from the Enmax Centre is a 7 o'clock start. The pre-game show on CJOC at 6:30 with myself and Fred Jack.

Season Ticket Exchange

Tonight is the first season ticket exchange night of the season for Hurricanes fans. Anyone with unused season tickets can exchange them for tickets for tonight's game for a $1.00 service fee. Every Wednesday home game this season will be an exchange night.

Thanks,
Pat

A Look at the WHL Through 10 Games

Some interesting surprises I think through the first 10 games of the season.

I know we're still quite early on in the 09/10 campaign here, but I can't help to notice a few teams in the league. To me, the biggest surprise right now are the Moose Jaw Warriors. This team had been struggling big time the past couple of seasons, but it appears the trades they made at the deadline last year are paying dividends now. Good on them! It's nice to see a team go from the outhouse to the penthouse so to speak. It looks like Moose Jaw has it together at the moment and is certainly not a pushover team. They are the only team so far that has been able to be the Calgary Hitmen on the season. Lethbridge plays there Sunday night and will be given a run for their money, especially on the last game of 3 game road swing.

Another team that has surprised me a bit in the East are the Wheat Kings. Brandon is pretty much a .500 team at the moment, but I expect they will be a big force as this season moves ahead. With Brandon hosting the Memorial Cup this May, they will be, I think a force to be reckoned with. How about the Hitmen? Calgary again is at the top of it's game early on. I'll admit I kind of thought the Hitmen would tail off a little bit after the record setting season they had last year, but it appears that team is again top notch.

As for the Hurricanes, they may be at the bottom of the conference right now, but they aren't alone. They trail 4 other teams by only one point. I think they'll be just fine as this season moves ahead. Kootenay, Red Deer, PA, Regina, and Medicine Hat have been up and down too through the first 10 games. I expect there to be a pretty good battle for the final few playoff spots once February and March roll around.

Over in the West two teams that were near the bottom last year are at the top this season. Kamloops and Portland are leading the pack early on. I'm not at all shocked to see the Blazers where they are. Look at the number of returning players on that team. They have a tonne of experience and it's showing at the moment. And how about those Winter Hawks? This organization was in a pretty serious situation on and off the ice a couple of seasons ago to the point the WHL had to actually step in. That team has turned things around and are a legitimate force once again. It's really a rags to riches kind of story for Portland. It's great to see a team down on it's luck turn the corner and bounce back the way they have. It just shows what can happen when you have the right people in place.

The next month will be interesting to watch around the league. Usually by the first week of November, the cream starts to separate and we get an even better snap shot as to which teams are the ones to watch.

Thanks,
Pat

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope your turkey weekend has been good.

The Hurricanes have been off since losing 3-2 in overtime to Saskatoon Saturday night at the Enmax Centre. The team has a very busy week with 4 games in 5 nights starting Wednesday evening at the Enmax Centre versus Chilliwack. Eventhough it's a holiday today, Hurricanes This Week will be on the air tonight at 6. I won't be there to host the show as I had to go to Saskatchewan to attend the funeral of my grandma this week, before making it back to Lethbridge for the game time Wednesday. Fred Jack will be joined by CTV's Darrell Rumold on the show this evening. I'll call in to talk about the weekend and upcoming week for the hockey team. Hurricanes Associate Coach Matt Kabayama is expected to be on the program at 6, and then we'll talk with Bruce Luebke, the voice of the Brandon Wheat Kings to set up Friday night's contest between the Hurricanes and Wheaties. We'll also get an update on preparations for the upcoming Memorial Cup in the Wheat City next May.

Being Thankful on this Thanksgiving

As I mentioned earlier, my grandma passed away a few days ago. She was 92 years old. I was very close to her. I got to thinking on my drive to Saskatchewan yesterday just what she meant to me and how much I learned from her over the years...then it hit me. All the little things she used to tell me as a young boy and that kind of put life for me into perspective. She lived a good and life and lived it to the fullest. It's tough saying goodbye to someone you love, but I think knowing her as I did has made me a better person. It also gives me comfort knowing she's in a much better place now. One thing I will miss will be her cooking. Being the good Ukrainian Baba that she was, when at Nana's house you weren't ever to far from a bowl of perogies or a roaster of cabbage rolls! I am truly thankful for having her part of my life for the past 32 years. My grandma had 5 children, 16 grandchildren, and 30+ great grandchildren. There was never a shortage of family around. She was a busy lady to say the least, but always had time for me. I know this is some pretty deep stuff for a blog about hockey, but I wanted to give you a snapshot of someone special to me and someone that had a huge impact on my life as person. Nana you will be missed! Thank you for everything. I love you. Вічная Память! (Everlasting Memory)

Thanks,

Pat

Canes' Lose Heartbreaker in OT to Blades

A real tough loss for the Hurricanes last night on home-ice.

The team was less than a minute away from winning it's 4th game in a row, but a late 3rd period goal by Saskatoon, with their goaltender pulled tied the contest at 2 sending the game into overtime. A bench minor for too many men on the ice mid-way through the extra period proved very costly for Lethbridge. After killing off 6 Saskatoon power plays in regulation, the Blades notched the overtime winner while the Canes' were trying to kill off that bench minor. It was simply a breakdown on a line change that cost Lethbridge in the overtime. The Hurricanes though can learn from things like that though. If you want to look at the positives, Lethbridge gets 3 out 4 points on the weekend and played a very good game against an experienced Saskatoon team.

Give Saskatoon some credit. The Blades looked to be down and out and then in the 3rd period they turned up the heat. They got the equalizer and then the winner shortly thereafter. Good teams find ways to win and the Blades managed that last night.

It was a pretty entertaining game. The Hurricanes special teams played a huge part again. Lethbridge scored both it's goals on the power play and at the same time the penalty killers were able to hold the Blades, until the O-T winner. The Canes' PK is one of the best in league right now and sits in the top 7.

Mitch Maxwell had another great game for Lethbridge. The Magrath product scored once and added an assist to lead the way offensively. For the second straight night he made the 3 star selection. The Canes' lost Carter Ashton 5 minutes into the game. He was ejected for a hit from behind. The hit in my opinion certainly was a penalty, but I didn't think it warranted a 5 minute major and game misconduct. I think it fored a few other players like Maxwell to pick up the slack with Lethbridge's top sniper gone for the game.

Richie Sutter was on the bench last night along side Rich Preston for Lethbridge. Sutter was pinch hitting for Associate Coach Matt Kabayama who had to leave prior to the game because of a family emergency. I also thought Eric Mestery played well for the second game in a row for the Canes'. He stepped up last night, dropping the gloves with Saskatoon's Randy McNaught. He had a good game on Friday too versus Edmonton.

It's a busy week coming up for this Hurricanes team with 4 games in 5 days. On Wednesday, the Canes' host Chilliwack and then it's back on the road again with games Friday in Brandon, Saturday at Regina, and Sunday night in Moose Jaw.

The Hurricanes after 10 games sit with a record of 3-6-0-1.

Have a good Thanksgiving holiday!

Thanks,
Pat